Printable Book Club Questions for Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty

Did you read Big Little Lies and/or have you seen the show? Why do you feel this story is so popular?
Did the sequel live up to the expectations?
In what ways did the show influence the sequel? If you’ve seen the show, did you imagine the actresses as the characters as you read it, or were you able to separate the two?
We meet the characters 10 years later, and now all the kids are teenagers. Gone are the playdates, and now there are big teenage issues. Most of the women are in their 50s and navigating health challenges, aging parents, and more. What were your thoughts about this snapshot of their life with all these different aspects going on?
If you read the first novel, what did you think about how the kids turned out as teenagers? Did any of them surprise you?
Did you feel the main characters grew from the first novel, or were they somewhat the same?
These women are all very different, yet they are extremely close. What is your impression of their bond? What connects them to this day?
The teenagers have an idea of what happened that fateful night when Bonnie pushed Perry to his death. But the truth really starts to come to light, and it impacts the kids in different ways. Each is struggling to overcome intergenerational trauma. In what ways did this show how the decisions of parents can impact their children too?
The story starts with the school being sent a severed finger that points to the name of the new teacher, Melody. Did you wonder if the finger was someone from the shared group’s past?
What did you think about Melody? Did you sense there was something more sinister going on with her?
Celeste meets single dad Marco, who seems great, but then finds out he’s the guy who’s been hanging around the school, freaking out the teenagers. What was your initial impression of Marco?
Madeline’s beloved husband Ed is going through aggressive cancer treatments. She’s also dealing with her aging mother and her daughter’s upcoming wedding. While Madeline definitely holds her family together, there seems to be a lot of unsaid resentment from Ed, and even Abigail too. What does this say about Madeline’s character? Will she learn to let go of control, or will it go more into overdrive as she becomes a grandmother? Is Madeline a sympathetic character, or does she create her own problems?
Celeste is still haunted by the ghost of Perry but is trying to move forward. She mentions quite a bit that she might have been too lenient on her kids, and she’s also the one there for her mother-in-law despite what Perry did. What were your thoughts on Celeste overall? Do you feel she grew throughout the story?
Jane is feeling stuck. While she loves her husband Tom and her son Ziggy, she can’t help but feel she missed out a lot with having Ziggy so young. She also has trauma from Perry’s assault and Ziggy’s birth. As a result, she does not want to have another child. When Tom encourages her to travel and live freely for a while, Jane has a quick thought that she might be ready to have another child after that. What will Jane be like after her travels? Will Tom and she stay together if they don’t have another child?
Bonnie is traumatized from pushing Perry to his death, an act of defending Celeste, but it was also repressed anger about what her father did to her mother. Do you feel Bonnie will eventually be able to move forward from that night?
The Mary-Louise of this book is very different from the series. What did you think about the novel version of her?
The big reveal of this story is that Melody and her husband are sex trafficking underage high school girls. What were your thoughts about this reveal? Did you see it coming, or were you surprised?
Madeline’s daughter Chloe eventually confessed to her mom that she did have a sexual encounter with Melody’s husband, Seth. Let’s talk about this reveal and how it will impact both going forward.
Melody and her husband go on the run, but Mary-Louise accidentally runs them off the road. What did you think about that scene? Especially with Mary-Louise saying she’s only looking forward? Will Melody and Seth be found guilty of their crimes?
What happens next for Madeline, Jane, Celeste, Bonnie, and Renata?
While the book and the series are different, what aspects of this sequel do you hope appear in the third season?