Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:
• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)
Also consider these LitLovers talking points to help get a discussion started for The Lion:
1. Khalil is single-minded in his desire to kill. What motivates him—what are the roots of his actions? Do you consider Khalil the essence of evil...or is there some justification, even if warped, for his killing? Is revenge ever a justification?
2. What difficulties does New York area law enforcement officials face as they try to combat terrorists? Do those issues ring true in real life? How does John Corey rise above those difficulties—or does he?
3. Is Corey a likable character? Do you enjoy his sarcasm and wise-cracks, finding them funny and refreshing? Or do you find them tiresome and inappropriate? Is Corey fully developed as a real character, or is he a one-dimensional "good guy"? What about the other characters—his wife, Kate Mayfield, or his adversary, Asad Khalil? Another way to put it: does DeMille emphasize plot over character...or character over plot? And what's the difference?
4. What are Corey's views, which he expresses early on in the book, toward the countries of the Middle East and especially Iran? Do you agree with him?
5. Talk about the different skills that the hero and protagonist bring to their struggle? How is each trained? How do the two match up against one another—are Corey and Khalid equally matched, or does one seem to out match the other?
6. What does Corey see as Khalil's weakness...and how does he plan to use it against him?
7. Is Khalil's failure to kill Kate believable? How does she manage to survive?
8. What is Khalil's connection to the terrorist mission? How critical is his role in their truck bomb plot—or is that part of the story confusing?
9. Does this book give you pause to think about the security of the U.S. (and other Western countries) in the face of true terrorism? Does Khalil's fanaticism mirror real life terrorists? How realistic is Khalil from everything you've heard and read about actual terrorists?
10. A number of readers felt that (1) the book's opening sky diving scene is exciting; (2) the book's middle section drags and lacks suspense; (3) the ending is suspenseful, but confusing. Do you agree—or disagree—with that assessment?
11. Overall, does this book "deliver" as a top-notch thriller? Is it fast-paced with surprising twists? Or is it ponderous and predictable? Is the ending satisfying...does it wrap up loose strings? Or is it ambiguous, leaving issues unresolved?
12. Have you read other books in the John Corey series? If so how does this one compare, especially with its prequel, The Lion's Game? If you haven't read other Corey thrillers, does this book inspire you to do so?
13. Should there be a movie version? If so, how would you cast it?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)
top of page