Drummond and his friends consider whether time is malleable or absolute. Based on the events of the novel, do you think the characters’ paths were fixed or a result of their active choices? Explain your reasoning using examples from the text.

The novel explores the idea of cycles and repetition, such as through Cassie reliving parts of her life when sent to the past and stories being retold from new perspectives. How does this narrative device relate to books as a symbol? In what ways are the characters’ stories made to represent the experience of rereading a novel?

Is the Woman is to blame for her actions, or was she a victim of her infection? How much of a role does choice play in her journey?