Book Club Discussion Questions and Guide for The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

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 you? Why?
5. While hiding in the rosebush, Effie looks at her tree house and feels "a sudden pang" of yearning to climb into it again. "But I chose to ignore it," she says. "If you listened to every pang, you wouldn't get anywhere in life." Do you agree with her statement, or do you think we should follow all our pangs? Why or why not?
6. Effie learns many secrets—or at least parts of secrets—while eavesdropping from her various hiding spots. Have you ever overheard something you shouldn't have? If so, what did you do with the information? If not, what do you think you would have done in Effie's position?
7. "I'm trying to match up the mental image of Joe I've been holding onto all this time with the new version in front of me," Effie says. "Anxiety. I thought he was made of tungsten. What happened?" Do you think this truly was a "new version" of Joe—or was Effie just seeing the real Joe? Discuss.
8. How do Effie's experiences throughout the party ultimately help her come to terms with her parents' divorce? What event did you feel was the turning point for her?
9. Effie and her siblings admit to feeling ashamed of being so hurt by their parents' divorce, even though they're adults. Do you think adults really get over things more easily than children do, or do we just get better at hiding our feelings?
10. Effie has a difficult time processing the fact that sweet Mimi could fight for a large divorce settlement, or that her superman father could have financial problems. Why do you think it can be so difficult to see one's parents as complete people, with flaws and all?
11. Despite considering Krista her mortal enemy at the beginning of the novel, by the end, Effie can see the good in her too. What does this teach us about prejudging people or writing them off? Do you think Krista and Tony should have broken up?
12. Effie is stunned to realize that if she'd told Joe she was looking for her dolls at the beginning of the night, they would never have gone through the events that led to their reunion. Have you ever had an experience like this, where what seems like a misstep actually leads you down the best path? What was it?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of The Dial Press. Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.