Chapter 35 Summary, Analysis, and Study Guide

⚠️ 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 Lea proposing a garage sale for the following weekend. Her plan has two goals: raising the $3,000 needed for a flight ticket and getting people to connect with Dad on LinkedIn. The narrator immediately recognizes the idea as clever, thinking about the boxes in the garage and recalling a garage sale where the family bought their wet suits. Bowen agrees that the household has plenty of items to sell, including baby strollers stored in their closet. The narrator notes that they will need Mom's approval before proceeding.

That Sunday, the family drives to TJ Maxx to buy an interview outfit for Mom, who forgot to pack her work clothes when they left in a hurry. During the drive, the narrator and his siblings ask Mom about the garage sale. Mom agrees enthusiastically, sharing that she held garage sales as a child. She sets two conditions: the children must research prices for each item and keep careful track of the money. The narrator volunteers to manage the money, while Lea volunteers to make posters.

At the store, the narrator and Lea search for the perfect interview outfit. The narrator finds a green dress with little giraffes priced at $15.99, but Mom rejects it, explaining that she needs to look serious for the tech company—excited but not over the top. Lea then presents a pair of jeans with holes, priced at $60. The narrator protests, calculating that the jeans cost about ten dollars per hole, and argues that anyone could rip jeans for free. He begins to demonstrate by tearing at the fabric, but Mom stops him and sends him to the suitcase section to prevent further damage.

Alone in the corner of the store, the narrator reflects on what Christopher said about ADHD and feeling like he is always in trouble or about to be in trouble. He wishes Mom understood that he is not trying to destroy things—he simply cannot help reacting sometimes, and no amount of being told to calm down will change that.

Key Events

Lea proposes a garage sale to raise money for the flight ticket and to promote Dad's LinkedIn profile.
The narrator and Bowen inventory potential sale items, including baby strollers.
The family asks Mom's permission during the drive to TJ Maxx; she agrees and sets rules about pricing and money tracking.
The narrator volunteers to handle money; Lea volunteers to make posters.
At TJ Maxx, Mom rejects the narrator's giraffe dress pick because it is not serious enough for a tech company interview.
Lea shows $60 hole-ridden jeans; the narrator protests and begins to rip them before Mom intervenes.
Mom sends the narrator to the suitcase section, where he reflects on Christopher's ADHD comments.

Character Development

The narrator continues to grapple with how his impulses are perceived by others. His reaction to the holey jeans—immediately calculating the cost per hole and attempting to demonstrate that ripping jeans is free—shows both his practical, problem-solving nature and his difficulty with impulse control. When Mom stops him, he does not argue or lash out; instead, he quietly walks to the suitcase section and reflects. This suggests growth in self-awareness, even as he feels misunderstood.

Mom's character is also developed here. She agrees to the garage sale with enthusiasm, showing trust in her children's abilities by setting expectations around research and money management. Her rejection of the giraffe dress and her intervention with the jeans reveal her practical concerns about presenting herself professionally, but her reaction to the narrator's behavior also shows the tension between her need for control and his need for understanding.

Lea demonstrates initiative and creativity, proposing the garage sale and volunteering to make posters. Bowen's agreement to sell items shows the siblings working as a team toward a shared family goal.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Family teamwork and shared goals. The garage sale is a collective effort: Lea proposes it, Bowen identifies items to sell, the narrator manages money, and Lea makes posters. The family is working together to address the financial challenge of the flight ticket.

Financial hardship and resourcefulness. The $3,000 goal for the flight ticket drives the family's actions. The garage sale represents a creative, low-cost way to raise money, and Mom's instruction to research prices shows the family's practical approach to financial management.

ADHD and feeling misunderstood. The narrator's reflection on Christopher's comments about ADHD is central to this chapter. His impulse to rip the jeans is not malicious, but it is read that way by Mom. The narrator's internal wish—that Mom would understand he is not trying to destroy things—highlights the gap between his intentions and how his behavior is perceived.

Critique of consumerism. The narrator's reaction to the $60 holey jeans—ten dollars a hole—is a pointed critique of fashion pricing. His argument that anyone could rip jeans for free challenges the idea that damaged clothing should cost more.

Job interview preparation. Mom's search for an interview outfit reflects the family's broader struggle to rebuild their lives. Her rejection of the giraffe dress and her comment about looking serious but not like a square show the pressure she feels to present herself well in a competitive job market.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter advances the family's plan to reunite with Dad by introducing the garage sale as a concrete fundraising strategy. It also deepens the narrator's internal conflict around ADHD and impulse control, showing how his behavior is often misinterpreted by the adults who care about him. The TJ Maxx scene is a microcosm of this tension: the narrator's practical, impulsive solution to the expensive jeans is read as destructive behavior, and he is sent away. His reflection at the end of the chapter—wishing Mom would understand that he cannot help reacting—is a poignant moment that connects to the novel's broader themes of neurodivergence, family communication, and the desire to be seen accurately by the people we love.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Lea propose the garage sale, and what two goals does she hope to achieve?

Lea proposes the garage sale to raise the $3,000 needed for the flight ticket and to get people to connect with Dad on LinkedIn. The sale serves both a financial purpose and a networking purpose, helping the family work toward reuniting with Dad.

2. What rules does Mom set for the garage sale, and how do the children divide responsibilities?

Mom agrees to the garage sale but requires the children to research prices for each item and keep track of the money. The narrator volunteers to manage the money, and Lea volunteers to make posters.

3. How does the narrator's reaction to the holey jeans illustrate the theme of feeling misunderstood?

The narrator sees the $60 jeans as a waste of money—ten dollars per hole—and argues that anyone could rip jeans for free. When he begins to demonstrate, Mom stops him and sends him to the suitcase section. His reflection afterward reveals that he was not trying to destroy anything; he simply reacted impulsively. This moment illustrates the gap between his intentions and how his behavior is perceived, connecting to Christopher's earlier comments about ADHD and feeling like he is always in trouble.