Readers Guide – Rocky Rulers

Rocky Rulers is a YA novel with deep themes and interesting characters. The reader follows Petra as she realizes that her home is a deteriorating society and searches for a new perspective on life. She meets several unique people, some of whom are of great importance to her past as well as the future of the Mountain Realm. Her friends try to manipulate the outcomes of the situation and though they are successful, they are injured in the process. Eventually, Petra and Pterro return to the Mountain to confront the Queen and her partner, neither of whom has the best interest of the Realm or the people in mind.

1. What societal changes does Petra see in the Mountain Realm? How long would it take a society to start to fail? How does it compare to modern society?

2. As this story is set somewhere in the future, how believable is the prevalence of crime, prejudice and the extremes of the different living conditions in the story? What ways could this have been avoided? Do we have these same issues in our world now?

3. Gabe chose to leave his family at a young age. Though he has people and places he stays he does not feel that he fits anywhere. How much of this is his own doing and at what point could he change the situation? Where do you see Gabe living in the future?

4. Reef is an intelligent, personable character but was not chosen for specific training or a career out of high school. Why do you think this happens? What potential future careers do you see him excelling at? Do our schools and education fail people like this too?

5. The families of the characters are vastly different, each with its own benefits and challenges. How much did their families shape their identities and in what ways? Do our families shape our identities, and is this beneficial or a detriment to our futures?