If Tony had lived, would Joel and Tony have diverged on different paths in junior high? Would their friendship have remained just as strong? Give evidence from the novel to justify why you think their friendship would have developed that way.

How is nature depicted in this story? How do the author’s descriptions of the natural environment shape the reader’s perception of the events as they unfold?

What kind of growth does Joel experience as a result of Tony’s death? What does Joel learn about himself, and how might he behave differently in future scenarios?