Every Last Secret

The book’s title, Every Last Secret, is a fitting nod to the many secrets in the book. The phrase “every last” typically means “all,” not “final.” Thinking about the most significant secrets in the novel and using support from the text, explain the meaning of the title.

Using either Cat or Neena as a case study, discuss the book’s thematic warning regarding the Obsession with Wealth and Status.

Cat and Neena are juxtaposed as the “have” and the “have-not.” Cat has the big house with staff, a vacation home in Hawaii, and a country club membership. She sits on the board of the most respected charity in the area and has direct connections to the local hospital and police force, thanks to the large monetary donations the Winthorpes make. Meanwhile, Neena lives in a rundown house she can barely afford, doesn’t have a vacation home, and can’t afford a country club membership. Discuss how Cat leverages her “superior” position to keep Neena in her place. What is the book suggesting about society and the very wealthy?

The book concludes with William’s epilogue, the only section that offers his point of view. Here, William reveals that he knows Cat will go to extremes for what she wants, but he finds her jealousy and possessiveness attractive. Why might the author have chosen to include this final admission from William? The book could have stood without it, so what does it add to the narrative?

With the inclusion of Neena’s will, the book introduces Neena’s tragic backstory—the molestation and abuse she endured by her own father (until Matt killed him). What does this backstory add to Neena’s characterization, as well as her relationship with Matt? How does it deepen the reader’s understanding of Neena’s and Matt’s psyches and of their bond?

The book is told almost exclusively through Cat’s and Neena’s points of view. The woman control the action while the men in the story, Matt and William, are pawns. What is the significance of this apparent female control? Does it ever falter? If so, when?

One strand woven through the story is Cat’s inability to conceive a child. Cat’s fertility struggles contribute to her anger when she learns about Neena’s abortion. Consider the narrative’s framing of Cat/Neena as the “have”/“have-not.” How does the issue of fertility disrupt this frame?

Cat destroys Neena’s life but stops short of making sure Neena is tried for Matt’s attempted murder; Cat says herself that she doesn’t want Neena to go to jail. Why does Cat care? In a similar vein, why does Cat protect Neena by returning the will to her and buying Neena her childhood home?