Book Summary and Reviews of The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

Book Summary

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Love Your Life comes a humorous and heartwarming novel about family and finding a second chance at love, set against the backdrop of the most fabulous party you've ever snuck into.

It's been almost two years since Effie's beloved parents got divorced, destroying the image of the happy, loving childhood she thought she had. Since then, she's become estranged from her father and embarked on a feud with his hot (and much younger) girlfriend, Krista. And now, more earth-shattering news: They've sold Greenoaks, the rambling Victorian country house Effie has always called home.

When Krista decides to throw a grand "house-cooling" party, Effie is originally left off the guest list—and then receives a last-minute "anti-invitation" (maybe it's because she called Krista a gold-digger, but Krista totally deserved it, and it was mostly a joke anyway). Effie declines, but then remembers a beloved childhood treasure is still hidden in the house. Her only chance to retrieve it is to break into Greenoaks while everyone is busy celebrating. As Effie sneaks around the house, hiding under tables and peeping through trapdoors, she realizes the secrets Greenoaks holds aren't just in the dusty passageways and hidden attics she grew up exploring. Watching how her sister, brother, and dad behave when they think no one is looking, Effie overhears conversations, makes discoveries, and begins to see her family in a new light. Then she runs into Joe—the love of her life, who long ago broke her heart, and who's still as handsome and funny as ever—and even more truths emerge.

But will Effie act on these revelations? Will she stay hidden or step out into the party and take her place with her family? And truthfully, what did she really come back to Greenoaks for? Over the course of one blowout party, Effie realizes that she must be honest with herself and confront her past before she'll ever be able to face her future.

Please be aware that this discussion guide will contain spoilers!

1. What was your first impression of Effie? How did it change over the course of the story?
2. Effie thinks Greenoaks is charming and full of character, though others call it quirky at best and an eyesore at worst. Why does Effie see the house in such a different light? Why is it so difficult for her to let it go?
3. What do Effie's Russian dolls mean to her at the beginning of the novel? How does their symbolism change throughout the book?
4. In Effie's view, each character has an outer Russian doll they present to the world, an inner-middle layer just beyond the surface, and a tiny innermost doll they keep hidden deep down. Discuss the characters' outer, middle, and innermost dolls. Whose layers were the most surprising to ...