1. Senior Year as Backdrop
    How does the milestone of senior year—full of transitions and endings—shape the drama of the novel?
  2. Multiple Perspectives
    The novel offers views from both parents and teenagers. Which perspective did you connect with most? Why?
  3. Secrets and Suburbia
    Every family in the novel hides something. Which secret surprised you the most? Did the suburban setting make these secrets feel more realistic?
  4. Marriage and Midlife
    How are marriages portrayed in the story? Which couple’s journey did you find most compelling?
  5. Parent-Child Dynamics
    How do the parents’ expectations of their teens collide with the teens’ desire for independence? Did any particular family feel especially authentic to you?
  6. Community and Pressure
    The story touches on competition, image, and privilege in an affluent town. How does this community mirror real-world pressures?
  7. The Title: “The Goodbye Year”
    Who—or what—do you think says the most significant goodbye in the story?
  8. Looking Ahead
    Did you feel hopeful or unsettled at the end? What do you imagine happens to these families after graduation?