The book of Michael

THE BOOK OF MICHAEL BY LESLEY CHOYCE

From the Publisher
Michael Grove was sixteen years old when he was convicted for the murder of Lisa Conroy, the girlfriend he loved very much. The circumstances surrounding her final hours attract considerable media attention, especially because Michael and Lisa had sex just prior to her death. A public outcry against light penalties for young offenders ensures Michael is tried as an adult; he receives a harsh and severe penalty. Six months into his imprisonment, the true murderer confesses. Michael is released but quickly finds that the stigma of imprisonment and the (wrongful) rap for murder is not an easy thing to escape out on the streets.

Discussion questions:

1. Here we go with the eternal story of "the good-girl-falls-for-bad-boy-and-the-bad-boy-falls-so-in-love-with-the-good-girl, he-completely-alters-his-entire-way-of-life. What attracts teen girls to these kinds of young men like Michael, a self admitted angry young man? Was he worthy of her and her devotion to him that ultimately cost her her life?

2. There are many references to the practice of I, Ching and the hexagrams as a way of self enlightenment, and Michael relied on this as he struggled to find the meaning of life through these teachings. Are you one to rely on ideas such as this and beliefs such as astrology and horoscopes, or do you determine your own fate as "master of your own ship"?

3. The question of wrongful conviction raises its head in this book. In the Canadian court system, many people such as David Milgaard , Donald Marshall and Guy Paul Morin have been released after spending years in prison after it had been determined that they were unjustly accused of crimes that they did not commit. After only six months of imprisonment, do you feel that Michael is entitled to compensation? Do you feel that his life is ruined or can he pick up the pieces?

4. Were you surprised at the ending of the book? It is a satisfactory and logical conclusion to the story? Discuss.