Literary Fiction · Free kit
Wild Dark Shore
Dominic Salt and his children Raff, Fen, and Orly are the last caretakers of Shearwater Island, a storm-cut rock near Antarctica that holds a global seed vault. Researchers have already left; the sea is coming for the buildings, the beaches, and the seeds. Then a woman named Rowan washes ashore, half-drowned, and the family's careful isolation starts to crack. McConaghy's 2025 novel is a climate-haunted mystery about grief, ferocious love, and the impossible work of choosing what to save.
“But here is the nature of life. That we must love things with our whole selves, knowing they will die.”
Complete free book club kit
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Plan your meeting
BookClubee take
Vibe check
Our editorial snapshot of how this book tends to land at club night — not a crowd average.
Craft
- Overall4
- Plot4
- Characters5
- World building5
- Ending4
How it feels
- Spice1
- Tears5
- Surprises4
- Humor1
- Comfort1
What’s in this kit
Everything below is free — open a section, use it at your meeting, or print what you need. No account required.
- Discussion Questions20 book-specific questions labeled warm-up, debate, and deep dive.
- Icebreakers15 fast warm-ups about the reader — not the plot.
- CharactersProfiles, dynamics map, and superlative awards.
- Trivia20 interactive questions from easy to hard.
- Would You Rather25 impossible choices inspired by the book.
- BingoPrintable book-club bingo for reading and live discussion.
- This or That40 rapid-fire choices plus a 60-second speed round.
- Speed DebatesPick a side and defend it against the clock.
- Hosting GuideShopping list, timeline, surprise touch, and wrap-up.
- PrintablesStickers, quote cards, invites, and review sheets.
How to run your meeting
1. Warm up
Start with icebreakers or a quick trivia round.
2. Discuss
Use the labeled discussion questions — warm-up to deep dive.
3. Play & wrap
Would You Rather, bingo, or a speed debate — then rate the book.
Frequently asked questions
Is this Wild Dark Shore book club kit free?+
Yes. Everything on this page is free — discussion questions, games, trivia, and hosting tips. No account required.
Does this kit spoil Wild Dark Shore?+
Yes. Discussion questions, trivia, character material, superlatives, bingo, and debates assume you know why Rowan came to Shearwater, what happened to Hank, Alex, Tom, and Naija, who sabotaged the radios, and how the flooding vault ends. Finish the novel first. Icebreakers are about the reader, not the plot. The book includes drowning, suicide, a death in childbirth, a bushfire, an adult's relationship with a seventeen-year-old, and violence — give your group a content note, and skip or pause if anyone needs to.
What's in the Premium Kit?+
The Premium Kit on Etsy is the full printable pack: discussion guide, character cards, trivia, bingo, games, hosting checklist, and review sheets — ready to print for your meeting.
How long should our Wild Dark Shore book club meeting run?+
Plan 75–80 minutes. This is a dense, talky book: 10 minutes of icebreakers, 10 minutes of trivia, 35 minutes of discussion (Hank under the vault and Rowan's last choice will run long), 15 minutes of a game or speed debate, then wrap-up. Use the Hosting Guide for a minute-by-minute outline.
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