Chapter summaries Amari and the Great Game B.B. Alston

Chapter 12 Summary: Prejudice, Secrets, and the First Magic Lesson

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

Amari attends a Current Events class where the debate turns to UnWanteds. Tristan and Bear express bigoted views against UnWanteds and magicians. Amari speaks up in defense of herself and the UnWanted community, but Tristan mocks her. Lara tries to apologize for her past bullying, but Amari rejects her. Later, in the library, Amari and Elsie hack into a government website to find the Supernatural World Congress schedule. They discover that Bane and Elaine Harlowe were scheduled to speak on banning UnWanteds and were not frozen in the time freeze, suggesting they may be involved. That afternoon, Maria Van Helsing secretly begins teaching Amari about magic, explaining the difference between fair and foul magick. Amari confesses about the League’s offer of the crown, and Maria promises to deal with Cozmo.

Key Events

  • Amari sits with Lara in Current Events class, feeling uneasy about her choice of partner.
  • Bear and Tristan voice anti–UnWanted and anti-magician opinions, with Tristan mocking the idea of equal rights.
  • Amari stands up for herself and UnWanteds, saying she didn’t choose to be a magician and deserves fairness.
  • Lara defends Amari against Tristan, revealing she used to bully magicians before learning her sister is one.
  • Amari rejects Lara’s apology in the hallway.
  • In the library, Mrs. Belle grants Amari and Elsie access to a secret Elites study room.
  • Elsie uses an untraceable computer bug to bypass a password and access the Congress schedule.
  • The schedule shows Bane and Harlowe were scheduled to speak on “Ban All UnWanteds” and were not frozen.
  • Amari and Elsie conclude Bane and Harlowe likely knew about and may have caused the time freeze.
  • Maria Van Helsing meets Amari in a briefing room and begins teaching magic without official permission.
  • Maria explains fair magick (selfless) versus foul magick (selfish), stressing that choosing good is a constant effort.
  • Amari admits she used foul magick before and worries about losing control.
  • Maria learns about Cozmo’s crown offer and becomes furious, vowing to handle him.

Character Development

  • Amari Peters grows in confidence by publicly defending UnWanteds, though she still struggles with guilt over using foul magick and with trusting others (e.g., rejecting Lara's apology).
  • Lara shows a willingness to change by defending Amari and attempting an apology, revealing regret for her past behavior.
  • Tristan is shown as prejudiced and manipulative, only wanting to partner with Amari for popularity.
  • Maria Van Helsing emerges as a protective mentor who is willing to defy Authority orders to teach Amari and confront the League of Magicians.
  • Elsie demonstrates resourcefulness and loyalty by hacking a secure website, deepening the investigation into the time freeze.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Prejudice and Othering: The classroom debate mirrors real-world discrimination, with characters like Tristan and Bear treating UnWanteds as second-class citizens.
  • Choice and Morality: Maria’s lesson on fair vs. foul magick emphasizes that being good is an active, repeated decision, not a fixed state.
  • Hidden Truths: The hacked website and the secret tutoring highlight that official narratives (like Harlowe’s) often conceal darker conspiracies.
  • Power and Responsibility: Amari’s fear of losing control and Maria’s warning about the darkness tempting even fair magicians explore the weight of great power.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter advances the central mystery by linking Bane and Harlowe to the time freeze through the Congress schedule, suggesting a deliberate plot to silence UnWanted rights. It also deepens Amari’s internal conflict about her magic and introduces ethical framework that will guide her choices. Maria’s secret training sets up Amari’s magical growth while the refusal of Lara’s apology shows Amari’s emotional complexity. The contrast between class prejudice and Amari’s personal stand reinforces the novel’s social justice themes.

Study Questions and Answers

1. What new evidence do Amari and Elsie uncover about the time freeze, and who do they suspect?
They discover that both Bane and Elaine Harlowe were scheduled to speak at the Supernatural World Congress meeting on UnWanteds—and that neither of them was frozen. This leads them to suspect that Bane and Harlowe either knew about the freeze or caused it.

2. How does Maria Van Helsing define fair magick versus foul magick, and how does this lesson affect Amari?
Maria explains that fair magick is selfless and used to benefit others, while foul magick is selfish and used to harm or punish. Amari realizes that the spell she used against Lara was foul magick because it went beyond self-defense into punishment, making her feel guilty and more determined to learn control.

3. Why does Amari reject Lara’s apology, and what does this reveal about their relationship?
Amari remembers how Lara previously encouraged others to shun her and led the bullying. The apology feels too easy given the hurt, especially since Lara only changed because her sister turned out to be a magician. This shows that Amari still holds deep anger and isn’t ready to trust Lara again.

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