About the Book
Hope Shay’s life is about acting. Her parents have supported and promoted her talents since she was a little girl. From community theater, dinner theater, and commercials to auditions around the country and finally a place at a prestigious boarding school for the arts, Hope makes sure nothing gets between her and the spotlight. Hope knows she’s good. She’s so convinced she’s good that she stages her own kidnapping — she’ll fool everybody and end up famous beyond her mother’s wildest dreams. Now You See Her puts compelling contemporary teen issues front and center. In this chilling and surprising novel, Jacquelyn Mitchard raises questions about pressure, identity, and knowing one’s self.
About the Author
Jacquelyn Mitchard New York Times best selling author Jacquelyn Mitchard has written popular adult fiction, including the very first pick for Oprah’s Book Club, The Deep End of the Ocean. She is also the author of two chapter books and a picture book for children. Now You See Her is her first YA novel.
Discussion Questions
- What does the title of the novel mean? Do you think you have ever met someone like Hope Shay or Bernadette Romano for real? Explain.
- Did you like Hope? Is she a sympathetic character? Why or why not?
- Talk about Hope’s family. How do her family members relate to her and to one another? What role, if any, did Hope’s parents have in what happened to her?
- Did the other students at Starwood Academy have any role in what happened to Hope? Explain your thinking. What choices did the other students have?
- Who bears fault in this story? For what are they at fault? Why? Do you agree that Bernadette’s parents should have to pay for the investigation to find their daughter?
- Jacquelyn Mitchard features performances of Romeo and Juliet, Alice in Wonderland, and Annie in this novel. Why do you think she chose these plays? What makes them appropriate for Now You See Her?
- What do you learn about Hope/Bernadette in the last chapter? Does learning of her illness make you see her character in the first nine chapters in a different way? Explain why or why not.
- What advice would you give to Bernadette at the end of the story?
