1. Like countless others, Tia came to NYC to make something of herself. Was she right to agree to her arrangement with Michael Saltz? 

 

2. Food is a major and dynamic presence in the book. What are some passages in which food is delicious? Revolting? Sexy? Nostalgic? How does the author use food to convey action and character? 

 

3. FOOD WHORE is about the NYC restaurant scene. How does this compare to where you live? 

 

4. Team Elliott, Pascal, or someone else? 

 

5. Tia rationalizes her behavior towards Elliott to herself. Do you believe her? Why or why not? 

 

6. Tia’s fashion sense changes over the course of the book. What do her outfits say about her character? 

 

7. Do you think Tia learned her lesson and “got what she deserved”? Do you think these benchmarks are necessary in a coming-of-age novel? In literature? 

 

8. Emerald says, “Everyone thinks that you’re the one who keeps the secret, but really it’s the secret that keeps you.” What does she mean by this? 

 

9. In your life, when have you wanted something so badly that you later did something you regretted? 

 

10. At one point, writing is Tia’s refuge and what makes her feel confident. Later, writing is her undoing. What is the author trying to say about ambition and self-preservation? 

 

11. What do you think will become of Tia in the future? 

Food Whore: A Novel of Dining and Deceit
by Jessica Tom

• Publication Date: October 27, 2015
• Genres: Fiction
• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• ISBN-10: 0062387006
• ISBN-13: 9780062387004