Book Club Questions for Monument 14
- patricecarey8
- Oct 15, 2025
- 3 min read
When Dean raced out the door to catch the school bus, he didn’t realize it would be the last time he’d ever see his mom. After a freak hailstorm sends the bus crashing into a superstore, Dean and a group of students of all ages are left to fend for themselves.
They soon realize the hailstorm and the crash are the least of their worries. After seeing a series of environmental and chemical disasters ravage the outside world, they realize they’re trapped inside the store.
Unable to communicate with the ones they love, the group attempts to cobble together a new existence. As they struggle to survive, Dean and the others must decide which risk is greater: leaving… or staying.
Quick Book Review of Monument 14
I love survival stories seasoned with humor and drama, and this post-apocalyptic YA novel delivers in a big way. Horrific things happen in this story, but you also get these very normal teenage problems, such as being bullied, having your crush ignore you, and not feeling cool enough. I love how each of the kids/teens contributes something distinctive to the mix, whether that’s a crappy teenage attitude, Boy Scout survival skills, or ease with kids.
Alert! Intriguing Discussion Ahead
I encourage book clubs to move beyond questions like, “What did you like/dislike about the book?” and “Who was your favorite character and why?” My discussion questions typically focus on ethical and moral dilemmas, book scenarios applied to real life, and character motivations.
Book Club Discussion Questions
Were Dean and Astrid right to stay in the Greenway at the end? Do you think they were justified in keeping Chloe behind without her knowledge?
What do you think of how Astrid treats Dean throughout the book? Do you think she’s romantically interested in him or using him? At one point, she tells him she needs him to stay one of the good guys. What does that mean?
Dean gets jealous of Alex’s relationship with Niko. Have you had a sibling or friend ditch you for someone else? Have you done that yourself? How did you or the ditched person respond?
Without having the benefit of knowing what would happen, were the kids right to let Mr. Appleton and Robbie in? Would you have?
Before trying to shoot Niko, Robbie shouts, “You don’t get to decide who lives and who dies!” Do you agree with him? What responsibility did the kids have to themselves vs to the people on the outside?
If you were going to be stranded somewhere during an apocalypse like the one in Monument 14, where would you want to be? Who would you want to be with? If you were stranded with 13 other people from your work/school/church/community group/etc., what would it be like vs being with loved ones?
Would you have tried to make it to the Denver International Airport or stayed in the Greenway?
If you were in a crisis like this, who would be your Mrs. Wooley who took charged and saved everyone?
The original disaster was caused by a volcanic eruption that caused a mega tsunami—i.e. nature. The follow-up disaster was the spill of a chemical weapon—i.e. manmade. Why do you think the book included both disasters instead of one or the other? How would things have turned out differently if only one of those disasters had occurred?
Whose response to the disasters is the most like you think yours would be, and why?
Why do you think Jake didn’t go back to the Greenway? Do you think he knew he wasn’t coming back when he left?
Astrid is AWOL for a large chunk of the book. How do you think being pregnant affected her choice of whom to interact with and when?
Below, you can download a PDF of the Monument 14 discussion questions to print out and bring to your book club. I hope you have an intriguing discussion!
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