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Reading Group Guide

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Reading Group Guide for
Nothing But Drama

Questions for Discussions

1. One of the major themes in Nothing But Drama is the clash between individuality and respect for a parent's wishes. When Camille is arrested for harboring her fugitive boyfriend in her grandmother's house, she says, "My mother was going to kill me for sure." Despite her fear of punishment, why does Camille continue to defy her mother and see Keith? How do you think Camille's mother could communicate more effectively with her?

2. Camille's mother shows her a newspaper article about Keith being found at the home of his girlfriend...who is also the mother of his child. Why is Camille resentful of her mother showing her the article? Cite instances where the generation gap between Camille and her mother is apparent.

3. After Camille's mother reads her journal and learns that she's still seeing Keith, she states, "When you start paying bills around here, then you can have some privacy." Do you agree with this? What does Camille learn after her mother suffers a heart attack? How does this put everything into perspective?

4. Angel is initially interested in Good Girlz because of the $25 raffle. Camille tells her, "This is my first time here. I'm just coming because I didn't have a choice." When all the girls agree to give Angel the money instead of participating in the drawing, it shows that not everything in their lives is out of their control. In what other instances throughout the novel do they exhibit the power of choice?

5. Rachel Adams, the First Lady of Zion Hill and the founder of the Good Girlz, admits, "It takes a lot of effort for me to walk the straight and narrow." Why do you think she shares her personal story and invites the girls to her happy home? What is she trying to show them?

6. Alexis comes from a wealthy family and appears to have the perfect life, but she has a mentally challenged sister whom her mother tries to hide. Rachel says, "We may not always understand our parents' motives, but it's important to respect their places in our lives." At what point in the story do the girls see for themselves how dysfunctional Alexis's family is? What do they learn about their own families?

7. Angel's mother convinces her to give her baby daughter up for adoption, but the adoption couple decides they want a baby boy instead. If fate hadn't intervened, would Angel have been true to herself and stood up to her mom? How will raising her own baby redefine Angel's relationship with her own mother? What do you think she will learn?

8. When you first meet Jasmine, she's the bulldog of the group, always picking a fight and intimidating the others. How does Jasmine change as the story progresses? Why do you think she's afraid to show her inner femininity and vulnerability in the beginning? How does she feel about boys? Discuss her relationship with her grandmother and how it helps define her.

9. When the girls find out that Angel is running away to Mexico, they follow her to bring her home. What does this say about their shift in priorities? At this point in the story, how has each girl changed for the better since she first joined Good Girlz?

10. Camille often asks that God not judge her and asks for His forgiveness. "I hoped God was as forgiving as Miss Rachel always claimed He was because I needed Him now more than ever." How does Camille's growing bond with God affect other relationships in her life? Do you think the girls changed for God...themselves...or someone else in their lives?

Activities to Enhance Your Book Club

Follow in the Good Girlz's footsteps and give back to your community. Check out Youth Service America at www.ysa.org where you can get involved in volunteer opportunities like fighting childhood hunger.

How well do you and your fellow book club members know each other? Write a multiple choice quiz about your favorite things -- like food, movies, singers -- then team up and see how many questions your fellow reader can get right.

Interview a parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle about what he/she was like as a teenager, and then share the results at your next meeting. Some of the stories might surprise you!