Blackouts
by Justin Torres
About_
Blackouts by Justin Torres is a novel that intertwines the dying Juan’s oral history with the hidden archive of a
1930s study on queer ‘variants,’ as retold to his young caretaker, nene. The book moves fluidly between memory,
invented film, and historical research to explore erasure, desire, and inheritance. This study guide is designed to
help students track the novel’s overlapping timelines and thematic threads. This study guide contains 65 questions
across 5 chapter sections (50 Factual + 15 Critical), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity.
What’s Included_
This study guide features 5 sets of 10 Factual Questions with an answer key (50 total), 5 sets of 3 Critical Analysis
Questions (15 total), 1 Crossword Puzzle (12 clues), and 1 Character Focus Activity (8 traits + evidence prompt +
critical thinking question).
Target Grades_
Grades 11-12, College/Undergraduate
Teacher Note_
This guide breaks a formally complex, nonlinear novel into manageable sections, helping students track its
interwoven historical and personal narratives without losing the thread. The critical questions push students
beyond plot recall into questions of memory, authorship, and identity. We hope this saves you prep time while
giving your students a rich, guided entry into a challenging and rewarding text.