Exit Party

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. How did you react to the novel’s structure, which alternates between two different realities? Did you find yourself more drawn to one world than the other, and what about that storyline captured your attention?

2. Mandel is known for creating a literary multiverse, referencing various characters and objects across her novels. How did your familiarity with her other books affect your experience of reading Exit Party? Did spotting the connections, such as Lucas Alkaitis’s appearance, enrich the story for you?

3. What was your reaction to the book’s final scene, which jumps back in time to the creation of the Swan Dive painting? How did this quiet, moment feel as a conclusion to such a sprawling, high-stakes story?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. The novel is built on the idea of multiple possible futures. Have you ever wondered about the different paths your own life might have taken? Are there individual moments that you believe changed the course of your life?

2. Ibari experiences a slow awakening that leads her to question and ultimately betray the very system she has dedicated her life to serving. Can you recall a time when your perspective on a long-held belief or institution shifted dramatically? What prompted that change for you?

3. The phrase “true diligence,” which Ari has tattooed on her wrist, is defined as “following the improbable path.” Do you have a personal motto or guiding principle that helps you navigate difficult choices?

4. For Ari, the Swan Dive painting becomes her “only constant” across many reinventions of her life. Is there a particular object, place, or memory that has served as an anchor for you during periods of significant change? What makes it so meaningful?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel’s surveillance state achieves “harmony at any cost” (207), sacrificing personal freedom in exchange for social order. Where do you see similar trade-offs between privacy and security being debated in our world today? At what point do you think the price for harmony becomes too high?

2. Which version of societal collapse presented in the book did you find more frightening: the chaotic, fractured America of warring militias, or the sterile, oppressive order of the unified State? What do you think each reality says about contemporary anxieties?

3. The Paris dome creates a stark physical divide between a protected elite and a vulnerable population left to face environmental and social decay. How does this symbol reflect current global discussions about inequality, climate change, and the unequal distribution of resources?

4. The two versions of Kareem Fayed respond to parenthood in opposite ways, with one abandoning his children for a cause and the other embracing fatherhood as his new purpose. Does this contrast echo contemporary debates around gender roles and fatherhood?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The novel relies heavily on doppelgängers that act as foils for each other. How do these contrasts help explore traditional debates of nature versus nurture?

2. How does the Swan Dive painting evolve in meaning throughout the story?.

3. What effect does the novel’s non-linear structure, with its nested flashbacks and parallel timelines, have on your reading experience? How does this approach to storytelling shape the unfolding of the central mysteries?

4. The concept of the multiverse has a long tradition in science fiction. How does this novel’s approach to parallel universes compare to other books, films, or shows you’ve encountered that use a conceit, such as Blake Crouch’s Dark Matter (2016) or V.E. Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic (2015)? 

5. In what ways does the novel explore the idea of “transport,” a concept central to Marlowe’s lecture?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Transcribe a conversation between Ari and Ibari at the end of their respective storylines, what would they ask each other? What do you think you could learn from their unique perspectives on life, choice, and regret?

2. Create a soundtrack for a film adaptation of Exit Party. What songs would you choose for the novel’s key scenes?