The Burnout: Book Club Questions for Readers Who Need to Laugh, Cry, and Scream

Jul 15

3 min read

Updated: Aug 5

Woman peeking out from under her bed covers

Age: Adult

Genre: Rom-com, Women's Fiction

Quick Review of The Burnout

This delightful adult novel is a cross between rom-com and women’s fiction. Authored by the great Sophie Kinsella (best known for Confessions of A Shopaholic), this book makes me laugh out loud every time I read it—even to the point of actual tears. I love the exploration of burnout in work, life, and relationships, as well as the social media–approved fixes that don’t work at all. I highly recommend this for anyone who’s “had it” with some part of their life and just needs a bit of a breather.

Romantic Content Warning

There are two sex scenes—one is a couple of pages; the other is a paragraph or so. They are not highly detailed, but if you prefer your romance completely closed door, this may not be the read for you.

Book Club Questions

Have you ever experienced burnout similar to Sasha’s (even if not that extreme)? How did you get to that point?
Because of Sasha’s stress levels at work, she feels incapable of making meals, cleaning her flat, interacting with her friends, or watching anything besides her comfort movie, Legally Blonde. When you get overly stressed, how do you react? Do certain habits, relationships, or responsibilities slip away or become unhealthy?
Sasha’s mother, though well-meaning, burdens her with several popular wellness activities that don’t help her burnout—rather, they add to it. At Zoose, Joanne’s joyfulness program has the same effect. What could Sasha’s mother or Joanne have done to actually help? Has anyone ever tried to decrease your stress and made it worse?
As the book goes on, Sasha realizes that some of her wellness steps (grounding, communing with nature, the 100-squat challenge) are helpful after all—they just didn’t work when she saw them as to-do items. How does society’s approach to wellness sometimes prevent people from finding it? Are there classic wellness activities that have actually helped you?
Terry’s passion for teaching surfing brings hundreds of people together. Is there anyone in your life who inspires that kind of loyalty? In your ideal world, if people were to remember and celebrate you as their “Terry,” what would you have done to deserve it?
Mavis Adler never does another painting like Young Love even though fans clamor for a follow-up. Why do you think she goes a different direction? Do you think she regrets painting Young Love? When an artist/musician/etc. changes their style, do you go along for the ride or stick to the work that you originally liked?
To save his marriage, Mr. West had to admit something he was embarrassed to share. Has being reluctant to admit confusion or hurt ever negatively impacted one of your relationships? Have you ever had someone frame a negative emotion to you in a constructive way?
Having fallen into disrepair, the Rilston is very different from how Sasha remembers it as a child. At first, she’s disappointed, but eventually, she finds its quirks charming. How is this a metaphor for how Sasha sees her own life? If you’ve ever visited somewhere that’s changed a lot since your childhood, how did you feel about it?
In Sasha’s situation, quitting Zoose worked out in her favor right away. If you’ve ever taken a similar leap of faith, what was the result?
Sasha’s sister, Kirsten, warns her against “hooking up with another needy, broken person instead of . . . mending [herself.]” Do you agree with Kirsten, or do you feel like Sasha and Finn could have had a good relationship without the six-month break they take?
In your opinion, could Sasha have recovered from her burnout without leaving Zoose? When is exiting a stressful situation the only way to fix it long-term?
One of Terry’s mottos is, “The sea sure as hell isn’t worrying about you.” What did he mean by that? What does this saying mean to you?