Book Club Questions for It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica

Book club questions for It’s Not Her by Mary Kubica take an in-depth look at this chilling novel about a horrific crime. There will be spoilers, so for more context about the story, check out my spoiler-free review first.

Ahh, this novel was freaky! I definitely got chills reading it, and I had no idea what was going to happen next. This thriller did its job for sure.

This is getting into spoiler thoughts now….

At one point, I thought maybe Reese was involved. Then I thought it was Elliot. And then Daniel. I didn’t suspect the Matthews at first, but I did wonder why they were so involved in the story.

But it was all still so surprising as it unfolded! Especially when it turned out Detective Evans was actually the one to kill Kylie, the Mathews’ daughter. Whew, that was a shock.

All in all, I think it was a good read. The only kind of red flag for me that I didn’t think was answers was Wyatt. We learn he is a troubled kid and is stealing from his mother and selling drugs. But the sleepwalking episode, where he gets violent and threatens to kill Courtney, went unanswered. I wanted maybe more resolution or even awareness of Wyatt’s issues. Same with Reese as well.

We almost could have used an epilogue about how the family is doing a couple of years after the event.

Let me know what you think about the book in the comment section below!

What’s the Story About

Two families take a vacation at a secluded lake resort. While it’s peaceful, there’s also something unnerving about the area.

But the vacation turns into a nightmare when Courtney Gray’s discovers her brother and sister-in-law dead in their lakeside cottage. Her niece, Reese, is missing. Her nephew Wyatt is asleep upstairs—unharmed.

The police investigate what happened, and Courtney soon learns that this town is holding many secrets, which might provide the answer to what happened that terrible night.

Book Club Questions for It’s Not Her

1. Let’s talk about the significance of the title in relation to the story as a whole.
2. How did the setting in a secluded lake resort help add tension to the story?
3. The story features two timelines, one with Reese leading up to the horrific night, and the other with Courtney, following the aftermath of the murders of Emily and Nolan. Why was it important for us to read both of their perspectives?
4. We learn that Emily and Nolan had an unhappy marriage, which was no secret to the kids. How did their constant arguments impact Reese and her siblings?
5. When Reese is missing after the murders, who did you suspect at first? Did that change as the story went on?
6. What were your overall thoughts about Reese, including her struggles and insecurities?
7. At one point, signs point to Elliot since he was missing the morning of the incident, had blood on his shoes, and had inappropriate photos of Reese. Did you suspect Elliot, or did you think there was a reason for all of those events (which we do eventually learn there was)?
8. Reese embarks on a liaison with a local man named Daniel, who is much older than her and very dangerous. What role did Daniel serve in the larger narrative?
9. During the search for Reese, Courtney meets the Mathews, whose daughter, Kylee, disappeared years ago. There’s a lot of focus on this family. Before the reveals, did you wonder why they had such a big role?
10. Eventually, everything is brought to light. County’s daughter and Emily’s daughter played a prank on Reese, pretending that she could be the long-lost Kylie on a Facebook post. Sam Mathews, her father, sees this and believes it’s real, and goes to get her, murders Emily and Nolan in the process, and takes Reese with him. Joann, the mother, recognizes right away that Reese is not Kylie, and they keep her in the basement to protect Sam. Let’s talk about all these reveals.
11. We learn that Detective Evans is not innocent and is, in fact, the one who killed Kylie years ago. What did you think about that plot development? Will the truth ever be brought to light?
12. What happens next for Courtney, Elliot, Reese, Wyatt, Bass, and Mae? Will they ever be able to move forward?

Additional Recommendations

Hope you enjoyed the book club questions for It’s Not Her! Here are some more recommendations, along with links to book club questions.

Camille Bayliss appears to have it all. She’s married to a successful lawyer named Ben, and she comes from a wealthy and very connected Louisiana family. But no one knows how much she is struggling inside. She believes Ben is hiding something dangerous, and she wants to leave him. However, she is trapped unless she can find the smoking gun.

Aubrey Price is as different from Camille as one can be. Her parents died in a car accident when she was in high school, and it changed the course of her life forever. Now she lives in a house full of criminals, but she is haunted by that night. She believes Ben is the one who knows what really happened.

After Camille and Aubrey meet, they agree to a plan to switch places for one night. Aubrey will act like Camille, and Camille will spy on Ben. 

However, the next morning, Ben is found dead. And now the two need an alibi.

Check out my full review here. And my book club questions here.

 A family is shattered when two teenage siblings are found dead in their home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent Taylor, could never shake the accusations that he was involved. 

Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she’s offered a job to ghostwrite her father’s last book. What she doesn’t know, though, is that this project is another one of his lies. Because it’s not another horror novel he wants her to write.

Now 50 years later, Olivia might be the one to find out the truth about what happened that night, as her dad is finally ready to talk.

For more about the story, check out my spoiler-free review here. Check out my book club questions here.

Happy reading!