1. Sophie stays in Alluveterre for a while, thanks to the Black Swan. What is Alluveterre like and howdoes she get there? Who is with Sophie in Alluveterre? Who does she meet there? Describe whatlife is like for Sophie and her friends in their new home.

2. Why do Sophie and her friends go to Exillium? Describe the school, its coaches, its students,and its curriculum. What are some of the results of their time at Exillium? How does Sophiehelp the school? 

3. Sophie and her friends secretly enter Ravagog to find the cure for the plague. Explain who livesthere and what Ravagog is like. What is the relationship between the ogres of Ravagog and theNeverseen? 

4. Keefe changes over the course of the story. What are the problems he's dealing with? Describesome of his emotions, giving specific examples. Talk about his decisions at the end of the bookrelated to Sophie and the Neverseen, and why you think he made them. 

5. In the end, Calla sacrifices herself and says she's happy to do it. Describe her in terms ofappearance, personality, and skills. How does she help Sophie? Why does Calla make the sacrificeand what are its results? 

6. Tam becomes an important character in the story. Describe what he's like when Sophie first meetshim and why the friends have doubts about him. What are his powers? What does he have incommon with Sophie? 

7. Provide examples of Linh's power and when it proves important. Analyze the relationship betweenLinh and Tam, who are twins. How do they help each other? Name times when they disagree.

8. Della stows away on the trip through Florence. How does she manage it, and why does she want toaccompany Sophie and her friends? Describe Della's personality, her skills, and the role she playsin the plot.

9. Alvar turns out to have a surprising secret. What do Sophie and the rest learn about him? Discusswhy he might have made the choice he did about the Neverseen. Does the story provide anyforeshadowing about his secret? 

10. Sophie learns more about the Black Swan in the course of the story. Explain what she learns, includingthe identities of some of the Black Swan collective. How does her view of the Black Swan change? 

11. Describe the origins and purpose of Project Moonlark, pointing to specific evidence in the text.What is a moonlark and why was the project named for it? Discuss places where the project andmoonlarks come up in the novel. 

12. Why does Oralie give Kenric's cache to Sophie? Give details about the cache and its history. Talkabout the times that the cache is significant in the story and what makes it important. How elsedo secrets affect the plot? 

13. Give a step-by-step description of how Sophie and her allies infiltrate Ravagog to try to get thecure for the plague. What role does each of the friends play? How do they use their strengths andwork together? Discuss how successful their actions are. 

14. Oralie says Kenric believed Sophie was "the spark of change our world needed." What do you thinkKenric meant? Discuss how Sophie could be the spark of change. Talk about times that one personin history sparks an important positive change. 

15. When Sophie is annoyed with Timkin, she remembers Mr. Forkle saying that their world needschecks and balances. She thinks, "Why shouldn't the Black Swan have similar voices ofopposition?" Identify different characters in the book who provide voices of opposition at differenttimes and discuss whether those voices are helpful.

16. Sophie says to Keefe, "What I'm trying to realize is that it's okay to be different." What promptsher to say this to him? Discuss ways that the two of them feel different from their friends. Howcan being different prove to be an asset? 

17. Identify the narrative point of view and why the author made that choice. How would the novelhave been different as a first-person narrative? What does the extended use of italics signify inthe text?