Discussion Guide for While Justice Sleeps
Why do you think Justice Wynn entrusted Avery as his legal guardian?
How would you describe Avery’s relationship with Justice Wynn before his coma?
How did Avery’s character change and evolve over the course of the novel as she solved the riddle Justice Wynn left behind?
As she begins to grapple with her role as legal guardian, Avery meets Justice Wynn’s son, Jared, and also contends with her own relationship with her mother. How do family dynamics play a role in the novel?
How do you think Avery’s abilities and personality type were affected by her experiences with her mother?
How does the “red tape” of politics and the Washington, DC, setting add to the puzzle Avery is trying to solve?
If you were in Avery’s shoes, would you have accepted the role of legal guardian? Why or why not?
As Avery meets new characters as a result of her role as Justice Wynn’s legal guardian, do you think she was too trusting?
How do you think author Stacey Abrams’s experience in politics shaped While Justice Sleeps?
Avery discovers that Justice Wynn was looking into the merger of a biotech company and a genetics firm. How do politics and ethics play a role in this case? How does Avery reconcile this intersection of politics and bioethics?
Discussion Guide for Rogue Justice
Rogue Justice begins with a bang—literally, since the Preston Davies shooting is what catapults Avery Keene into action. Talk about the storytelling techniques that the author used to keep the pages turning. Which plot points were the most surprising or shocking to you? Were there any twists that you could see coming? Can you find any elements of foreshadowing now that you’ve finished reading? Were you satisfied with how things turned out in the end?
A president facing impeachment, a divided SCOTUS, and all the whistleblowers and scapegoats in between . . . Do any of the characters or scenarios in Rogue Justice ring true to our current era? If so, which ones—and how?
Both Avery and Hayden must “go rogue” in their own ways in order to see that justice is done. How do these women succeed when they aren’t in positions of high authority?
Talk about how the other female characters in the novel—from Judge Francesca Whitner to Vice President Samantha Slosberg, Rita to Nyx—must also find ways to fend for themselves. How do they rewrite the rules? And what are they willing to sacrifice?
How did you feel about Nyx when you first encountered her and then throughout the course of the novel? Can she be considered an empathetic character? Is Nyx “likable” in Rogue Justice—and why should a woman’s likability matter in any case? Do you think her profession is any more or less corrupt than certain other politicians, servicemembers, and other figures in the book?
Avery, who is known to be good at gambling, is praised by her colleagues for seeing patterns and connections that others miss. Talk about how Avery takes risks, manages conflict, and exercises caution in her life—from protecting her country in the fight against an elusive enemy to ensuring her mother’s (and Justice Wynn’s) medical care and beyond.
At one point in the novel Avery arranges for extra security for Rita at her rehab facility up in Laurel, Maryland. Talk about the parent-child role reversal between the two characters and how the themes of love and family, duty and loyalty, are explored in Rogue Justice.
Rogue Justice addresses the issue—and threat—of fake news in the age of digital media and AI. How, if at all, did this novel stoke or solidify your own concerns about surveillance, cybersecurity, and virtual warfare? This might be a good opportunity to talk about the warnings associated with chatbots, algorithms, and other forms of automation ethics too.
What might Jared Wynn say about the nature of truth in our world today? You may wish to consider how Jared’s professional expertise factors into his personal relationship with Avery as well.
How do you think Stacey Abrams’ firsthand knowledge of the ways and means of Washington might have shaped the narrative of Rogue Justice? If you could ask Abrams one question about the writing process of this book, what might it be?
When it comes to the pursuit of justice, do you think that all is fair in love and war? Should the ends justify the means in the fight for the truth—or in the name of revenge? Discuss any big-picture themes you might have taken away, or lessons learned, from reading Rogue Justice.
