The Last Time I Lied: A Novel

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of mental illness.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The setting of Camp Nightingale evokes both nostalgia and unease. What emotions did this summer camp setting stir in you? How did Sager use this familiar environment to heighten the tension throughout the novel?

2. What other psychological thrillers featuring unreliable narrators have you encountered? How does The Last Time I Lied compare to works like Gone Girl or Sager’s other novels, such as Final Girls? What makes Emma Davis a compelling or frustrating narrator?

3. The title The Last Time I Lied relates directly to the Two Truths and a Lie game but also takes on multiple meanings throughout the story. What significance did you find in this title by the end of the novel?

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

1. Emma’s life is defined by a traumatic childhood event that she can’t leave behind. Have you ever experienced something in your past that continued to shape your decisions years later? How did Emma’s method of coping resonate with your own experiences?

2. Many characters in the novel keep secrets and tell lies to protect themselves or others. Can you recall a time when you felt justified in hiding the truth? How did that decision ultimately affect you and those around you?

3. The game “Two Truths and a Lie” serves as a central motif in the novel. If you were playing this game, what would your two truths and one lie be? What makes crafting a believable lie so challenging?

4. Emma’s paintings represent her attempt to process trauma through art. Has creating art (visual, written, musical, etc.) ever helped you work through difficult experiences? How does creativity function as a coping mechanism?

5. Many summer camps form the backdrop for coming-of-age experiences. Did you attend a summer camp or have a similar formative experience away from home? How did those experiences influence your transition from childhood to adolescence?

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

1. The novel touches on how society views and treats people with mental health conditions. How does Emma’s experience with mental illness reflect broader societal attitudes toward psychological trauma and recovery? What has changed in how we discuss mental health since the time period when Emma was committed to a psychiatric hospital?

2. Camp Nightingale is described as an exclusive all-girl summer camp for wealthy Manhattan families. What does the novel reveal about class privilege and how different social groups interact within the confined setting of the camp?

3. The dark history of Peaceful Valley Asylum reflects historical practices in mental health treatment, particularly for women. What does the novel suggest about how women’s mental health has been understood and treated throughout history?

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

1. Sager uses dual timelines to gradually reveal what happened 15 years ago while advancing the present-day mystery. What effect does this narrative structure have on building suspense? How would the novel differ if told chronologically?

2. Lake Midnight serves as a powerful symbol throughout the novel. What does the lake represent, and how does its meaning transform as Emma discovers what lies beneath its surface?

3. The novel features multiple unreliable narrators, including Emma and Vivian. How does Sager plant clues that help readers question the reliability of the information they’re receiving? What moments made you doubt Emma’s perspective?

4. Vivian’s favorite game, “Two Truths and a Lie,” operates as both a literal activity and a thematic framework for the entire novel. How does this game reflect the novel’s central concerns with deception, perception, and reality?

5. Emma’s charm bracelet and her paintings serve as important symbols throughout the novel. How do these items reflect her psychological state and her journey toward healing?

6. The novel ends with Emma finally confronting the truth about Vivian. In what ways does this ending subvert or fulfill your expectations of the psychological thriller genre?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Imagine you’re adapting The Last Time I Lied into a film or limited TV series. Which scenes would be most challenging to portray visually, and which actors would you cast in the main roles?

2. If you could write an additional chapter that takes place five years after the events of the novel, what do you imagine happens to Emma? Does she maintain contact with Theo? How has her art evolved?

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