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The Killer's Cousin by Nancy Werlin
Summary
David Bernard Yaffe, an 18-year-old boy recently acquitted of murder, is forced to move to Cambridge Massachusetts to live with his Aunt and Uncle in order to complete his last year of high school. They offer him housing in the upstairs of their apartment, housing that will potentially provide escape from incessant questions from the media and timid and cautious looks from neighbors and ex-friends. The attic that David is given to live in is nothing of what he expected, and he later begins to hear odd humming sounds and even sees ghost like shadows, shadows that remind him of something from his past. In addition to the humming sounds and ghosts, David has to put up with his Aunts inhospitable attitude, and his cousin Lily. Her unwelcoming behavior causes him to constantly avoid her, but there is no escaping. The longer he stays in the attic, the more he learns about Lily, and how she oddly yet surely relates to their unforgettable past.
Discussion questions
- Look at the title of the book. Who do you think the author is referring to as The Killer? Is this significant?
- What makes David so uneasy about going to live with his Aunt and Uncle? What are some of the things that caused those feelings?
- What do you think of Raina as a character? Where do you predict their relationship going, if anywhere?
- What prevents David from looking at Raina as a prospective girlfriend? Do you think he will ever get over that feeling?
- When David first meets Frank Delgado, he is almost certain he is a skinhead. What makes David stray from that belief? Did you think they would become good friends? Why?
- What do you think motivates Lily to play nasty pranks on David? Does her plan work?
- Do you think it happened by coincidence that David ran into the fire incident? If not, What do you think led him to save Lily's life?
- Do you feel hope for the characters at the end of the book? Why or why not?
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