When You Were Everything

Cleo is close with her father, Cliff Baker. Explore the ways in which this relationship helps her to understand herself. How does the relationship change over the course of the novel, and why? Discuss specific examples from the text to support your interpretation.

When You Were Everything is a coming-of-age novel. What aspects of Cleo’s story usher her out of childhood and into adulthood? What lessons is she forced to learn about her friendships, her family, her world, and herself as she grows up?

Explore the ways in which loss defines Cleo’s world. What encounters with loss has she experienced, and how does she respond to these losses? In what ways is her coming-of-age journey bound up in the stages of the grieving process?

Consider the ways in which Cleo’s connections with Dom Grey, Sydney Cox, and Willa Bae change her definition of friendship. How might these characters be narrative devices used to alter Cleo’s outlook?

How does Cleo view her past, and why does she often try to push her memories away? In what ways does she attempt to change her attitude toward her memories?

How does Sloane Sorenson fit the role of the antagonist? What character traits define her, and how do other characters see her?

Research the plots and themes of Shakespeare’s Othello. How does the plot of the novel echo key themes from the play, and how does Cleo’s love for Shakespeare shape her understanding of herself and her relationships?

Examine the evolution of Cleo and Dom’s relationship and the ways in which their dynamic impacts Cleo’s coming-of-age journey. How do they use their own past experiences to relate to each other in meaningful ways?