Famous Last Words

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Gillian McAllister’s novel highlights the complex emotions the characters experience—love, longing, frustration, jealousy, and anger. Which of these characters did you connect with most as you read the novel? What emotion did this character experience that resonated with you most strongly?

2. Which specific moment in the text that surprised you the most? Looking back, is there anything that hinted toward this twist that you missed the first time?

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

1. Is there a time when, like Luke, you’ve been in a morally dubious situation and the lines between right and wrong seemed blurred? How did you handle it? 

2. What was your visceral reaction to the revelation that Charlie is the anonymous narrator? Explain how you felt in that moment and why you felt that way by citing specific events in the text. Did you end up sympathizing with Charlie at the novel’s end? Why or why not?

3. The contrast between the man Cam knows Luke to be and his actions at the warehouse represents a central tension in the novel. Is there a time when someone’s actions didn’t align with the person you believed them to be? How did you react?

4. Several of the characters find themselves wrestling with doing things they consider wrong for the right reasons, such as Cam lying to the police to protect Luke. Have you ever experienced this kind of moral dilemma in your life?

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

1. Consider the depiction of the police in Famous Last Words, specifically the characters of Niall, George, and Tim. Choose one and analyze their character in the text. What message does this character send about police in society, including the ethics of policing and the need for reform?

2. What comment does the novel make about media and public perception? How does Cam’s experience relate to the current climate of social media, news agencies, and/or public opinion?

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

1. How does the novel’s title underscore the text’s central themes? Discuss the implications of the phrase “Famous Last Words” outside the text, as well as how it relates to different characters within the novel. 

2. What is the significance of the repetitive phrase “I miss you I miss you I miss you” (221), to both Niall and Cam? How does the phrase contribute to the novel’s thematic exploration of The Impact of Past Trauma on Identity?

3. Compare and contrast Famous Last Words with another of McAllister’s novels, Just Another Missing Person, or a similar novel. What role does the shifting point of view play in each novel? How does it impact the dramatic tension, character development, and tone in each case?

4. Identify one internal and one external conflict that Cam undergoes in the novel. How does the resolution—or lack thereof—of these conflicts develop Cam’s character throughout the narrative?

5. Identify one antagonist in the novel and trace their development throughout the text. How do their actions create a central conflict for Cam or Niall? How does that conflict facilitate change within Cam or Niall?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Rewrite Chapter 56 from Charlie’s first-person point of view. Consider how he would be feeling as Cam discovers that he is working against her. 

2. Throughout the novel, Cam undergoes a range of different emotions as she grapples with Luke’s actions. Take five specific moments from the text and choose a song that best represents Cam’s feelings in that moment. 

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