Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child sexual abuse.

Analyze Hopkins’s use of free verse. Identify specific instances where Hopkins uses a free-verse style for one character that she does not use for another, citing examples from the text. How does the variation in style contribute to characterization or thematic development? Consider how the shift in verse style influences the tone or conflict between characters.

Hopkins addresses the complex issue of the commercial sexual exploitation of children. What narrators provide alternative perspectives on the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adult sex work? When are the characters judgmental about the commercial sexual exploitation of children and adult sex work? Provide specific examples.

Describe the differences in the voices of the five narrators. Where do their lives overlap? How are they different? Cite textual evidence to support your answer.