1. How did you interpret the presence that stalks Matthew and Robbie?

• Mostly supernatural — an external entity hunting them.
• Mostly psychological — trauma and grief given shape.
• A mix of both — I read it as intentionally ambiguous.

2. How did the unnamed narrator speaking directly to you affect your immersion?

• Made the book eerier and more immersive.
• Interesting but sometimes distracting.
• Pulled me out of the story / confusing.

3. Which emotional thread hit you hardest?

• Matthew’s guilt and attempts at redemption.
• Robbie’s longing and grief.
• The ghosts left behind by the mother and the life they lost.

4. Overall, how did the level and style of horror feel to you?

• Too mild — I wanted more intensity.
• Tense and unsettling — just right for psychological horror.
• Too intense / overwhelming for me.

5. After finishing, what do you feel Robbie mostly inherits?

• Strength and resilience — he walks away changed but not broken.
• A curse he can’t escape — the hunger now belongs to him.
• Something uneasy in between — a mix of strength and haunting.

6. Would you want more stories set in the Picking Murphys world?

• Absolutely — I’d read sequels, prequels, or side stories.
• Maybe — it depends which characters or threads it follows.
• No — this story felt complete on its own.

7. Defining question — Matthew & Robbie

In a sentence or two, how do you feel about the idea that we inherit not just trauma, but hunger — and what Robbie truly carries forward by the end?