Win Me And You Lose

Ideas To Think About And Discuss

1. What were Matt’s conflicting feelings as he sat through the divorce proceedings? How did his expectations crumble as soon as he and his father left the courtoom?

2. What unrealistic expectations did Matt’s father have when he was suddenly thrown into the role of being a father to a seventeen-year-old stranger?

3. What misunderstandings or misconceptions about his father had Matt grown up with?

4. What were some of the bad scenes Matt and his father had to go through in order to learn how the other person operated? What did they finally establish as a guideline for getting along? Can you find scenes where they come to these terms? What do you think of these terms as guidelines for relationships in your own life?

5. Matt’s father probably had felt pride in Matt before, but Matt wasn’t aware of it. When was the first time Mr. Bristow actually expressed this feeling of pride to Matt? What did this do for Matt? Is there a clue here to understanding an important need in people?

6. At the end of Chapter Twelve, Mr. Bristow says, “I decided if I was going to play Button-Button, I’d better play to win.” What do you think he meant? What does the Button-Button game refer to? Do you think that statement represents some kind of turning point in Mike’s and Mr. Bristow’s relationship? If so, what did it change or clarify for them?

7. Can you trace the stranger’s progression toward violence? What were the visible signs of impending trouble? Which ones do you think Matt and Rebecca and Mr. Bristol handled well? Would you have handled any of them differently?

8. What do you think might be some of the lingering after-effects from Rebecca’s encounter with the stranger? What do you think the people around her have done correctly so far? What would you have handled differently?

9. Have you known anyone who was a victim of violence? What kinds of problems were created? What help was needed?

10. How do you feel about the book?