Chapter 27 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens with Sariyah and Malcolm meeting at a coffee shop for an early breakfast before heading back to the hospital to visit Josiah. Malcolm complains about his neck and back from sleeping on the small plastic couch the night before, and the two trade playful insults. As they walk, Sariyah is overwhelmed by the needs of strangers around her—safety goggles, a button, post-it notes, a pillowcase—and she quietly fulfills a few of them.

While waiting at an intersection, Sariyah overhears a woman on the phone saying that a body was pulled from Lake Lanier that morning. The woman mentions that the victim was a girl who went missing from a music festival over a week ago. When Sariyah presses for details, a bystander fills in the name: Deja Nelson. Sariyah is devastated, releasing an almost animal-like sound, and has to brace herself against a building. Malcolm insists it cannot be Deja, pointing to his phone showing no calls or texts about it.

At that moment, Malcolm's mother calls. Sariyah answers the phone herself, and Mrs. Hawkins asks them to come to the house. When Sariyah asks directly whether it is about Deja and whether she is dead, Mrs. Hawkins says they do not know yet, but it does not look good.

As they speed-walk to the Hawkins house, Malcolm texts furiously on his second phone—the one Sariyah thought his mother had taken away. When she questions him about it, he deflects, saying he needs it to organize the search for Deja.

At the Hawkins house, Mr. Hawkins delivers the news: a body was found early that morning, and it had been in the water for a couple of days. The description matches Deja—a Black girl with braids—and, more damningly, the outfit matches the photos Malcolm and Sariyah had given police earlier that day. Malcolm argues that the description fits half the teenage girls in Atlanta, but his father explains that the clothing is what makes the match significant. Mrs. Hawkins opens a bottle of wine at barely nine in the morning, remarking that at least Deja's family will get closure.

Sariyah becomes violently ill and runs to the bathroom, where she breaks down in tears. Malcolm finds her, lifts her up, and brings her to his bedroom. There, both their phones buzz with texts from Jude, and Sariyah scrolls through social media to find #RIPDeja trending with dove emojis and prayer hands. She throws her phone across the room, frustrated that the hashtag is gaining traction faster than #FindDeja ever did, despite there being no official confirmation. Malcolm insists the body is not Deja's, and the two lie down together. He falls asleep, exhausted.

While Malcolm sleeps, Sariyah searches for his second phone—the one he lied about. She pats the blankets, checks his jacket pocket, and even tries pushing him over, but finds nothing. She moves to his closet, where the family dog, Miss Doretta, growls and barks, waking Malcolm. Sariyah lies, saying she called an Uber and is going home. Malcolm checks his phone for updates, and Sariyah notices his hand go to the pocket where he had been lying on the burner phone, but he does not remove it. She decides not to confront him, thinking whatever he is hiding will come out when it is meant to, or she will figure it out on her own.

Key Events

Sariyah overhears a stranger on the street say a body was pulled from Lake Lanier, identified as Deja Nelson.
Malcolm's mother calls and asks them to come to the Hawkins house.
Mr. Hawkins confirms a body matching Deja's description was found, and her mother is coming to identify it.
Malcolm argues the description is too generic, but the matching outfit makes the identification more likely.
Sariyah becomes physically ill and retreats to the bathroom before being brought to Malcolm's bedroom.
#RIPDeja trends on social media before official confirmation.
Malcolm falls asleep, and Sariyah searches his room for his second phone but does not find it.
Sariyah lies about calling an Uber and leaves.

Character Development

Sariyah is pushed to her emotional limit in this chapter. Her need-sensing ability continues to function even in crisis, showing how involuntary and constant it is. Her reaction to the news about Deja—physical illness, uncontrollable tears, and an inability to form words—reveals how deeply she is affected by the loss. Her decision to search Malcolm's room while he sleeps marks a turning point: she is no longer passively waiting for answers but actively seeking them, even at the cost of invading his privacy. Her choice to lie about the Uber and leave rather than confront him shows both her growing distrust and her desire to handle things on her own terms.

Malcolm is defined by denial in this chapter. He insists repeatedly that the body is not Deja's, pointing to his phone as proof, even as evidence mounts against him. His refusal to cry—noted by Sariyah as unusual for him—signals that he is holding something back. His lie about the second phone, which he claims his mother returned to him, deepens the mystery around what he is hiding. His protectiveness of Sariyah is genuine, but it is now complicated by the secrets he keeps.

Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins serve as the bearers of grim news. Mr. Hawkins delivers the facts calmly but with visible strain, while Mrs. Hawkins's stony demeanor and early-morning wine suggest she is coping in her own way. Her comment about closure for Deja's family hints at a more pragmatic, perhaps hardened, view of grief.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Lake Lanier's curse resurfaces as a motif. The woman on the phone calls the lake cursed, echoing the earlier conversation Sariyah had with Jude. The lake becomes a symbol of unresolved tragedy and the danger lurking beneath the surface of the community.

Premature public mourning is explored through the #RIPDeja hashtag. The chapter critiques how social media rushes to mourn before confirmation, with the hashtag gaining traction faster than the search hashtag ever did. This raises questions about the ethics of public grief and the performative nature of online mourning.

Denial in grief is central to Malcolm's characterization. His insistence that the body is not Deja's, despite the matching description and outfit, illustrates how denial can function as a protective mechanism against unbearable loss.

Hidden secrets and deception permeate the chapter. Malcolm's second phone, which he lied about, and Sariyah's secret search of his room create a web of mutual distrust. The chapter suggests that both characters are keeping things from each other, and that these secrets may be connected to Deja.

Sariyah's need-sensing ability continues to operate as a motif, grounding her in a world where she is constantly bombarded by others' desires. Her ability to sense needs also extends to her intuition about Malcolm—she senses he is hiding something, even if she cannot identify what.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a pivotal shift in the search for Deja. The possibility that her body has been found in Lake Lanier brings the investigation to a potential conclusion, but it also raises new questions. Malcolm's denial and his secret second phone suggest that he knows more than he is telling, and Sariyah's decision to search his room signals that she is no longer willing to trust him blindly. The chapter deepens the erosion of trust between the two central characters, setting up a confrontation that will likely define the next phase of the story. It also explores how grief, denial, and public mourning intersect, and how the search for Deja may have been built on secrets all along.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Malcolm insist so strongly that the body found in Lake Lanier is not Deja, despite the matching description and outfit?

Malcolm's insistence appears rooted in denial as a grief response. He points to his phone showing no calls or texts as evidence, but the matching outfit—which he and Sariyah had provided to police—makes his argument increasingly untenable. His refusal to cry, which Sariyah notes is unusual for him, suggests he is suppressing his emotions. His behavior may also be connected to the secrets he is keeping, particularly the second phone he lied about, which could indicate he knows something about Deja's disappearance that he has not shared.

2. What does Sariyah's search of Malcolm's room reveal about her state of mind?

Sariyah's search reveals that her trust in Malcolm has eroded significantly. She is convinced he is hiding something important, and she suspects that whatever he is keeping from her is shared with Deja. Her willingness to invade his privacy, even while he sleeps, shows that her need for answers has overtaken her respect for boundaries. Her decision to lie about calling an Uber and leave rather than confront him suggests she is choosing to investigate on her own terms, rather than risk a confrontation that might not yield the truth.

3. How does the chapter use the #RIPDeja hashtag to comment on public mourning?

The hashtag #RIPDeja trending before official confirmation highlights the problem of premature public mourning. Sariyah notes that it is gaining traction faster than #FindDeja ever did, which suggests that the public is quicker to engage with tragedy than with active searching. The dove emojis and prayer hands that accompany the hashtag point to a performative form of grief that may not reflect genuine care for Deja or her family. The chapter critiques how social media can rush to conclusions and turn real human loss into a spectacle.