Printable Book Club Questions for In Five Years by Rebecca Serle

The story starts off when Dannie does well in her job interview and she’s asked where she’ll see herself in five years. She answers the question easily not just because she practiced but rather she just “knows.” Let’s talk about Dannie’s confidence at the beginning of the story. Why do you think she was so sure of where her life would go?
While David does propose that night, when Dannie goes to sleep and wakes up—she’s in a different apartment with a man who is definitely not her fiancé. Let’s talk about Dannie’s “dream” in chapter 3. What did you think as you read it? Why do you think Dannie was so shaken by it?
Dannie is worried she’s seen a glimpse of her future where she’s no longer with David and she can’t handle not having a firm grasp on her future. Let’s talk about how Dannie became so worried about losing control yet everything in life appeared to be leading up to the dream.
When she talks to a therapist about the dream, her therapist says that “sometimes unexplainable things happen.” Do you agree with this? Have you ever had a dream like Dannie did?
Let’s talk about the friendship between Bella and Dannie, which is really the heart of the novel. Why did they make such a good match for friends? Let’s talk about their differences. What do you think are some of the key aspects of life that Dannie learned from Bella?
What did you think when Bella’s new boyfriend Aaron turned out to be the same man from Dannie’s dream?
David and Dannie are engaged for four and half years but didn’t make any plans to get married—until Dannie gets spooked by meeting Aaron. Why do you think, before that, that they never planned the wedding? Why weren’t they a good match in the end?
Bella and Aaron get closer, much to Dannie’s dismay. She becomes obsessed with worry that her dream will come true and she’ll betray Bella. But the story takes a different turn when they find out that Bella is actually suffering from ovarian cancer and it’s severe. Let’s discuss this and how it changes the story.
This story is billed as a love story but not in the way you would expect. It really is about the love between two friends. Let’s talk about this.
Dannie has experienced a lot of loss—first her brother as a teenager and then with Bella. Dannie says she’s always been waiting for tragedy to show up on her doorstep again. Let’s discuss this—is tragedy in some form or another inevitable?
Now let’s jump to chapter 41 when Dannie experiences the “dream” in real life. What are some of the key differences between the dream and reality? Do you think Aaron also experience the same dream like Dannie did?
After they sleep together, Dannie thinks: But it is not love, no. I mistook it. I mistook it because I did not know; I had not seen everything that would get us here. It is not love, this feeling. It is grief. Let’s discuss this—why do you think they felt this bond to come together in grief?
Despite trying everything in her power, the “dream” comes to fruition for Dannie, just not in the way she anticipated. Let’s discuss fate and the bigger message the author was trying to convey.
After Aaron leaves, Dannie runs into Bella’s doctor at the local deli where they seem to have a bit of a moment. What do you think happens next for Dannie?
What are some of the key takeaways of the novel for you?
If they make this novel into a movie or TV series, who should play the main roles?