The Last Party

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of child sexual abuse, child abuse, and emotional abuse.

The Last Party delves into the lasting effects of traumatic childhoods and abusive parenting. How does the novel explore these effects? How do different characters respond to these experiences?

In the final chapter of the novel, Grant references infanticide in bird species, stating, “It generally occurs when resources are scarce, and is a strategy to reduce their competition” (336). What role does the idea of competition play in the lives and behaviors of the novel’s characters?

The Last Party explores how Perla’s twisted interior contrasts with her polished exterior. How does the novel use Perla’s external appearance and lifestyle to explore the tensions between appearances and reality?