6. On page 193, Jackaby says that Mr. Hudson once had a goldfish capable of granting him any wish he desired if he set it free, but Mr. Hudson made no wishes. What might be behind Mr. Hudson’s decision to keep the goldfish—and behind his collection of magical creatures in general?
7. Abigail sees the pale man multiple times throughout the course of Beastly Bones. Given that the pale man is creating paranormal mayhem, why might he be staying within sight of Abigail and Jackaby, in particular? What larger things might he be up to?
8. On page 217, Abigail says, “I bade Charlie goodnight and sank into my bed. In my mind I could see Jenny Cavanaugh shaking her head in disappointment at my shoddy display, and then Nellie Fuller rolling her eyes at my having tried at all.” What might Jenny and Nellie have thought of Charlie’s behavior in this scene? Did he have an opportunity to make his feelings for Abigail more overt—or were they obvious enough? Were you happy with the progression of Abigail and Charlie’s relationship?
9. How might the ending of Beastly Bones have been different had Miss Fuller had a different fate?
10. Hatun’s prophecy about Abigail’s death still hangs over her. Do you expect it to come true?
Reader’s Guide by Emily Parliman