Saving Noah

How would your reading of the book have been different if the identity of the narrator of the interludes was revealed early on? Discuss with examples from the text.

One of the text’s important themes is the complexities of mental health. Discuss how the novel develops this theme, supporting your answers with examples from the book. Where does the text examine the nuances within mental health, and does it successfully explore this nuance by presenting a measured approach to multiple perspectives?

Some readers may find the novel’s somewhat sympathetic portrayal of Noah problematic. Is your experience the same or different? Support your argument with examples from the novel.

Discuss any three impossible or difficult choices faced by Adrianne. How do these choices define her character and drive the plot? Use textual support to illustrate your answer.

Saving Noah can be said to combine the genres of psychological suspense and family drama. Which genre does the text embody more fully? If you had to assign a third genre to the text, what would it be and why?

Adrianne tells herself that when Noah touched the little girls, he “made a mistake. That was all. One mistake. We all make mistakes in adolescence” (9). What does this say about her view of Noah? Does Adrianne rectify her warped perspective of Noah at any point in the novel?

The novel makes an argument against juveniles being placed on the sex-offender registry. Using textual support and online research, examine how a longstanding record can hamper the rehabilitation of juvenile sex offenders. If you disagree with the novel’s argument, present a counterview, backed with research and examples from the novel.

Discussing pedophilia, Dr. Park says Noah “can’t control who he’s attracted to any more than you or I can control our attractions” (179). Thus, she frames pedophilia as a compulsion, rather than a choice. Examine Dr. Park’s statement using textual examples and online research. In your opinion, and based on your research, is pedophilia a compulsion, a mental health condition, both, or neither?