Book Club Questions for The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents
- patricecarey8
- Oct 8, 2025
- 3 min read
Lavinia “Vin” Lucas is out of control and out of options. Stranded by parents who would rather use their average magical abilities to study dung beetles than raise her, Vin's been on her own for years. But she’s never been able to corral her own powerful, unpredictable magic. After years of detention, suspension, and expulsion from magic schools far and wide, she’s now being sent to the Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents. If she gets expelled, it’s the end of the line.Now, Vin is determined to behave. Except no one at Last Hope seems to want her to. Her new teachers—particularly the school’s kind headmistress—push her to explore her magic, and her mischievous classmates delight in every accident. And all the while, a mysterious fire sprite, a suspicious instructor, and her overwhelming abilities might just sabotage Vin. But for the first time, she is not alone.So when a former student begins attacking the school, Vin must question just how much she knows about the headmistress and her new home. Is this place worth saving? And are her budding abilities—and every trick, trap, and deception in her friends’ delinquent arsenal—enough to protect Last Hope?
Quick Review of The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents
This MG cozy fantasy novel is like the cozy version of Harry Potter—if Harry Potter were a rule-breaking delinquent who made a small group of book- and street-smart friends and defended his school from intruders who wanted to destroy the headmaster/mistress and “free” the magical community (wait a second . . .). But in all seriousness, this is a fun book that focuses on how a powerful but misunderstood student can regain her self-worth and confidence, create a found family, and protect the home she didn’t think she deserved.
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 Questions
Discuss similarities and differences between this book and Harry Potter.
Do you agree with the free mages’ stated objective to lift the restraints on the magical community? Why or why not?
Ava Hope says that the magical school system has failed the delinquents. How does the American school system fail students who are different? Is there anything from the Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents that could be applied to the American school system?
Araminta gets herself labelled a delinquent so she can stay with her twin, Theo, who feels guilty about this “sacrifice.” Have you ever been on either side of a situation like this? Did it make your relationship with the other person better or worse?
Do you feel like Cam was just bullying Vin when he kept pushing her to use her powers, or was there more to his actions? Was any of his pushing helpful?
One of Vin’s abilities is permanently taking people’s magic. She is horrified by the idea, which settles Ava Hope’s mind about training her to use people’s magic temporarily. Who in your life do you trust with power because you know they won’t misuse it?
Vin develops a good relationship with Brucifer, the fire sprite, throughout the book, but it isn’t until she frees him that his allegiance switches to Vin. Why do you think this was a necessary last step?
Mr. Oswald is passionate about preventing threats to student safety, even at the possible expense of the individual student. Ava Hope is passionate about nurturing individual students, even at the possible expense of the student body’s safety. Who do you relate to more, and why?
Did you guess there was more to Mr. Hart than an incompetent janitor? When have you been surprised by someone you had previously considered unskilled, unintelligent, awkward, etc.?
After having found a home/mentor in Ava Hope, Malcom turns against her and her school. Do you think there was anything Ava could have done to reclaim him before he got to that point?
Below, you can download a PDF of The Last Hope School for Magical Delinquents discussion questions to print out and bring to your book club. I hope you have an intriguing discussion!
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