Gecko, Terence, and Arjay all have very different family lives. Terence and Gecko spend a lot of time blaming their families for the paths they took. How much do you think our families really influence the people we grow into? Which of their family dynamics do you identify with most?

At first, Terence and DeAndre seem like two very similar kids who want the same things. How do these two characters contrast? How does getting to know DeAndre help Terence learn about himself?

Roxanne comes from a very privileged background and questions how her economic status affects her view of the world. How big a part do you think money and status play in who a person is? If the halfway house boys had come from wealthier families, would they have still made the same choices?