Book Club Discussion Questions for A Gorgeous Excitement by Cynthia Weiner

1. Nina sees herself as someone in the shadows, "skulking." Her new friend, Stephanie, suggests it's better to be on the outside, "watching instead of being watched. It makes you more interesting." Do you agree with that? Is Nina truly on the outside?
2. Discuss Nina's friend group at Flanagan's. How do their relationships change over the course of the novel?
3. Talk about Nina's fantasy of Gardner Reed versus the reality of him. Does she really know him? What signs informed your answer?
4. Why doesn't Nina tell Stephanie about Patrick crossing a line with her? Should she have? Would saying something have changed anything?
5. Why do you think Nina feels bad that she's still a virgin? What were the sexual mores of the 1980s? How does her view of her virginity evolve over the book?
6. How would you describe Nina's friendship with Stephanie? In what ways are they good for each other? In what ways is their relationship unhealthy?
7. What does cocaine do for Nina? Is it truly a "gorgeous excitement," as the title suggests?
8. Discuss Nina's relationship with her parents. How does Nina's experimentation with drugs parallel her mother's own mental health journey? How is Nina's drug use informed by her mother's illness and treatment?
9. In what ways does the time period—the 1980s—feel different from present-day? What similarities do you see?
10. How do people's perceptions of Alison and/or Gardner sway their opinions of what happened that tragic night in Central Park? Does your perception influence your opinion?
11. Why do you think Nina maintains that what happened between Gardner and Alison was an accident? What evidence and memories start to intrude on that belief and make her reconsider?
12. The author's note mentions the true-life crime that inspired the book. Were you familiar with it? If so, how did it inform your reading of the story?
13. How much do you think Nina reveals to her mother at the end of the book? What lessons do you think she has learned?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Crown. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.