The Many Deaths of Laila Starr - Thoughts, Themes, and Reactions by Adam Ebert

Issues 1 - 2

adamebert — 2025-01-24 15:32:27 UTC

Your response could include your own thoughts, a quote, or even a prediction.

What emerging themes, messages, or ideas stand out to you from this book?

Laila Starr

adamebert — 2025-01-24 15:36:09 UTC

Consider her introduction, her motivations, and key moments where her choices reflect who she is as a character.

What do we know about Laila so far?

Darius

adamebert — 2025-01-24 16:39:48 UTC

Consider his introduction, what we see of him in this, his relationships, and his actions. How do those reflect who he is at this point in his life?

What do we know about Darius as of Issue 2?

2025-01-24 19:06:26 UTC

I think laila is a girl who used to work as death but a kid that was born and was going to find out how to make the world immortality and they fired her and she got sent back to regular world to be mortal.

Funeral Crow

adamebert — 2025-01-24 19:07:51 UTC

Even with her experience as the Goddess of Death, there are still things in the world of Life and Death that Laila is unaware of.

Kendall

2025-01-24 19:08:00 UTC

We know that death is fired and right as Laila Star is classified as dead death takes over her body and essentially becomes her and lives as her but while waking up in the hospital she tries to kill baby Darius but can’t go through with it so we see her escape the hospital but gets killed by a truck. When she wakes up years later she goes out to visit Darius during a funeral and she’s taught that when people die they’re not gone forever because they live in our memories.

2025-01-24 19:08:26 UTC

One quote that stood out to me was when they said “ they burn the body because the soul is immortal. But it’s reincarnated into another cycle” I feel this quote is basically saying our body’s don’t live on but our soul does

2025-01-24 19:08:29 UTC

Laila was a girl who died, that is now being controlled by death. Death is someone that immortal and that controls the death department. But since there’s a baby that’s immortal now, they fired her and sent her to earth to be mortal. She hates the baby Darius and she’s determined to kill Darius now that she’s on earth.

Characterization

adamebert — 2025-01-24 19:08:57 UTC

Will Darius accept the way the world works in terms of mortality?

Life and Death

adamebert — 2025-01-24 19:09:36 UTC

We cannot control what happens when we die, but we can control how we honor and remember the dead.

Consequences

adamebert — 2025-01-24 19:10:31 UTC

Laila is realizing that, in her mortal life, she must deal with the consequences of the actions she made as a god/goddess.

Kendall

2025-01-24 19:11:09 UTC

We know that Darius has grown up since we’ve seen him as a baby and is enjoying life with his families groundskeeper but doesn’t understand why he and the groundskeeper live two different lives so when Darius and his family have to move the groundskeeper tell him to never forget him so when the groundskeeper’s daughter comes to inform the family about his death Darius is shocked and wonders how the groundskeeper could’ve died and we get to see his first reaction to what death is like and we get to see him meet Laila star for the second time.

Kendall

2025-01-24 19:11:50 UTC

The constant topic of death coming up continuously

Aila Piatkiewicz

25101391 — 2025-01-24 19:12:12 UTC

Darius had to face the death of Bardhan, Bardhan was a gardener for Darius’ family and Darius would spend lota of time with him because they were friends. He runs away from home and goes to the shore where he talks to Laila and he runs away into the funeral as she tries to chase after him.

2025-01-24 19:13:16 UTC

We know that Laila star is now a changed person, she wasn’t able to kill Darius years ago, when killing was all she did, ever since becoming mortal she’s afraid to take a life away from someone, she has also died 3 times already but comes back to life.

Lynette

2025-01-24 19:13:22 UTC

In issue 2 he learned what death was, since his good friend Bardhan passed away. He really liked him they became really close over the summer. He shared his thoughts with him and they always hung out together outside. So it really affected him when he found out about his passing.

2025-01-24 19:14:04 UTC

What we know about Laila so far would be she wants to be somewhere. To keep her mind off of death she tries to out it on someone else or keep her distracted in which that’s what her job did. Now that she has nothing she continuously dies or is about to die in different ways.

Brian Rivera

2025-01-24 19:14:34 UTC

Laila Star was first introduced after death was seen meaning that death was going to be transferred into her body. Originally death wasn’t going to be transferred to her body but she was. And as she was a mortal as she tried to kill Darius she couldn’t showing that she is now a mortal so her feelings will get in the way

Alex

2025-01-24 19:15:05 UTC

Something that we know of Laila Star is how she tries to murder I think Darius but ended up failing.

2025-01-24 19:15:36 UTC

He is basically a lil boy who was born to invent immortality one day and when he was about 8 he ran away from his home because nobody was giving him attention for real. He moved from a few different homes. And he seen death one time but the next time they seen each other he died

Jasmine chavez

2025-01-24 19:15:38 UTC

Darius is a very kind boy in which just need and wants to spread love. He cares very much around the people around him and if those people get in the way or disturb his kindness then it just basically ruins him.

Antonio Pedraza

2025-01-24 19:15:41 UTC

Death takes the body of Laila Starr she left the hospital and got hit by a truck. She got revive by another god who tell her the boy who brings life. After finding out the boy name she tries to look for him. She was at a beach were there was a funeral death was helping putting flowers in the water then got pulled in the the souls of the dead

Aiden E

2025-01-24 19:15:53 UTC

Laila was brought down to the real world as a mortal and he main goal was to kill Darius because he put her out of a job. Now as she goes through each life she learns the meaning of death and what impact she had.

2025-01-24 19:15:58 UTC

Darius grew up and was 8 years old. At this age he decided to run away from his home although he was found not too long after. Darius met a giant guy who was named Bardhan who became his best friend, Darius was really caring for him and it hit him really hard when he passed away.

Aila Piatkiewicz

25101391 — 2025-01-24 19:16:43 UTC

The messages that stand out in this book are that death is inevitable and will always happen.

Cesar M.

2025-01-24 19:16:50 UTC

Laila is somebody that came back from the dead and is motivated to kill Darius. And after that’s done she can get her job back

Cheyenne

2025-01-24 19:16:51 UTC

Whenever Laila gets close to Darius she dies. I believe this could be apart of her learning about the values of life and immortality.

Jasmine chavez

2025-01-24 19:17:33 UTC

Probably when the crow brings Laila out the water and he thinks her but then realizes after the crow says he’s a funeral crow and he only carries the souls of the dead. It really makes you pause and think about death and what happens.

2025-01-24 19:17:48 UTC

Darius is a young boy who will one day create immortality. He is shown as an innocent and curious child who loves his family his kind actions and interactions with Laila show that he is just a normal kid unaware of his future importance.

Katlynn

25101421 — 2025-01-24 19:17:53 UTC

Laila Starr as a young adult she died by jumping out the window and the gods of death just got fired at the same time as Laila died so then the gods of death took over Laila’s body and she tried killing a newborn then she hesitated and got caught and she ran out and got hit by a truck and died. Pranah keep bringing her back to life.

Antonio Pedraza

2025-01-24 19:18:26 UTC

We see a boy living life and that just started to understand the meaning of death after his gardener dies of a sickness

2025-01-24 19:18:27 UTC

I think what stands out to me is the way that death happens over and over again and how all characters have a purpose.

2025-01-24 19:18:27 UTC

Laila is still motivated and still want to kill Darius in order to probaly get her job back and to be Death again , As she is looking for him and comes across Darius she now knows that death isnt to make their life at lost but as long as they are remembered. This reveals that she has a curious personality and wants to make a change for herself but not understanding about what her body as death was .

Darius is a kid that is kind and loving to his family.

2025-01-24 19:19:09 UTC

Cesar M

Aila Piatkiewicz

25101391 — 2025-01-24 19:19:39 UTC

Laila Starr has died multiple times and reincarnates as herself again and she tries to kill others

When it talks about death repeatedly and not knowing about it

2025-01-24 19:19:55 UTC

Alex

2025-01-24 19:20:20 UTC

Darius has lost Bardhan at eight years old and was starting to understand how death work.

once a goddess of death now her soul fused with the body of Laila star she sets out on a mission to kill a newborn named Darius due to him being the reason he is no longer the goddess of death but on her mission she dies multiple times and she seems to be unaware of many thing around her and she questions herself on how once when she was a good she could take the lives of many but now as a mortal she can’t bring herself to take the life of a defenseless baby

2025-01-24 19:20:28 UTC

Laila Starr

25101501 — 2025-01-24 19:20:46 UTC

Laila Starr is a women who killed herself and was pronounced dead. But what ends up happening is the goddess of death goes in her body to fix something so she doesn’t have to suffer as a mortal. Her job is to kill a child who will find a cure for immortality and she has to stop him before he does. But as she is living in a normal body she has a hard time trying to get the job done and she ends up failing it over and over again?

2025-01-24 19:20:56 UTC

Darius is now 8 until he realizes at a young age what death is since he believes they live on forever but his housekeeper passed and that was Darius friend since the housekeeper stayed and Darius questions death but their will be memories of them and for them not to forget but Darius ran away from home at an early age but was later found .

Adriana Escamilla

2025-01-24 19:21:13 UTC

We know that Laila Starr seemed pretty lonely a party. You can tell she was struggling and something was on her mind. We also know she was the one who fell from the building and Death took over her body to explore the world as a mortal.

Darius was born into this world and still has new things to learn. When he first experienced death his views changed and is now on a path the created immortality

2025-01-24 19:21:29 UTC

2025-01-24 19:22:10 UTC

When death keeps being brought up throughout the story

2025-01-24 19:22:44 UTC

I liked how they’re unfolding the truth slowly with Darius first experience with death.

Katlynn

25101421 — 2025-01-24 19:22:47 UTC

That he grew up to be a nice respectful little boy and they moved away and that he never had to experience death till Bardhan died.

Katlynn

25101421 — 2025-01-24 19:24:05 UTC

That you never know what’s going to happen till it’s that time

Themes

adamebert — 2025-01-28 15:21:06 UTC

"No one really goes away as long as they are remembered."

Provide quotes from Issue 4 that relate to ideas about life, death, or mortality.

Inanimate Objects Incarnate

adamebert — 2025-01-28 15:25:02 UTC

Ch. 3 sees a cigarette as Laila’s primary narrative partner. Ch. 4 sees a temple in the role.

Why do you think Ram V (writer) uses these inanimate objects to push the story forward? Can things like cigarettes or temples be living things? Explain.

Predictions?

adamebert — 2025-01-28 15:26:31 UTC

The end of Issue 4 shows that Darius may be running out of time to bring about immortality/eternal life.

Given what we have read in the first four chapter, make a prediction as to how Laila and Darius's stories might end.

2025-01-28 19:06:37 UTC

“It’s what happens when things die.” “They go away, but you don’t realize all the parts of you that they were holding up until after.”

Kendall

2025-01-28 19:08:59 UTC

“Even as Darius’s words rang in her ears, Laila Starr was afraid for the first time. Not of death or the angry man in front of her. But afraid of the prospect of having to go on like this. A tangled mess of emotions, living a life full of questions and utterly bereft of any answers.”

2025-01-28 19:10:34 UTC

“ but you don’t forget these things. The memories are immortal. They refine themselves to perfection over time”

Kendall

2025-01-28 19:11:16 UTC

I think the author was trying to give personification to things that resemble death a crow, a cigarette and a temple are all common things that resemble death or where one resides after death and I believe the author is giving them that as a way to give Laila a sense of morality and life seeing as every time she’s died it’s been in the presence of one of those things.

The writer was trying to make connections to these inanimate objects to help us more clearly understand the premise of life and death and using things like the cigarette to show how there’s a fire that starts a cigarette it always has a beginning and an end just like a human life does

2025-01-28 19:13:33 UTC

Kendall

2025-01-28 19:13:33 UTC

I believe Laila will try and see what Pran meant about Darius not fulfilling his immortality promise and go and visit him only to realize that he’s slowly dying and doesn’t have much time left to live and Laila seeing the person she sought to kill on his very death bed will finally grasp how precious a life can truly be and try to get Darius to use his own invention to keep living.

Leilah

2025-01-28 19:14:45 UTC

“You’re pranah, the God of life, This whole place is an ode to you.” “ Im nothing without you.”

“ it’s what happens when things die. They go away but you don’t realize all the parts of you that they were holding up until after.”

Antonio P

2025-01-28 19:14:46 UTC

I think at the end of the story death and Darius will talk. Darius would ask death questions about life and death and what happens after. Death will probably answer most of the questions. Then Darius dies from old age then Laila starr will disappears a final time.

Themes

25101501 — 2025-01-28 19:16:37 UTC

that the memories that you had with that person never go away so they really aren’t gone if you still remember.

2025-01-28 19:18:36 UTC

After Darius figures out Laila was the death he will try to find her and question her about why she killed and she can live with herself anymore and out of spite create an invention that gives immortality and then Pranav will visit her for one last time now that her job is permanently gone and in a quick turn of events she dies for the final time

2025-01-28 19:20:30 UTC

“but you don’t forget these things . The memories are immortal , they refine themselves to perfection over time.”

A.B.

2025-01-28 19:21:45 UTC

The theme of death and finding a purpose of life

A.B.

2025-01-28 19:22:56 UTC

Darius is having a difficult time accepting death while encountering it for the first time.

A.B.

2025-01-28 19:25:15 UTC

Laila Starr was a death goddess who was sent down to live a mortal after being death for eternity. She needs to find a way or purpose, but her intent is to go back and kill the baby who ruined her career (Darius). She realized she can’t and has to find out why.

2025-01-28 19:51:16 UTC

Ram V uses things like cigarettes and temples to make the story deeper. A cigarette can show when a character is stressed and a temple can mean peace or tradition. These objects help tell the story in a different way and make readers think about what they mean. Even though they're not alive, they still have a big role in the story.

25101391 — 2025-01-29 19:14:31 UTC

“None of us get second and third chances Laila Starr.” “It seems the world can’t be rid of you even if it wanted to. What makes you so special?”

Michael Hart

2510028 — 2025-01-29 19:15:50 UTC

I feel like at the end they will meet again at a different time of each other life. I think they will have another conversation about how their life has been

Laila Starr incarnate

25101501 — 2025-01-29 19:17:43 UTC

The goddess of death is put out of her job so she could no longer be a god and live as a mortal forever. But in order to not have to do that she is tasked to kill a child who would find the cure for Immortality. She said she was fine with that and so she is transferred to the body of Laila Starr who was die but now she has returned.

Inanimate objects

25101501 — 2025-01-29 19:18:11 UTC

He uses the inanimate objects and gives them life because he wants to show that everything is living and has a meaning to it and show the readers that life is everything and everywhere.

Brian Rivera

2025-01-29 19:18:36 UTC

“They go away, but you don’t realize all the parts of you that they were holding up until after”

2025-01-29 19:19:00 UTC

The point of life, my friend, is to be smoked.

Brian Rivera

2025-01-29 19:19:21 UTC

Already read it

Brian Rivera

2025-01-29 19:20:20 UTC

The fact that the people that died are always remembered

25101391 — 2025-01-29 19:20:37 UTC

Already read

A.B.

2025-01-29 19:20:47 UTC

“Starr was afraid for the first time not of death, or the angry man in front of her, but afraid of the prospect of having to go on like this”. “A tangled mess of emotions, living a life full of questions and utterly bereft of any answers”

Brian Rivera

2025-01-29 19:20:58 UTC

He grows knowing more about death little by little

2025-01-29 19:21:02 UTC

I think their showing us these things probably to represent what the item or things do, and what can happen to you and that would be death since cigarettes can kill you and a temple can cause anything.

2025-01-29 19:21:06 UTC

I think Darius and and Laila will get together and talk about the idea of creating immortality and what she will do as the god of death

25101391 — 2025-01-29 19:21:21 UTC

Its stuff she is doing or going to that help move the scenes along to another topic

Brian Rivera

2025-01-29 19:21:36 UTC

Her introduction was mostly about her anger but she grows to be more human

Prediction

25101501 — 2025-01-29 19:21:58 UTC

I think Laila will find Darius but he will be on his death bed and asked death questions about life and death and while they are talking she will realize that life is important and she will probably be sad to see Darius die.

2025-01-29 19:22:15 UTC

"but you don't forget these things. The memories are immortal, they refine themselves to perfection over time”.

Brian Rivera

2025-01-29 19:22:31 UTC

Give a example on how many may see life and how others are comparing to something else

I think the Author was trying to compare a cigarette to a human life considering how a cigarette has a beginning and an end so we should savior these moments while they’re still there.

2025-01-29 19:23:11 UTC

2025-01-29 19:23:21 UTC

Darius would probably come across Laila again and how he would possibly talk with her , things like ,why would you try and kill me or hurt me or possibly on how she became death .

2025-01-29 19:23:53 UTC

I think he uses these things because maybe they aren’t living but they do affect the ones living who smoke them.

2025-01-29 19:25:08 UTC

I think that Darius and Laila/death will have a talk on what has occurred throughout this whole time and eventually once Darius passes away Laila will also leave the earth.

2025-01-29 19:25:18 UTC

“I think it died because it couldn’t go on without its friend”

Alexis S

2025-01-29 19:25:39 UTC

“I think it died because it couldn’t go on without it’s friend.

2510028 — 2025-01-29 19:26:48 UTC

I think the cigarette shows how fast life can be gone

Alexis S

2025-01-29 19:29:00 UTC

I believe the reason why Ram V uses thees inanimate object is to maybe show the Laila dosent have friends or to help Laila express herself.

A.B.

2025-01-29 19:31:52 UTC

The author uses inanimate objects to symbolize or express a greater meaning to situations. The animal of death (crow) appeared and was talking to Starr after it was her first time dying as a mortal. Ram v uses the cigarette to play a part of life in this story and how all things may come to an end at one point. Also using a temple that represents a place of peace, happiness, and inspiration, While Starr keeps dying and now respawns there to find answers.

2025-01-29 19:33:03 UTC

I think the objects symbolize the way she dies or what is killing her.

A.B.

2025-01-29 19:33:24 UTC

My prediction is that Laila will find her way/purpose with Darius and will be able to leave the world she’s been confused and had to endure until she does something right.

I think the story will end with Laila stopping Darius from completing the immortality.

2025-01-29 19:33:45 UTC

Cheyenne

2025-01-29 19:35:49 UTC

The objects all represent something related to death. weather that is something that can kill, something that represents death, or something that represents life after death.

Cheyenne

2025-01-29 19:36:38 UTC

Darius and Laila will meet again, and Darius will have found out how to prevent death

Cheyenne

2025-01-29 19:38:16 UTC

“Perhaps this is what it felt like to bear whatever little part of humanity that was now hers to carry.”