About the Book:  When Ames’ perfect family collapses into lies and betrayal, she turns to a mysterious, gun-obsessed man who promises to protect her.  Having flirted with darkness, Ames has to decide how far she’ll go in pursuit of the love she craves.

About the Author:  A native of Texas who has also done time in Chicago and Alaska, Gail Giles is the author of several acclaimed books for young adults, including Shattering Glass, Dead Girls Don’t Write Letters, Playing in Traffic, Whatever Happened to Cass McBride?, and Right Behind You.  She loves pets, chocolate, good movies, good books, and sleeping late.  For more about Gail Giles and her work, visit www.gailgiles.com. 

Thematic Connections:

∞Betrayal

∞Privilege

∞Attraction

∞Revenge

∞Power and Control

Before Reading

Write about one or more of the following questions in your journal:

〈Describe a time when you felt betrayed.  Then describe a time when you betrayed someone else.

〈What do you think attracts people to danger and to behaviors that hurt others?

〈Most of us think we’d like to live rich, easy lives.  But what problems come with an affluent lifestyle?

〈Under what circumstances is revenge justified?

〈How do you know when you’re truly in control of a situation?

Discussion Guide

Knowledge:

〈Where does Mr. Ford take his family at Christmas?

〈Who is the first to tell Ames that something might be wrong with her father’s job?

〈What is Em’s nickname for Ames?

〈What animals does Chrissy play with?

〈Who is Rockin’ Robin?

〈What is Earl’s job?

〈Where does Em get the marijuana the night that she takes Ames to “rumpus”?

〈Who is the Commander?

〈After losing his job, what does Ames’ father do that makes their financial situation even more desperate?

〈What does Em buy from the Fords’ garage sale?

〈How do the Fords travel to Texas?

〈Who owns the house where the Fords live in Texas?

〈What does Marc have strapped to his leg?

〈What does Marc leave on Ames’ pillow?

〈What does Marc leave under Ames’ pillow?

〈Where is Marc’s father when Ames first visits their house?

〈Who has “cobra eyes”?

〈What do they do about school in Texas?

〈What does Ames do at the party that angers Marc?

〈What does Marc collect?

〈What does Marc take from the judge’s house?

〈Mrs. Ford gets angry with Ames because she ruined what in the laundry?

〈Who convinces them to go to the police about Marc?

〈At the end, who is in the bed of Mr. and Mrs. Ford?

Understanding:

〈Name three words to describe Em.

〈How does Ames’ mother react to the lodging her husband has booked for their holiday trip?

〈Why did Ames’ father lose his job?

〈Give three examples to show how Ames’ mother reacts to her husband losing his job.

〈What experiences from her youth make Ames’ mother so controlling?

〈How does Ames end up in jail?

〈Explain what Robin’s example of the three towels says about Ames.

〈Explain Robin’s analogy of the oars.

〈Why did Mr. Ford never tell his daughters about their grandparents?

〈Why do the three boys show up at the Fords’ house in Texas?

〈What attracts Ames to Marc?

〈Why doesn’t Chrissy have to help with the clean-up at their Texas house?

〈Why does Ames want white for her side of the bedroom?

〈What does Ames figure out about Marc based on his teeth?

〈Why does Marc say he hangs out with younger women?

〈Why does Ames avoid talking with Em?

〈What does Marc mean by “creeping a house”?  Why do you think this intrigues Ames?

〈Why does Mr. Ford forbid Ames from seeing Marc again?

〈What is the “shotgun serenade”?

Application:

〈There’s an old expression to the effect that “the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”  Giving at least three examples, explain how this expression applies to the novel.

〈At the end of the first chapter, Ames says some memories lie.  In what ways is this true?  Use at least two examples from the story and one from your experience to explain.

〈One of the reasons Ames initially gets so upset with her parents is that she’s among the last to know of her father’s trouble at work.  Why do you think we get upset when we’re the last to find out some important information that affects us?

〈When it comes to dealing with problems, Ames says her father “made bad vibes vanish with chatter and fun” while her mother “cold shouldered it and starved it to death.”  How do you deal with problems? 

〈Explaining why she’s so controlling, Mr. Ford says of his wife, “Being mean is easier than admitting you’re scared.”  Give three specific instances that show the truth of this statement, from this book or from other books or from your experience.

〈When speaking of her daughter, Ames’ grandmother says, “Love can be a wicked thing.”  Do you agree or disagree?  Cite examples from the story and from other sources to support your opinion.

〈If you were Ames’ friend in Texas, what three specific behaviors of Marc would you use to warn her about him?  Why do you think Ames, who seems to have great insight into herself and others, overlooked these things in Marc?

〈Em tells Ames she can’t self-correct.  What does it mean to self-correct?  Why do you think Ames, a smart young woman, didn’t do it?

〈Do you agree with Ames when she says being bad is easy?  Why or why not?  Cite at least one example from the book.

〈Do you agree with Ames when she says that sometimes you need something outside of yourself to feel safe?  Why or why not?

Analysis:

〈Which three characters do you feel are most the most flawed?  Defend your choices with three specific citations from the text.

〈Which three characters do you feel have the most redeeming qualities?  Defend your choices with three specific citations from the text.

〈In what ways are Ames and her mother alike?  Cite at least three examples.  How do their similarities affect the development of the story?

〈Ames calls Chrissy “the little reporter.”  Name at least three instances in which Chrissy lives up to this assessment.

〈At one point in the story, Ames suggests that Em will get premature wrinkles, indicating she’s wise.  In what ways is Em wise?  How do you think she acquired her wisdom?

〈How would you describe the relationship between Chrissy and Ames?

〈What clues that her family wasn’t perfect do you think Ames ignored?  To what extent do you think Ames might be as angry with herself as she is with her parents?  How do you know?

〈In the first half of the book, Ames accuses her parents of being “too absorbed in their own miserable worlds.”  To what extent is Ames guilty of this same problem?  Provide supporting evidence from the text.

〈Based on his experience in juvenile detention, what did Marc learn about the best way to break a horse?  How does this apply to his relationship with Ames?

〈Though Ames seems to have a good understanding of human behavior, she seems to have a “blind spot” when it comes to Marc.  Why do you think this is?

Synthesis:

〈Early in the book, Ames says her father lets her win at Wii boxing but never at tennis.  What kind of person does that?  Explain how this fits what you learn about her father as the story unfolds.

〈Minor characters in a book often shed light on the major characters.  After you’ve finished reading, return to the characters of Edwin in Ames’ math class.  In what ways does he contribute to our understanding of Ames?

〈Ames says at the beginning of the book that there are no secrets at her house.  What do you think makes her so sure?

〈Explain the positions Ames and Em take regarding truth and lies.  Do you sense any sort of double standard – a gap between what they say and how they act?  Explain, using examples.

〈Ames recalls how her mother used to read her fairy tales.  In what way does Ames live a fairy tale life, both before and after moving to Texas?  In what ways are fairy tales helpful?  In what ways can they be harmful?

〈Compare and contrast the Ford family with Em’s.  Which is the healthier family?  Why?

〈How much do you think Ames’ sense of privilege affects the way the story unfolds?  Give examples.

〈Ames talks of the dark thrill, the dark song, that appeals to her.  Where does such a thing come from?  How would you describe it?  Do you think her experiences with Marc purged her of intrigue with the dark?  Why or why not?

〈In what ways is the mythic attraction to the “forbidden fruit” at work in this story?

〈What proof do you have that Marc wanted to control Ames?  Why do you think she let herself be controlled?

〈By the end of the book, whom has Ames betrayed?  Which of these betrayals, if any, are justified?  Explain.

Evaluation:

〈In what ways is the book’s first big scene, a holiday trip to an unfamiliar location, a good set-up for the rest of the story?

〈In what ways is the book’s cover an accurate depiction of the story?

〈Consider the mirrored images that separate the two parts of the book.  In what ways is this reversal of images fitting?

〈Entropy, a property of physics, contends that the natural tendency of things is toward chaos.  Were you surprised at how quickly the Ford family disintegrated?  Why or why not?

〈Ames comes close to being complicit in a horrible crime.  We tend to think of criminals as coming from dysfunctional families.  But as the book opens, Ames thinks of her family as perfect.  In what ways does this make the story more interesting than if Ames had a horrible situation at home from the start?

〈Early in the book, Ames says, “Get savage and go for the jugular or shut up.”  Coming from her at this point in the story, does this comment surprise you?  Why or why not?

〈As things fall apart in Ames’ life, she determines she has only one true friend.  Do you think this is true for most people, or is this unusual?  Explain your position.

〈Because Ames believes her parents have betrayed her, she feels justified in betraying them.  Evaluate this position.

〈What do you think is Ames’ greatest flaw?  What do you think is Marc’s biggest flaw?  Do you think they’re alike, as Marc says they are?  Explain, using examples from the book.

〈Do you think there’s hope for Marc, or do you think his dark side is so strong that he’s unlikely to break free of it?  Use examples from the book to justify your response.

〈What do you think are the three greatest flaws in Ames’ thinking?  Why?

〈At the end of the book, Ames says she is not innocent.  Explain what this says about her character.  To what extent did she try to blame others for her problems, and to what extent did this make her even more responsible for what happened?

Projects

∞False Fronts:  In some of the hastily constructed towns of the American West, it was common to see “false fronts” – plain buildings with large facades to make them look fancy.  Among the characters in Dark Song there are a number of false fronts.  Working alone or in a team, create a visual to show these false fronts, and explain it to your class.

∞Debate:  As individuals or in teams, debate this statement using examples from the book:  “Ames has a good understanding of herself and of others.” 

∞Storm Trackers:  Storm trackers follow storms as they develop, tracking where and when they’ll reach their peaks, with the greatest potential for damage.  Create a visual that tracks the figurative storms in this book.

∞Create:  At the end of one chapter, Ames asks, “Do we all lose our honesty when we lose our innocence?”  Pick a favorite creative medium for exploring this question:  poetry, music, art, story, or dance.  Present your work to the class.

∞Code:  Various groups and individuals have codes by which they live – sets of principles that guide their behavior.  Working alone or in a group, create the code by which Ames lived.  Then create one for Em.  Explain changes, if any, in the codes as the story progressed, as well as any inconsistencies you observe in the codes these young women live by.

∞Protection and Freedom:  Ames talks about wanting protection, and yet she likes freedom.  Working individually or in a group, use a Venn diagram or other model to show the relationship between protection and freedom as it applies to young people and their families.  Along with other examples, include three from the book.

∞Johari Windows:  A Johari Window is divided into four sections:  one for what everyone knows about a person; one for what a person knows about himself but others don’t know; one for what others know about a person that he doesn’t know; and one for traits that no one knows about a person.  Working alone or in groups, make Johari windows for Ames and Marc.  Present to the class.

∞Make a visual “control meter.”  Use it to represent which characters in the book are really in control, and which only think they are.  Present your chart, using examples from the book.

Author Interview

〈Many of your books involve young people and crime.  What draws you to this topic?

I honestly don’t know.  The drama of the crime I suppose.  I see young people being attracted to dark places in a serious way for the first time in their lives.  The teen years are such crisis years and the idea of looking into the dark abyss has always fascinated me.

〈What was toughest for you as a writer as you worked through this story?

The early story.  The last part of the story came easily.  The early story, the build up, was hard to work through.  I wanted to get to the Marc part.

〈How do your characters come to life in a book like this one?  Did certain characters appear first, bringing others with them?

Of course, Ames was first, then she brought Em along and I loved her. Em brought Earl and I really loved him. There had to be a father and mother and as Ames rebelled there had to be a Marc.  I loved how he developed.  Chrissy came kind of late in the novel and had to be seeded back through but I found her too important for that not to happen.

〈What hope do you see for someone like Marc?

None.  He has developed into who he is.  He was in the system when he was younger and it didn’t help him then.  I think he would just get hardened in prison and come out worse than ever.  You hope it wouldn’t be that way and that something good would happen, but doubt it.  I think he’s damaged and the damage is too great.  He’ll manipulate for the rest of his life.  It’s his only method of coping with life.

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