Discussion Questions

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers!

 

How would you have handled things differently if you were in Jasmine’s situation? Would you have been tougher on the mom? Or easier?

 

How about things with Danny? Would you have done anything differently with him if he was your brother?

 

Do you think Jasmine is weak or strong? Why?

 

If you were in Jasmine’s situation, would you have chosen Wes? Would you have had any reservations about dating him? Why or why not?

 

The title of the book is This Ordinary Life. Do you think Jasmine’s life is ordinary or extraordinary? Why?

 

Why do you think Jasmine’s mom was the way she was?

 

How does Jasmine feel when she is working as a DJ at her school’s radio station? Is there anything in your life that makes you feel that way?

 

Which character do you think changed the most throughout the course of This Ordinary Life? How?

 

Did anything early in the book foreshadow any of the big events that happen later in the novel?

 

How do Jasmine’s feelings about her mom change and evolve by the end of the book?

 

What did Jasmine learn about herself by the end of the book?

 

What did you, as a reader, learn about seizures and epilepsy that you did not know before reading This Ordinary Life?

 

What was your favorite part of This Ordinary Life? Least favorite?