The Night Circus

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• What were your favorite and least favorite aspects of The Night Circus? Discuss which relationships, plot points, and scenes were most emotionally impactful. 
• What other fantastical novels does The Night Circus remind you of? How does magic function similarly or differently from the ways it functions in similar texts?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection 

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• The novel explores manipulation and autonomy via Celia Bowen and Marco Alasdair’s storylines. How did you respond to their relationships with their mentors? Have you been involved in similarly complex power struggles, and how have these power dynamics impacted your relationships?
• Which aspects of Celia and Marco’s romantic relationship were most relatable to you? Were there aspects of their dynamic you found more or less believable? How does their romance compare to your own relationship experiences?
• The novel explores good and evil within the context of the Night Circus world. What aspects of this conflict are most analogous to moral dilemmas you have encountered in the relational, vocational, or familial sphere? 
• Isobel’s character ultimately controls the fate of the Night Circus. Which aspects of her situation were familiar to you? Would you have behaved the same way if you were in her position?
• Imagine that you were pitted against a magician the way Celia and Marco are pitted against each other.