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Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. What is/was your relationship to sports growing up? Did you ever play competitively? If you weren’t involved in sports, can you relate to a competitive role in other hobbies or interests?

2. Are people defined by their circumstances or their actions? Are the boxers in the novel defined by their participation in the tournament in their future lives?

3. How do/did you feel about the future as a teen? Do/did you have an idea of what you wanted to do as an adult? Relate this to the novel’s glimpses into the future of each boxer.

4. Discuss the influence that your family has on your hobbies or work. Do they provide the support you need to overcome challenges in these areas of your life?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does the novel comment on sexism and gender discrimination in the administration of women’s sports? Relate this to real-life examples of this issue, looking for instances where men took advantage of female athletes for their own gain or profit. 

2. How does the novel incorporate issues relating to social class, race, and sexual orientation in its portrayal of teenage girlhood?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the novel’s position on the dynamics between success and motivation? Are the most motivated characters necessarily the most successful ones?

2. Red and blue are colors typically associated with boxing. How does Bullwinkel deploy these symbolic colors in the novel? 

3. Why is most of the novel devoted to the first day of the tournament, rather than the second day? What does this suggest about the importance of the semifinal round? 

4. Discuss the novel’s presentation of violence. How does willful violence resist the meaninglessness of a transient world?