Book Club Questions for Monument 14: Sky On Fire
- patricecarey8
- Oct 22, 2025
- 3 min read
Trapped in a superstore by a series of escalating disasters, including a monster hailstorm and terrifying chemical weapons spill, brothers Dean and Alex learned how to survive and worked together with twelve other kids to build a refuge from the chaos. But then strangers appeared, destroying their fragile peace, and bringing both fresh disaster and a glimmer of hope.
Knowing that the chemical weapons saturating the air outside will turn him into a bloodthirsty rage monster, Dean decides to stay in the safety of the store with Astrid and some of the younger kids. But their sanctuary has already been breached once. . . .
Meanwhile, Alex, determined to find their parents, heads out into the darkness and devastation with Niko and some others in a recently repaired school bus. If they can get to Denver International Airport, they might be evacuated to safety. But the outside world is even worse than they expected.
Quick Book Review of Monument 14: Sky on Fire
This book is so up-tempo; I fly through it every time! My heart breaks when Josie sacrifices herself, and I always want to yell at Dean and Jake not to let the cadets in. If Monument 14 was about figuring out how to weather the apocalypse in one piece, Sky on Fire is about how to keep your humanity when the nightmare continues.
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
Who do you think is better for the kids—Josie or Astrid? What are the strengths and weaknesses of each of their approaches?
What do you think of Astrid’s reasoning when she says she’s going to stay with Jake even though she likes Dean?
If you had been Mario Scietto and had seen those flares, would you have gone to help?
Josie chooses to go O to protect the group from the O soldier. Does this choice fit her character? If you were in her shoes, what would you have done?
Dean’s impressed with how Jake handles the cadets. Are you? Why or why not?
Max tells a story about sticking with the dog you know. Do you prefer to stick with what you know or take a chance on something new? How does your approach usually work out for you?
Alex says, “If [Sahalia and I] were the two last people on earth . . . she would still be rude to me and I would still pretend it didn’t bother me.” Is there anyone in your life who you don’t think would change, even if the world were ending?
By the end of the book, Alex and Sahalia have become close. Have you ever built an unlikely friendship with someone? How did it come about?
With the compounds and the natural disasters, the kids choose not to worry about the danger from smoking. What point is the book trying to make with this idea?
As the group travels, multiple people—Max’s aunt, Mario, and the airport staff—try to separate them, but the kids refuse. Have you ever had this strong of a bond with a group? What created that kind of unity?
Dean kills two people in this book, one by accident and one on purpose, one as himself and one when he accidentally goes O. Which death do you think haunts him more, and why?
If you fell into the pit trap with the kids, what message would you have written in Alex’s book, and to whom?
The world described in the book has gone almost completely analog. What upsides does this have? How would it affect your life if you only had access to a few basic, shared electronics (and no internet)?
Below, you can download a PDF of the Monument 14: Sky on Fire discussion questions to print out and bring to your book club. I hope you have an intriguing discussion!
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