You, Again

How does the novel use the concept of “home” to highlight the characters’ journeys and development? What physical or emotional markers of “home” exist for Josh, Ari, and the supporting characters, and how do their perceptions of home evolve throughout the story?

Analyze the role that grief and past wounds play in You, Again and how they shape the characters’ journeys. While Josh grapples with the grief of losing his father, how do other characters process their losses, and how do these experiences influence their personal and interpersonal development? In particular, consider how Josh and Ari carry emotional weight from past romantic and familial experiences into their present lives. How do their relationships with grief evolve, and what role does healing play in their character arcs and their relationship with one another?

When Ari leaves New York, she laments that the city is full of memories of Josh and Cass. How does the New York setting affect the novel? Does the narrative tone or pacing shift while Ari is living in Washington, DC? If so, how? Analyze how it changes when Ari returns to New York again, using examples from the novel to support your answer.

The meet-cute is a romcom trope wherein characters meet in an unlikely and charming way. For Josh and Ari, this happens several times. How does this both adhere to and subvert conventions of the romance genre? Cite examples from the text in your response.

The novel has scenes set in the new year in three separate years. This date symbolizes new beginnings. What other new beginnings (not on New Year’s Eve or Day) happen in the novel? How do they affect the novel’s exploration of The Significance of Timing in Relationships? Use textual evidence to support your answer.

In her author’s note, Kate Goldbeck discusses how she found inspiration from the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally and asked herself, “What would Nora Ephron write if she were telling this story in a world without paper rolodexes?” (452). What references to technology make You, Again a time-bound novel that takes place across the late 2010s and early 2020s?  What elements of the narrative are not bound by the time in which it occurs? Use specific examples from the novel to support your answer.

Examine the commentary that the novel presents on career aspirations and professional fulfillment. You may consider Josh’s and Ari’s experiences with The Cost and Benefit of Following Professional Dreams, as well as those of supporting characters such as Radhya, Gabe, and Briar. How do the characters' professional journeys intersect with their personal growth, and how do their career choices align with and challenge dominant societal expectations about success and fulfillment?

Analyze how You, Again portrays sex as a way to both engage in and avoid emotional and physical intimacy. How do the characters’ relationships to intimacy evolve throughout the story, and how does their sexual behavior reflect their struggles with vulnerability and self-acceptance?