Discussion Questions for Feeding Frenzy

Author Q&A with Maaja Wentz

Q: What is Feeding Frenzy?

A: Feeding Frenzy is a fast-paced story about a young woman facing impossible odds. To save her friends and her town, Tonya must dig deep and find courage and abilities she never knew she had. I experienced university as the most exciting time of my life because that's when you find yourself.

Q: That sounds like every young woman's struggle to grow up. Why include magic?

A: Urban fantasy is more fun when fireballs fly, and necromancers go rogue.

Q: Who will enjoy this book?

A: Feeding Frenzy is about a deadly eating epidemic on a college campus. It's a quirky page-turner like a Janet Evanovich caper, but with more magic than romance. Imagine a mashup of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Stephanie Meyer's The Host, with a pinch of Linsey Hall, and Christopher Moore. Really, I must stop pinching authors!

Q: Is it paranormal, horror, or campus comedy?

A: Feeding Frenzy is a creepy urban fantasy that will make you laugh, featuring a female protagonist who is bullied before she fights back. Tonya isn't just another kick-ass loner with a sword. She's part of a community she wants to save, and a family with secrets and conflicts.

Q: Are your characters inspired by real people?

A: My characters grow out of my imagination, plus memories of friends and university experiences. For example, I have family in Peru where I lived for a month. I read about and study Peruvian culture and the Spanish language.

Roberto, is a rich, handsome Peruvian in Loon Lake for university. To write his character, I combine memories of Peru with my experiences as an exchange student in France.

Q: What's the most surprising thing about this book?

A: Zombie fans started calling this a zombie novel. It's true, there is an outbreak of uncontrollable eating in Feeding Frenzy, but no brains were harmed in the making of this story.

Discussion Questions

Feeding Frenzy is a supernatural thriller in which Tonya, a first-year college student, must face up to unpleasant family secrets.

1. In a world rife with real conspiracies, how does it feel to read about similar situations in a fantasy setting?
2. Can there be mystery without a detective and a dead body?
3. In Feeding Frenzy, the main characters are young adults, just starting their studies at a small Canadian university. What was your life like right after high school?
4. At the climax of this book, Tonya and Helen commit a crime. Was it justified? Should they be made to pay for it?
5. Tonya develops powers that she has always been forbidden to use. Is this a metaphor for real life experiences or a plot device? Discuss.
6. How much ghoulishness is okay in literature for adults? Mystery novels? Books considered YA?
7. This book has been described as both a sweet story, and a zombie novel. Can a novelist have it both ways?
8. What was the craziest thing that happened in this story?
9. What was the most memorable moment?
10. If you had to recommend this book to one person, what kind of person would they be?