1. At its heart, INTO THE BLUE is about AJ and Noah’s life-changing, star-crossed connection --- one that continues to draw them back to each other again and again. What initially draws AJ and Noah to one another? What obstacles stand in their path? How do the obstacles evolve as their relationship does?

2. What do AJ and Noah learn about themselves --- and each other --- during their time in The Black Room? Have you ever experienced an unexplainable connection with another person? If you’re comfortable, discuss it with the group.

3. What role does Eudora play in AJ and Noah’s relationship and in the story at large?

4. Noah and AJ’s work spans genres, from sci-fi to comedy to theater. How do the different genres influence both the novel’s plot and the characters’ development? What genres are you most drawn to in your own media consumption? Why?

5. How does the connection between Noah and AJ shift when they’re acting from a script versus when they’re improvising? In your own life, are you more drawn to following scripts or making things up as you go?

6. Discuss how Noah and AJ’s family dynamics shape them. What role does each character play in their respective family? How do they fulfill and/or chafe against these roles? What role have you found yourself playing in your own family?

7. “All people play games. They’re given to us parents, teachers, and society writ large, the scripts written long in advance. Here’s what they’ll never tell you: you don’t have to play.” What do you make of this passage? When do you think we need to play the game, and when is it okay to opt out?

8. How do you think he should have handled the situation? How do you think AJ would have responded if she’d been told sooner?

9. What other themes stand out to you from the novel? What messages do you think author Emma Brodie was trying to convey about art, creation and love?

10. Who would you cast as Noah and AJ in an adaptation of INTO THE BLUE?