Hello, Universe

Kaori conducts psychic readings, and Lola sees the powerful meaning behind dreams. To what extent does the universe or fate control the characters’ lives? These questions might be useful as you develop your answer:

• How does Kaori view her past lives?
• What events bring Valencia and Virgil together?
• How does Valencia discover where Virgil is so they can rescue him?
• Where does a seemingly small action lead to larger actions?
• When is something that seemed unconnected revealed as pivotal?

Teaching Suggestion: Rereading to investigate and uncover specific evidence can enrich this discussion. It might be helpful to provide a list of events or items in the novel to focus on, like Kaori’s business card or the characters’ dreams. It might also benefit students to draw a timeline for key events, like Virgil’s rescue, his standing up to his parents and Chet, and texting Valencia. On the timeline, students could list and explain the importance of moments, events, and items in the story. Students might first freewrite, then investigate and take notes, and finally discuss. Since the question asks “to what extent,” answers could be along a continuum. Exploring qualifiers, like “mostly,” “to a great extent,” “somewhat,” and “slightly,” could lead to more thorough and clear analysis.