Questions: Skim

Teen angst!  Melodrama!  Life lessons ahoy!!!  It's question time!

1)  Skim is set in 1993.  How do you think the story would be different if it were to take place today?  What are some things in the story that pinpoint it as taking place 20 years ago?  How are things the same?

2)  The Girls Celebrate Life club is largely painted in a negative light.  Kim posits that it exists to serve the egos of the members, rather than actually help anyone.  What do you think were the original intentions of the members?

2b)  How does a small local club like the GCL in the 90's differ from support movements like To Write Love On Her Arms and It Gets Better today?  What role does the internet play in the emotional lives of teens today?

3) How do you feel about how the story addresses Kim's sexuality?  In the midst of all of her feelings for Ms. Archer, she never really talks about gender being an issue, so much as their teacher/student relationship.

4)  What do you think about Ms. Archer?  What about Lisa?

5)  At the beginning of the book, Kim identifies as a Wiccan, though by the end of the story, her interest in the belief has waned.  What do you think is the significance of spiritual exploration for her character?  Do you have an opinion on why she chose Wiccanism over a different option?

6) Author Mariko Tamaki has stated that she started the story wanting to write about a "goth" youth.  What happened to the goth subculture?  What role do outsider subcultures serve in adolescent life?  Do you have any theories on their evolution?

7)  By the end of the story, it would seem that the main theme of Skim is the transience of relationships and what one can learn from that.  What is your personal experience in the matter?  Does anything last forever?

8) What is the overall importance of adolescence in the grand scheme of life?  As a society, we tend to paint the teen years as "the glory years", putting a lot of weight on the experiences that often accompany this time period (first romances, emancipation from parents, school work, etc...), which often adds to the pressure felt by teens in the midst of these experiences.  Why do we care so much about the teen years?

9) Although Katie Matthews is largely a marginal character for most of the series, she undergoes an impressive development arc.  How do you feel about her?

10) What did you think about the art?  How did the page layouts and soft nature of the art compliment or detract from the story?