Why do you think Gwen felt she needed to see Declan Harris after the events of the book? Did she find what she was looking for, in your opinion?
I think she was curious to see how other people that grew up in the same institution survived.
I think she partially blamed Declan’s treatment of Natalie for the events that occurred but also felt somewhat guilty because Natalie’s acted on Gwen’s idea. I’m not sure why she sought him out - she may have wanted some type of revenge for what happened to Natalie, she may have wanted to atone for her part in what happened to him, or it may have been something totally different. In the end, she found that life had been no better (and perhaps worse) for him than for the others.
I did not like this scene. I felt like the book should have ended before this. I think she also felt tied to Declan, since she, Natalie, and he all went through the same neglectful/abusive institution as children. But, I don’t think that she (or we the readers) gained anything from this. I feel like the author was trying to make some kind of point, but I clearly did not pick up what she was putting down.