The Last Time I Lied: A Novel

When Emma returns to Camp Nightingale, she stays in Dogwood cabin with three new girls who remind her of her old cabinmates. How are Miranda, Sasha, and Krystal similar to Vivian, Natalie, and Allison? How are they different? What role do these parallels and contrasts play in developing the novel’s meaning?

What role does the camp setting play in establishing the novel’s atmosphere? How does Sager follow or subvert the tradition of camp ghost stories?

How does the novel portray mental illness? What does it suggest about the intersection of mental illness and gender norms or misogyny?

Consider Emma as a narrator. What stylistic features of her narration contribute to her unreliability?

The novel characterizes Camp Nightingale as an exclusive summer camp for economically privileged girls. What role do class politics play in the novel?

The novel characterizes Camp Nightingale as an exclusive summer camp for economically privileged girls. What role do class politics play in the novel?

The Last Time I Lied consists of two parallel stories: Emma’s present-day return to Camp Nightingale and flashbacks that reveal her experiences as a young girl. How do the flashbacks serve the novel’s exploration of The Impact of Trauma and the Reliability of Memory? Do they contribute to the work’s meaning in any other way?

What is the significance of the developing romantic relationship between Theo and Emma? What does it add to the novel’s denouement?