Bonkas for book clubs

BONKAS offers book clubs a uniquely layered experience that rewards thoughtful discussion. At first glance, it's a psychological journey through a supported housing scheme, where residents' lives interweave with institutional care. But beneath this surface lies a complex exploration of perception, truth, and moral ambiguity that reveals itself differently with each reading.

The novel's rich character studies provide fertile ground for discussion. Patrick Brady's unreliable narrative challenges readers' perceptions. Characters face moral dilemmas that spark debate - from Karina's struggle between self-preservation and truth, to Charles's path to redemption, to Abby's response to exploitation. Through Trisha's story, groups can explore how prejudice evolves into understanding, while Jason and Lacey's journeys raise questions about systemic failures and personal growth.

Social issues weave throughout - mental health care, funeral industry regulation, artistic theft, welfare exploitation - offering groups multiple angles for meaningful discussion. The novel's dual reading experience means groups often find themselves comparing notes, debating interpretations, and discovering new layers of meaning they might have missed first time through.

BONKAS doesn't offer easy answers, but rather invites readers to question their own perceptions and prejudices while exploring the complex territory where right and wrong aren't always clearly defined.

Key Discussion Points:

Character Studies

• Patrick Brady: moral complexity and unreliable narration

• Wayne: perception and reality

• Charles: addiction, redemption, and relationships

• Abby: exploitation and resilience

• Lacey: vulnerability and strength

• Trisha: prejudice and acceptance

• Jason: potential beneath systemic failure

• Karina: self-preservation versus moral responsibility

Themes

• Mental health and institutional care

• Grief and its manifestations

• Truth versus perception

• Justice versus revenge

• Exploitation in various forms

• Personal growth and prejudice

• Moral ambiguity

• Systemic failures

Reading Experience

• First versus second reading revelations

• Hidden clues and foreshadowing

• Shifting perspectives

• Complex character motivations

• Unreliable narrator impact

• Interpretation of events

Social Issues

• UK funeral industry regulation

• Mental health support systems

• Welfare exploitation

• Gender identity and acceptance

• Institutional care failures

• Artistic theft

If you feel that Bonkas may be a great discussion book for your book club / reading group.

Please get in touch via my contact page to arrange some author copies.