A Reading Group Guide to

 

Crescendo

 

By Becca Fitzpatrick

 

About the Book



Now that Nora has sacrificed her life for Patch—winning him his wings and the role of her guardian angel—she should be happy, right? To have the boy of her dreams always near, protecting her, should be a dream come true. But something is coming between Patch and Nora, driving them further and further apart. When her father’s ghost starts showing up and Nora learns that a mysterious person known as The Black Hand is responsible for his death, all signs point to Patch’s involvement. Can Nora find out who killed her dad without losing her own life? And is there a reason for her to go on living if Patch is responsible?

 

Discussion Questions

 

1.      Why does Patch call Nora “Angel”? Why does Rixon use this phrase to toy with her as he tries to kill her?

2.      What did Patch and Nora each give up for the other? Who holds more power in their relationship because of this sacrifice? What repercussions does their sacrifice have on their relationship moving forward?

3.      Why does it bother Nora so much that Patch can’t feel anything for her on a physical level? Is this fair to Patch?

4.      How much does Scott know about his background, his powers, and how Nora connects to all of it? Is he a bad person? What would you have done if you were in his shoes?

5.      Why are Nora’s dreams important? What does she learn from them? What don’t they tell her? Why does Patch sometimes enter her dreams but sometimes just insert his memories?

6.      After Marcie’s party, Nora thinks about killing herself so that the archangels would feel remorse for ruining her life. Is this the only time that she sees death as an option? Why does she decide against this plan? What do you think about her brief flirtation with suicide?

7.      When Patch warns Nora to be careful around Scott, Nora replies that she knows what she’s doing and continues to minister to his hangover. Does Nora know what she’s doing? Does Patch believe her? Could any of the ensuing events have been avoided if Nora had taken Patch’s advice? Would she have been better off avoiding these events?

8.      Why does Marcie hate Nora with such a passion? How does Nora feel about Marcie? Does either of them change their opinion during the course of the story? Why does Nora decide to return Marcie’s diary instead of reading it?

9.      What brings Nora’s dad back? Why does it take him so long to tell Nora what she needs to know? How is she affected by the news that Harrison Grey isn’t really her father?

10.  Is Vee a good friend to Nora? Why does she always seem to bring danger into Nora’s life? Do you think Nora should tell Vee more about the fallen angels and her Nephilim bloodline?

11.  Why does Nora push Patch away even though she loves him? Will their relationship be fixed by Patch going rogue? What do you think will bring them happiness?

 

Activities

 

1.      Nora gets a lot of important information from her dreams, although it is sometimes difficult for her to make sense of this information. Keep a dream journal for a week, writing down your dreams as soon as you wake up. Then check out a book on dream interpretation, or look up a guide on the Internet. What do your dreams mean?

2.      At one point in the story, Nora contemplates taking her own life, but decides that she has too much to live for. Help other people find the good things in their lives by volunteering with a peer counseling group or suicide hotline.

3.      Bloodlines are very important to the Nephilim and lead to a lot of trouble for Nora. Research your family tree—maybe you will find specific traits that have been passed down from generation to generation in your family.

4.      Is there something you’ve always wanted to learn, or a class that you’ve been meaning to take? Let Nora’s summer school experience inspire you to finally sign up for something new!

5.      The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare deals with Nephilim, although from a decidedly different viewpoint. Read these books and discuss with your friends how Clare’s books are different from Fitzpatrick’s and how they are similar.