The Guest List, by Lucy Foley

 

Characters

The Folly – resort, 10 rooms Aoife – wedding planner Freddy – cook, former student at Trevellyan   Will Slater and Julia Keegan – bride and groom Will – reality TV star, “Survive the Night” Julia – online magazine, “The Download”   Olivia – Julia’s sister   Mr. Stater - Will’s father, headmaster at Trevellyan   Charlie and Hannah Charlie – Julia’s best friend, groomsman Alice – Hannah’s sister   Groomsmen – students from Trevellyan: Johnno – best man, worked at an adventure center Femi – surgeon Angus - works in father’s development fund Duncan – venture capitalist Peter – advertising   Piers – producer of Will’s show   Darcey Malone “Loner” – killed by Will and Johnno at Trevellyan, Aoife’s brother

 

For Discussion:

NOTE: Page numbers are from the hardback edition.

1.       If you read The Dictionary of Lost Words, by Pip Williams, historical fiction about the writing of the Oxford English Dictionary, what did you think when you read the word “knackered “ in this novel?

2.       Were there any positive characters in the story?  What about Hannah who tried to help Olivia, or her husband Charlie?

3.       Many of the characters were hiding things; Olivia hid from Jules that she knew Will, Will hid the same thing from Jules as well as keeping the truth about the TV show from Johnno.  Were there any other secrets?

4.       Did you think Olivia and Will should have told Jules about their relationship?  Would it have mattered?

5.       Why do you think they did what they did to Charlie at the stag party?

6.       Did your thoughts about the characters change as you read through the novel?

7.       As you were reading, who did you think wrote the note to Jules?  Did your ideas change?

8.       Did you like the way the author hinted at things and made the reader want to find the answers?  Were all of your questions answered?  For example, from Johnno’s chapters:

a.       Page 88: “Ah, so he didn’t tell her anything about what went down…The less said about all of that the better.”

b.       Page 94 about the reunion of the school friends: “When we get together there’s this kind of pack mentality.  We get carried away.”

c.       Page 113: “And the sound of the waves there, too…Reminding me to keep the secret.”

9.       Why did the students at Trevellyan do the things they did?  Do you think the administration knew what was going on, and perhaps what really happened to “Loner”?

10.   Will turned out the be an evil character: he killed Loner, had an affair with Olivia and did not tell Jules, dated Alice and posted a hurtful video on line, and lied to Johnno about Piers’ interest in having him on the show.   Did he have any redeeming characteristics?

11.   Were you surprised at the ending?  Did you think the author should have given the reader some hints earlier in the story?

12.   Would you have gone to a wedding at The Folly?