Reading Group Guide

Oh! You Pretty Things
Reading Group Guide
 
1.       The relationship between Jess and her mother is a recurring influence throughout the book. Do you think that Jess is right to always assume the worst regarding her mother? Are her actions justified given their history, or do they set their relationship up for continued failure?
 
2.       Jess is a passionate and talented cook, but in Hollywood even lowly restaurant jobs require a head shot. Will she ever find a way to turn her passion into a career?
 
3.       As a personal assistant the line between friend and employee is extremely vague. Is Jess right to take on-the-job criticism so personally? Should celebrities’ relationships with their assistants be treated as business or personal? What constitutes crossing the line?
 
4.       Jess finds solace in taking care of others, be it her employers or her friends. Is this because she knows what it feels like to be left to fend for herself, or is she just not comfortable being the one in spotlight?
 
5.       Jess and Scout admittedly don’t fit the typical “Hollywood mold,” yet they are drawn to those who do. Is their desire to be sprinkled with celebrity fairy dust what ultimately hurts their friendship?
 
6.       Characters like Megan and Kirk seem to be able to navigate the Hollywood scene with level heads. What is it that allows them to stay grounded in a city where the dogs drink coconut water and wear three-thousand-dollar leather collars?
 
7.       Jess seems more upset by her mother’s reaction to Trent Whitford than by the experience itself. Which do you think was more traumatic? Why?
 
8.       Both the author and her main character are Hollywood natives and offer a unique behind-the-scenes perspective on a town that shows only its shiny veneer. Is the Hollywood culture what you thought it would be? Do you think Jess and Hollywood will ever part ways?
 
9.       Given her lack of a father figure, her divorce from Robbie, and her experience with Trent, what is your opinion of Jess’s relationship with men in Oh! You Pretty Things?
 
10.   Jess comes to the realization that JJ is cheating on Megan with Eva at the same time Megan discovers the affair. Would Jess have come clean if Megan had not brought it up first? Should she have?
 
11.   Jess continues to work for Eva after she and JJ have gone public with their relationship. Should Jess have confronted Eva about the affair? What would you have done? 
 
12.   Why did Jess’s mother feel the need to lie about her illness? What would have happened had she been up front about her diagnosis?
 
13.   When Jess’s mother ends up in the hospital, Eva shows up to support her. Does Eva really care for Jess? What are your thoughts on Eva after all she and Jess have been through? 
 
14.   Jess’s mother’s death is far from a “perfect Hollywood ending,” but Jess sees it as a fitting end to their story. Has Jess received the closure she needs from their relationship?

15.    At the end of the book, Jess leaves us by saying she is “done with all that.” Where do you see Jess post–Oh! You Pretty Things? Is she over seeking approval from others and ready to be her own champion? Is there a ravioli food truck and a happy life with Kirk in her future? Or do you think she’ll be drawn back into the world she’s so familiar with?