Chapter 13 Summary: Hazel's Story in 2011
⚠️ 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 in September 2011, when Hazel wakes at midnight with a sharp, searing pain in her chest—a sensation that fades as quickly as it arrives. She dismisses it and returns to sleep, unaware that this is her first experience of what the novel calls the Summoning.
The next morning, Hazel's sister Jenny calls in distress. Jenny has finally left her husband, Ansel Packer, after discovering he read an email revealing her escape plan. She has checked into a hotel but has none of her belongings and asks Hazel to come help. Hazel agrees, and only afterward realizes the chest pain from the night before coincided with Jenny's crisis.
Hazel drives to Jenny's house, where Ansel is unexpectedly present. A tense confrontation unfolds as Hazel and Jenny pack a suitcase. Ansel taunts them with pseudo-philosophical ramblings about love and suffering, repeating that Jenny is proving him right. The sisters escape to a hotel, shaken but relieved.
At the hotel, they order room service and begin to relax. Jenny reveals that a detective named Saffron Singh has been investigating Ansel for years—she first approached Jenny before their marriage and has periodically appeared near their home. Jenny admits she Googled Singh and discovered the detective has been investigating the deaths of three girls in New York, homicides that occurred before Jenny met Ansel, when he was in high school.
When Hazel asks how Jenny can be sure Ansel isn't involved, Jenny turns on her, accusing Hazel of enjoying her misfortune and wishing Ansel were a murderer so Hazel could feel superior. The accusation stings, and the sisters fall into a tense silence until Jenny falls asleep.
Hazel steps into the hallway, searches for Saffron Singh online, and dials her number. When Singh answers, Hazel hangs up without speaking, overwhelmed by the implications of what she has learned. She calls Luis and cries.
The next day, at the airport, Jenny gives Hazel her wedding ring—an amethyst and brass band—asking Hazel to hold onto it as she starts a new life in Texas. Hazel watches Jenny disappear through security, then places the ring in her glove compartment, intending to forget it.
The chapter ends with Hazel at a salon, having all her hair cut short. She studies her reflection, feeling transformed and unrecognizable, as if she has become a new person.
Key Events
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Hazel experiences her first Summoning—a chest pain that coincides with Jenny's crisis.
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Jenny leaves Ansel and calls Hazel for help; the sisters pack Jenny's belongings while Ansel confronts them.
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Jenny reveals that detective Saffron Singh has been investigating Ansel for years, connected to the deaths of three girls in New York.
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Jenny accuses Hazel of enjoying her suffering, exposing deep-seated sibling rivalry.
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Hazel calls Saffron Singh but hangs up without speaking.
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Jenny gives Hazel her wedding ring at the airport and flies to Texas.
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Hazel cuts her hair short, symbolizing a personal transformation.
Character Development
Hazel is the chapter's focal point, and her internal world is laid bare. She is a mother of two, running a dance studio, and has built a life she believes is stable and good. But the chapter reveals her long-standing envy of Jenny—a feeling she has harbored since their teenage years, when Jenny seemed to outshine her. Hazel's guilt about this envy is palpable, especially when Jenny accuses her of enjoying her downfall. The chapter also shows Hazel's moral awakening: confronted with the possibility that Ansel may be a murderer, she is forced to acknowledge that evil can exist close to home. Her decision to call Singh—and then hang up—reveals her fear and uncertainty. The haircut at the end suggests a desire to shed her old self and become someone braver.
Jenny is portrayed with sympathy and complexity. She has endured years of coercive control from Ansel, who isolated her and undermined her. Her decision to leave is brave, but she is also wounded and defensive, lashing out at Hazel in a moment of vulnerability. Her revelation about Singh shows how long she has carried this suspicion alone.
Ansel appears only briefly, but his presence is chilling. He is described as aging poorly, his charm fading, and his philosophical monologues come across as hollow and manipulative. His rage at the sisters' escape foreshadows the danger he represents.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The Summoning: Hazel's chest pain is described as a physical manifestation of her connection to Jenny's crisis. It suggests a bond between the sisters that transcends ordinary communication—a motif that recurs throughout the novel.
Sibling rivalry and envy: The chapter is steeped in Hazel's guilt over her envy of Jenny. Hazel recalls feeling