The Last House Guest

An important aspect of the book is life in a small town. Avery lives in a place where everyone knows her past — her family history, her personal struggles, her romantic life, and so on. Do you have any experience living in a small town like this? What is it like? What are the pros and cons of living in a town where everybody knows everybody?

Not only is Littleport a small town, but it’s also a popular summer tourist destination. This causes tension between the year-round locals and the typically wealthy summer visitors. Due to her relationship with the Lomans, Avery finds herself caught between these two worlds. How does being in this position affect her? How do others in town deal with this tension between the locals and visitors? How is this significant to the story?

A topic that’s often addressed in the book is who to trust, or rather, who not to trust. Avery questions whether she can still trust her old friends from town, Luce refers to the Lomans as liars, and who is telling the truth is constantly in question. How does this book call trustworthiness into question? How do you determine who to trust?

The nature of Avery and Sadie’s relationship is often brought up in the book. At first it seems they were simply close friends. But as the story progresses, questions arise. Avery even tells us, “I believe that a person can become possessed by someone else — at least in part. That one life can slip inside another, giving it its shape. In this way, I could judge Sadie’s reaction before it occurred, picture an expression the second before she shared it.” What do you think of their relationship? Were they really just close friends? Were they too close? Was the friendship one-sided? Did they really meet by chance, or did Sadie seek out Avery? How does their relationship affect the investigation and the story as a whole?

A theme throughout the book is the nature of extremes in this small northern town. Avery says, “In Littleport, we had become addicted to the extremes. No matter where you found yourself, you adapted to the highs or you adapted to the lows. Everything was temporary, and so was your place within it… It was always there, in the force of the sea and the rise of the mountains. In the crowded chaos of summer and the barren loneliness of winter… Everything marked a passage of time and another chance for you within it.” What role do the changing seasons have on the town? How do all these extremes affect the town and its people? What is the influence on Avery?

Another idea Avery often returns to is the significance of being bold and taking risks. She says things like “you had to take great risks for great rewards,” and even that last line of the novel reads, “But Littleport has always been the type of place that favors the bold.” What role do these ideas play in the story? Do you agree with these concepts of risk taking? Why or why not?

A big part of the story is family secrets. Discuss the secrets of Avery’s and Sadie’s families and their impact on the story. How would the story have been different if these secrets hadn’t been kept? What motivated those involed to keep their secrets? What sacrifices were made in order to keep these secrets unknown?

What is your opinion of the ending? What do you think happens next? If you were in Avery’s position, what would you do?