The
My Name is Anxiety
Book Club!
Find each chapter's live chat, prompt, & break-down on this page!
The Final Break Down
Watch the very last Live Dive for the full break-down of everything you just read!
We went deep for the final dive. Feel free to drop your comments below!
Leave your comments behind below!
CHAPTERS 1-5:
THE FIRST IMPRESSION...
Every good writer knows that if you want to make a good first impression on the reader, you have to make sure they connect well with the main character. And, every reader can tell if they're going to love the novel if it only took them five chapters to find a friend in the main character. So! Being that we've had five chapters—five chances—to get a first impression on our main character, now it's time to discuss our thoughts.
So, tell me...What are your first thoughts on the main character?!
What do you think the main character looks like? (Height, skin color, weight, etc.).
Why do you think the character is so anxious?
What is still unknown about the character?
How did you come to these conclusions?
THE LIVE DIVE
CHAPTERS 6-10:
MY NAME IS...
Okay, reader.
I've got a fun activity for this week's discussion.
The novel we are studying is titled, My Name is Anxiety, right?
Which may or may not suggest that all the names in the book mean something extremely significant.
...Right?
Let's talk about it.
For example, the name 'Drea' means manly & virile. (Hence all of her burping and beer consumption).
Mara? It means bitter. (Maybe why Mara reacted the way she did at Thanksgiving?)
Tristan? It means sorrowful.
Mary? The character's mother? Mary means rebellious.
There's a reason why Aunt Judy is nicknamed Aunt Judgy—the same reason why Aunt Ruth is secretly referred to as Aunt Ruthless and Uncle Brian as Uncle Brainy.
It kind of seems like—names in this book are directly related to how each character behaves. Don't they?
Let's discuss.
What other names in the book might be significant? And, most importantly, how do you think the main character's name relates to who they appear to be in the book?
This is where it gets deep.
CHAPTERS 11-14:
WHO IS THE MAIN CHARACTER?
So, here it is, reader!
We've reached the end.
And, now it's time to dissect the true heart behind My Name is Anxiety.
But, per usual, we're going to dissect together.
That being said, let's do a fun little activity! Now that we've read each page, let's go back again and jot down every single name the main character was called. From being called "idiot" within the first chapter to "dummy" to "friend," go through the novel and take note of every single name the main character was referred to. Then, come back to our discussion board and answer this:
What name did the character respond with on page 178?
Or, in other words, how did the character identify as all along?