November's Novel: Wildwood by Colin Meloy

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This month, we enter the Impassible Wilderness, a wonderland of giant firs and interesting characters outside the city of Portland, Oregon.  It is a hidden land called Wildwood where Prue and Curtis find themselves on a grand adventure to rescue Prue's little brother.



For our first 2 meetings, we discuss chapters 1-15.  Here are some questions to consider for discussion.  You can make comments, observations or write your own discussion questions in the comment section below.

These are some good questions found in the book to consider for the half of the book:

1. Prue’s father tells her: “There are places in the world where people just don’t end up living . . . the forest was too deep and the hills were too steep.” How does this description compare with what Prue learns about the wilderness?

2. Why doesn’t Prue tell her parents about Mac’s disappearance? What does this tell you about Prue’s personality? How would you describe Prue at this point in the story?

3. Why does Prue try to discourage Curtis from coming with her? Why does Curtis insist on joining her? What would you have done in that situation?

4.When Prue first enters the impassable Wilderness, she finds it a “wel- coming and serene place, full of life and beauty.” How does this feeling compare with what she encounters later in the story? Are there other times when she feels “serene” in this place?

5. How does Prue know that she can trust Richard, the mailman? What does Richard mean when he says: “i tend to think you’re here for a reason, Port-land Prue . . . i just don’t think we know what that rea- son is yet.” Do you believe Prue has a mission in this country other than rescuing her brother?
6. Why does Curtis trust Alexandra, the Dowager Governess, when he first meets her? Why does Alexandra want to keep him close to her? How does Curtis learn about Alexandra’s true nature?

7. Does Prue trust lars Svik, the Governor-Regent, when she meets him? Why does the government of South Wood set a guard to watch her? How does she know she can trust owl Rex?

8. Compare the character of Brendan, the Bandit King, to lars Svik, Alexandra, and owl Rex. How do they each rule their territory and those they are leading? Write a brief character sketch of each of them.

9. Why is Curtis so happy to be a part of the coyote band at first? How does this experience compare to “the aching anxiety with which he faced every school day” back home? What is “Curtis’s Conundrum” (the title of Chapter 12)? 

And a question of our own:

10.  Curtis reminds me of another character in a book we read together.  What character in another book does he remind you of?