The Girl Who Was Supposed To Die

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die

• Genre: Young adult thriller; mystery; suspense
• Originally Published: 2013
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile HL 690L; young adult (ages 14 and up)
• Structure/Length: Novel divided into chapters; approximately 224 pages; audiobook approximately 5 hours, 24 minutes.
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die revolves around Cady, a teenage girl who wakes up in an unfamiliar cabin with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She discovers she’s been drugged, and her life is in danger. As she tries to piece together her past and escape her captors, she becomes entangled in a web of secrets, lies, and a deadly conspiracy. The novel is a gripping tale of survival, mystery, and suspense as the protagonist races against time to uncover the truth and save herself. April Henry’s storytelling is known for its fast-paced narrative and tension-filled plot.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Themes related to kidnapping, murder, danger, and suspense

April Henry, Author

• Bio: American author known for her suspenseful and thrilling young adult novels; has written several novels, including Girl, Stolen and The Body in the Woods
• Other Works: Girl, Stolen (2010); The Body in the Woods (2014)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• The Effects of Greed on Humanity
• Trust and Vulnerability
• The Enduring Strength of Family Ties

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an increased understanding of the medical and psychological contexts around amnesia that impact the protagonist’s actions.
• Discuss paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of The Effects of Greed on Humanity, Trust and Vulnerability, and The Enduring Strength of Family Ties.
• Plan, develop, and present a secret message, based on text details.
• Examine and evaluate the author’s purpose and techniques to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the effects of style choices in the novel, the significance of the family cabin, and other topics.