53 pages • 1 hour read
Last Shot
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Essay Topics
Feinstein relies heavily on dialogue to reveal traits about the characters and the main elements of the mystery. Think about how the conversations help the reader understand what’s happening but not to the extent that they ruin the mystery. How would the story read if the narrator explained the mystery instead? Is it more suspenseful to learn things through the characters’ interactions or from an all-knowing, faceless narrator?
Stevie and Susan Carol come to the Final Four with several rosy illusions about college basketball. Their experiences with the blackmailers jar them and leave them somewhat cynical. Is there something like college basketball in your life that seemed fantastic but turned out to be very flawed? Compare and contrast their learning experiences with a personal eye-opening experience.
The story takes place in 2005, but technology plays a key role. Stevie and Susan Carol use email, cell phones, and MapQuest to write and to help them solve the mystery. Consider how the mystery might unfold differently if it had taken place 15 years later, with smartphones and social media. How might advancements in technology make solving the mystery more or less difficult?
Trace the development of and changes in Stevie and Susan Carol’s relationship. Find three key passages that illustrate pivotal moments in their relationship and describe the ways that it evolves. Try reading the second book of the series, Vanishing Act: Mystery at the US Open, and discussing what happens to their bond later in their relationship.
Gender is an idea or motif in the book. Aside from Susan Carol, there aren’t many girls or women present in the book. How is Susan Carol treated differently from Stevie and the men at the Final Four?
How do the novel’s references to Gone with the Wind frame the relationship between Stevie and Susan Carol? How does this romance trope affect the plot and their interactions?
John Feinstein’s first book, A Season on the Brink, features many of the same themes as Last Shot. Read the book and draw connections between Feinstein’s nonfiction and fictional accounts of college basketball.
A handful of notable movies spotlight college basketball and teens hoping to play college basketball. Hoop Dreams (1994) follows two high school students in Chicago as they try to go from high school basketball to college basketball to the pros. Blue Chips (1994) focuses on a college basketball coach desperate to win. Watch a movie about college basketball or amateur basketball and compare and contrast it to Last Shot.
The book presents a complex portrayal of when it is and isn’t appropriate to bend the truth. Choose specific examples from the book and discuss the use of dishonesty and deception. Is it acceptable for Stevie and Susan Carol to lie but not the men who are trying to fix the game? Why or why not?
The narrator mainly focuses on the thoughts of Stevie. If the narrator pivoted to the mind of Susan Carol, what would her perceptions be? Choose a passage from the book and rewrite it with narration from her perspective.
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