We Were Never Here

How would the novel change if it were narrated from the third person rather than from Emily’s first-person perspective? What might the narrative lose or gain with such a switch?

The theme of unhealthy obsession in women is recurrent in popular culture. Think about the similarities between Kristen and protagonists in films like Fatal Attraction, Misery, or Single White Female. Does popular culture portray unhealthy obsession as a uniquely female tendency? If so, why? If not, what are some stories featuring obsession in men? Is that obsession portrayed similarly or differently?

By the end of the novel, Emily is not held legally responsible for anything that happened to Paolo, and the only person who knows anything about Sebastian’s fate is Aaron. Do you think Kristen deserves all the blame in both scenarios, or is there any component of Sebastian’s and/or Paolo’s fates for which Emily should be held accountable?

Although the novel shows secondary characters in Emily and Kristen’s orbit—Priya, Aaron, Adrienne, Nana, and Bill—none of these characters ever becomes as three-dimensional as Emily and Kristen. Does this intensive focus on the novel’s two main characters effectively add to the story’s claustrophobic tone, or should some of the secondary characters have been more fully explored? If the latter, which characters, and why?

While Kristen and Emily’s friendship features extraordinary shared trauma, crime, and secrets, their friendship is also extremely normal in other ways. What facets of their friendship—good or bad—are familiar or common? Citing examples from the text, discuss how those normal qualities complement, contradict, or complicate the more extraordinary qualities.

The novel portrays both Emily and Kristen as very privileged in some ways but very vulnerable in others. In what ways are each of the women privileged and in what ways are each vulnerable? Cite specific examples from the text to illustrate those privileges and vulnerabilities.

What role does Emily’s childhood play in hindering her from realizing who Kristen is for so long?

How did you interpret the novel’s ambiguous final scene? What do you think Emily’s use of the fake name from her travels with Kristen indicates about her state of mind and future character arc? Cite three examples from the text to illuminate that arc.