Perfect-ish book club questions

In Perfect-ish, Prue is about to turn thirty and can’t help but wonder why everyone else seems to be thriving, while she’s – well – not.

With the help of her best friend, Delia, she sets three goals to turn her life around before she reaches the milestone birthday: ditch the job, move out of her brother’s house and find love. Your book club will love joining Prue on her adventure, and you might just learn a bit about yourselves along the way.

Discussion points and questions

• Over the course of the novel, Prue learns to redefine the meaning of a perfect life on her own terms. What does the idea of a perfect life mean to you?
• ‘Do you ever feel like you’re due for something better? Like, things haven’t been great so you’re almost . . . owed an improvement?’ Discuss.
• Every chapter opens with social media posts celebrating people’s successes in all areas of life. Does social media influence our pursuit of perfection? How?
• What makes this book an anti-romcom?
• ‘I’m almost thirty and I have no idea what I’m doing with my life.’ Why is Prue so fixated on turning thirty? Do you think there is pressure to have achieved certain things by this age? Is it different for men and women?
• ‘When your closest friend is happily married, sometimes you wish you weren’t so alone.’ Do you ever compare yourself to your friends? Is it a good or a bad thing?
• Is it easier to talk to a stranger about your problems, like callers do at Love on the Line?
• When Prue meets Hugh, she thinks, ‘There’s something captivating about how much he loves his job.’ Do you have to be passionate about your work? What is the attitude of other characters in the novel towards their job?
• Did Prue overreact after finding out about Ben and Delia? Was their lie justified?
• Hugh’s mum, Trilby, says, ‘a mother’s love goes to the one who needs it the most.’ Do you think this is true? How does it play out in the novel?
• Discuss this statement by Prue’s dad: ‘Your mother may be complex at times, but she’s still your mother. She has so much love for you, but sometimes she struggles to express it.’
• Was Prue a good friend to Delia, and vice versa? Do you think their friendship will change after the novel’s ending?
• What do you think the novel says about romantic relationships versus friendships? Is one more important than the other?

Interested? Start reading Perfect-ish, here.