Discussion Questions
FreeFalling Book 1 of The Reconditioned Series
Discussion Questions
- Hope: Dystopian fiction is often a story built in a very hopeless world where power is imbalanced, and this is clear in FreeFalling as well. When all the odds are stacked against you, when you feel most hopeless, how do you find hope?
- God’s voice: In FreeFalling, Sere experiences a still, small voice that guides her when her path is most confusing and dangerous. A voice, even though Sere doesn’t know it well, she instinctively follows it, recognizing how it directs her path to safety. I Kings 19:12 describes God’s voice as a still, small whisper after a powerful earthquake and fire. I will never forget the day my daughter turned to me and asked how I could be sure that I had heard God’s voice. I think so many of us wonder about this. Our thoughts and feelings are so loud. How do we know we’ve heard the voice of God and have confidence in our next steps based on what that voice is saying to us?
- The Truth: Truth over the last decade has been under constant attack. But we know in John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” The Dome’s very society is built around several precepts derived from partial truths and sometimes outright lies. The self-serving Commander wields the Dome’s laws like a weapon. Growing up within this world, Sere might easily have joined the ranks of many other citizens and followed protocol like Jin and Principal Lewis. However, her soul recognized that taking children to be reconditioned couldn’t be right. Reflect on your life and identify moments where you’ve witnessed an attack on God’s truth. How do you combat the lies and hold on to the truth in your life while loving those around you?
- Character Flaw: Imagine you were Sere at the beginning of her journey. Is there anything she should have done differently? Did anything identifiable lead her in the wrong direction? If so, does it seem obvious? Because Sere was so embroiled in her situation, she didn’t have the perspective to see the truth. Have you had an instance of this in your own life, where in hindsight you recognize your own flaw had kept you from walking a right path?
- Found Family: I believe found family is an important trope because, as we grow up and grow older, our family changes in ways we could never imagine, and God built for us a family that we can plug into no matter where our lives take us—the church. How does your church family meet your needs and help carry you through the tough times? How can you support others in your church family? Do you have a need or see a need that you could submit to God in prayer?
- A Warrior Within: As an American, much of my life is battle/war zone free, however, that is not the case around the world. Sere woke up in a protected, comfortable society where she was among the privileged. She was guaranteed a future, money, a home, and threw it all away for her students. How would you respond if you, your loved ones, your community, were all plunged into a battle or war zone? Obviously, you wouldn’t like the experience, but what would your role be? How would you help those you love? What kind of warrior would you be?
- Increasing Presence of AI: Sere’s amazing snarky AI friend is one of my absolute favorite characters. I hope you enjoyed her too! AI is becoming more prevalent every day. Do you use AI in your personal life? Work life? Has it affected your career trajectory? Are you staunchly against it? Are you somewhere in the middle–understanding Pandora’s box most likely won’t be closed again? Or are you excited to see what comes next?
- Character Motivation: Sere keeps trying to do everything herself, struggling to trust anyone else in a world where neighbor turns on neighbor. Her reluctance is entirely understandable. Have you struggled to trust others with your life’s battles? How have you shifted from the mindset—I can’t do this, to “I can do all things through Christ” Philippians 4:13?
- Character Motivation: In the same way, Sere doesn’t want to be responsible for the deaths of others and struggles as her team grows and grows. Have you found yourself responsible for others and overwhelmed by the pressures? I know I have. When one of my students a few years ago brought a gun to school and I had to reach within myself and really determine to stand between the kids in my room and the student with a gun, I found God placed an inner strength I often believed I had but never had to discover. Is there a moment in your life when you had to protect someone you love? Often, we try to do things alone. Take a moment to read I Corinthians 12:12-27, considering this passage and especially verse 25, where it states, “… All of them will take care of one another.” Who are the people in your life you could choose to add to take care of you? Who might you choose to add to your team? Why do these people come to mind? Discuss characteristics of people you’d want on your team.
- Faith versus Government: As a person of faith, God is the ultimate director of our path. However, He says give unto Ceasar what is Ceasar’s. But what if the government directs a person of faith to go against their beliefs? Sere believed children shouldn’t be reconditioned, and as she explored the underbelly of her society’s government, she found she didn’t believe anyone should ever be reconditioned. What if the government sets an expectation that goes directly against the Bible? How do you know when it is appropriate to do civil disobedience?
- Foreshadowing: Based on the very ending of the book, what do you hope happens next? Which character are you most worried about? How might some of the unfinished threads play out in Awakening, releasing January 2026?