HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

Whether it’s in the classroom or during one-on-one discussions, educating students about social media
use can be challenging.  Use the questions below as a springboard to discuss the use and misuse of social
media. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Who is the “easy prey” in Easy Prey? Why do you think this?

When talking with her vice principal, Jenna expresses frustration over the fact that no one was
punished for posting her photos online. She says, “The only person who got punished in all this was
me.” Why does Jenna feel this way? What consequences did she face for what happened to her?

Why do you think the office treated what happened to Miss Bailey so differently than what happened
to Jenna? Is this an example of a double standard? Or are the cases so legitimately different that they
should be treated differently?

Which character do you like the least? Why?

Is there a hero in this story? A villain? How does Easy Prey complicate traditional ideas about heroes
and villains?

During a conversation with her vice principal about who might be responsible for posting Miss
Bailey’s photos, Jenna comes to the conclusion that anyone is capable of anything. Do you agree with
this? What implications does this have for the ending of the story?

All three main characters face pressures at home. Compare the different ways that parental and
familial expectations affect their decisions in Easy Prey.
How do you feel about the ending of the novel? What issues are resolved by the ending, and what
issues are raised by it?

There are several points in the novel that are turning points, when everything could have turned out
differently if characters had made different decisions. What was a turning point for Mouse? For
Drew? For Jenna?

What role did the school play in the events of the novel? Do you think that teachers/administrators
should get involved when issues arise online?

Both Mouse and Drew have complicated relationships with Troy. How do you think their rivalries
impacted the story?

How do you think the story would have been different if it had been told from Troy’s point of view?
Miss Bailey’s?

Appearances can be misleading. Choose one of the main characters and discuss how the theme of
appearance versus reality impacts the character in the story. 

Imagine you are a student at Edgewood High School. Which of the three main characters would you
most likely be friends with? Why? What advice would you give that character?

Pull a favorite quotation or line from the novel, and explain its significance to you.

Mouse’s cell phone is checked regularly by his dad. Do your parents monitor your online activities?
Should parents do this? At what age do you think someone should be allowed unmonitored use of a
cell phone or other device?

•2•
 EASY PREY
Catherine Lo

PRAISE

"Lo creates realistic, multidimensional

characters while exploring the legal and
ethical ramifications of privacy as it plays
out in a hormonally charged high school
environment . . . A provocative story
about the consequences of poor
decisions in our digital world."
—Kirkus 

"This well-paced whodunit has plenty of

twists and turns and revelations to keep
readers on their toes."

—School Library Journal 

ISBN: 978-1-4197-3190-7                                Ages 14 & up

ABOUT THE BOOK

Only three students had access to a teacher’s racy photos before they went viral. There’s
Mouse, a brainy overachiever so desperate to escape his father and go to MIT that he would
do almost anything, legal or not. Then there’s Drew, the star athlete who can get any girl’s
number–and private photos–with his charm but has a history of passing those photos around.
And finally there’s Jenna, a good girl turned rebel after her own shocking photos made the
rounds at school last year, who is still waiting for justice. All three deny leaking the teacher's
photos, but someone has to take the fall. This edgy whodunit tackles hot-button issues of
sexting and gossip and will have readers tearing through the pages to reach the final reveal.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Catherine Lo is the author of  How It Ends, which Jeff Zentner called “as harrowing and
realistic a look at the life cycle of a young friendship as I’ve ever seen.” She has spent the last
decade and a half as a teacher working with at-risk youth. She lives outside of Toronto with
her husband and two children.  

This discussion guide was written by author Catherine Lo © 2018.