A Reading Group Guide to Such Wicked Intent by Kenneth Oppel About the Book Devotion turns deadly in this second gothic thriller from Kenneth Oppel. When does obsession become madness? Tragedy forces sixteen-year-old Victor Frankenstein to swear off alchemy forever. He burns the Dark Library. He vows he will never again dabble in the dark sciences—just as he vows he will no longer covet Elizabeth, his brother’s betrothed. If only these things were not so tempting. When he and Elizabeth discover a portal into the spirit world, they cannot resist. Together with Victor’s twin, Konrad, and their friend Henry, the four venture into a place of infinite possibilities where power and passion reign. But as they search for the knowledge to raise the dead, they unknowingly unlock a darkness from which they may never return. Prereading Activities 1. Some terms cited in the story will likely be unfamiliar to most readers. Ask readers to use reference books or electronic research sources to find out as much information as they can about the following: apex, colossus, conflagration, diabolical, draconian, exhilaration, elixir, frenetic, indignation, infernal, laudanum, maelstrom, malevolence, mutability, penumbra, periphery, phantasm, pungent, ruefully, talisman, tarpaulin, tempestuous, tendril, unquenchable, and vehemently. 2. Most readers will likely not ha see more