Chapter 40 (Chapter 44) Summary and Analysis

⚠️ 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

Bodie meets her five podcast students (Britt, Alder, Jamila, Lola, Alyssa) at Gage House on a cold evening. The living room is set up as a donor parlor, and the teenagers are giddy from Alder’s coffee. They attempt several Ouija board sessions, eventually trying to summon Thalia. Bodie suggests asking the ghost about Khristina’s stolen running shoes, but the pointer moves to YES, which Bodie dismisses as fake after explaining the real bra incident. A crack in the house startles the group, and Bodie reflects on how much kinder today’s students are compared to her own era, recalling a bullied freshman called “the Oklahomo.” The students discuss Granby’s ongoing secret societies, and Alder reveals he has eight theories about Thalia’s death.

Bodie asks Alder to stop recording before she speaks. She outlines evidence that the police never cast a wide net, naming Puja Sharma, Max Krammen, and—most pointedly—music teacher Denny Bloch. She states her belief that Bloch was having an affair with Thalia, or rather preying on her. Alder connects Bloch to the Camelot video. Britt, who has been quiet, says she knows Bloch was interviewed but lacks transcripts. The group then reveals a conflict: Jamila made a joke about Britt’s podcast being a “white savior” project, and Britt considered dropping the project. Bodie mediates, urging Britt to continue because she needs someone to keep investigating. The chapter ends with Bodie struggling to reconcile her suspicion of Bloch with her inability to imagine him as a killer, and she reflects on how she had long accepted Omar as guilty—partly because of his complexion.

Key Events

• Bodie’s students gather at Gage House for a séance session.
• The group attempts to communicate with Thalia’s ghost; Bodie dismisses the result as fake.
• Bodie recalls a bullying incident from her own school years, contrasting it with today’s more conscientious students.
• Students discuss Granby’s secret societies and their continuing influence.
• Bodie names Denny Bloch as a person the police should have investigated, implying an inappropriate relationship with Thalia.
• Jamila and Britt have a conflict over cultural appropriation and white saviorism in the podcast project.
• Bodie convinces Britt not to abandon the podcast, admitting she needs Britt to do the digging she cannot do herself.
• Bodie internally questions why she finds it hard to picture Bloch committing murder, and acknowledges her own bias in accepting Omar’s guilt.

Character Development

• Bodie Kane: She becomes more willing to voice her suspicions about Bloch, but still wrestles with internal bias. Her need for Britt to continue the podcast reveals her own helplessness. She also shows growth by mediating the students’ conflict with care.
• Britt: Withdrawn and hurt by Jamila’s comment, she nearly gives up the podcast. Bodie’s encouragement keeps her engaged, though Britt appears emotionally exhausted.
• Jamila: Defensive after her remark, she struggles to articulate her feelings. Bodie offers her a private conversation, showing Jamila’s discomfort with the group’s dynamic.
• Alder: Energetic and theorizing, he pushes for answers but also shows vulnerability when scared. He records the séance without Britt’s podcast oversight.
• Lola and Alyssa: Background voices; Lola reveals a family connection to secret societies, while Alyssa recalls the Dateline episode.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

• Power and grooming: Bodie explicitly distinguishes between an “affair” and an adult preying on a minor, drawing a line between Thalia and the more mature Jasmine Wilde.
• Memory versus reality: Bodie reflects on how she and others remember their own high school years as more “mature” than actual teenagers are, and how this affects their perception of Thalia.
• White savior narrative: Jamila’s joke about Harriet Beecher Stowe forces Britt (and the reader) to confront the ethics of a white student telling a Black classmate’s story.
• Secrecy and institutions: The secret societies at Granby (Peregrine Society, Omega) symbolize how power and exclusion persist, potentially shielding guilty individuals.
• Ghosts and séance: The Ouija board represents the desire to hear directly from the dead, yet the “ghost” reveals nothing new—underscoring the gaps in official investigation.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 40 advances the central mystery by introducing a concrete alternative suspect: Denny Bloch. Bodie’s public suspicion, voiced to the students, marks a turning point in her personal involvement. The chapter also deepens the subplot about the podcast’s ethical dimensions, raising questions about who has the right to tell a victim’s story. Bodie’s acknowledgment of her own racial bias—that she found it easier to imagine Omar as a killer than a white teacher—adds a crucial layer of self-awareness to the narrative. The séance motif, while playful, highlights the persistent need for answers that official channels have not provided.

Study Questions

1. Why does Bodie insist that Britt should not abandon the podcast, even though she initially disliked the idea? Answer: Bodie realizes she cannot conduct the investigation herself due to her emotional involvement and lack of access. She needs Britt to keep probing because the official investigation was too narrow, and Bodie’s own suspicions (especially about Bloch) require outside pursuit. Her reversal shows her growing desperation for the truth.

2. How does the conflict between Jamila and Britt reflect broader themes in the novel? Answer: The argument over “white savior” storytelling echoes the novel’s critique of who controls narratives about marginalized victims. Britt, a white student, is investigating the murder of a Black teenager, and Jamila questions whether Britt’s perspective is appropriate. This tension forces both characters—and the reader—to consider the ethics of true-crime podcasting and cultural appropriation.

3. What does Bodie’s internal difficulty in picturing Denny Bloch as a killer reveal about her? Answer: Despite her intellectual suspicion, Bodie cannot easily replace the image of Omar as the murderer with Bloch. She admits that she had years to “get used to” Omar’s guilt, and she wonders if Bloch’s whiteness, sensitivity, and passion for opera make him less imaginable as a violent criminal. This self-reflection exposes her unconscious racial bias and the lasting influence of the original narrative.

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