As if cover

As if

by Blake Morrison

Called to be a courtroom observer at the trial of two 10-year-old boys who stand accused of the kidnapping and murder of a 2-year-old child, author Blake Morrison finds himself grappling with questions of culpability, capacity, and the strange mixture of innocence and cruelty that defines childhood.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?