Chapter Nineteen: Brynn — 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

The chapter opens on a Friday morning with Brynn driving Ellie to Saint Ambrose for an early orchestra rehearsal. After dropping Ellie off, Brynn heads to the library, which she describes as her favorite place at the school—a bright, sunlit space adjacent to the Sentinel office where she used to write as an eighth grader.

She's surprised to find Charlotte Holbrook already seated at her favorite table. Charlotte gives her a cold reception, and Brynn notes that their brief camaraderie from the party seems over. Brynn takes out her Mr. Larkin folders and tries to work in silence.

Her phone rings with a Providence number. It's Jonathan Bartley-Reed from the Eliot School, returning her call about Mr. Larkin. With Charlotte watching her, Brynn can't ask her real questions. She improvises, claiming she's working on a memorial garden for William Larkin and asking about his flower preferences. Bartley-Reed quickly dismisses her as a student, says he'll pass her name along to a former colleague, and hangs up. Brynn fakes a pleasant ending to the call so Charlotte won't know she's been dismissed.

Charlotte sees through the act and confronts Brynn directly, telling her to stay away from Tripp. Brynn denies any romantic interest, though her internal narration reveals she's not entirely sure—she has a vivid flash of Tripp leaning against a bookshelf, his tie slightly askew, and admits she's undecided about what she'd want to do about it.

The conversation escalates. Brynn makes a cutting remark about Charlotte being sheltered because she's only ever been with Shane. Charlotte responds by sharing something deeply personal: she's been objectified by boys her entire life, starting with a crush who only stared at her like a prize, and being catcalled by Upper School boys when she was eleven. She explains that Shane was different—he barely noticed her at first, and he treats her like an actual person. She says if being with him makes her sheltered, she's fine with that.

Charlotte then warns Brynn not to mess with her boys—plural. She explains that Tripp is important to her too, and that he's not as strong as he seems and needs someone to look out for him. Brynn agrees to back off, though she's privately skeptical of Charlotte's authority over Tripp.

As Charlotte prepares to leave for a Starbucks run, she notices a defaced poster of Mr. Larkin among Brynn's scattered notes. Brynn lies, saying she found it in the hallway and felt bad leaving it up. Charlotte asks if Brynn really can't understand why someone would do that. When Brynn asks if Mr. Larkin treated Charlotte badly, Charlotte firmly denies anything like that—but adds a cryptic remark: there's more than one way to be awful.

After Charlotte leaves, Brynn stares at the poster—Mr. Larkin's lemon tie visible beneath red slashes—and reflects on everything she's heard about him over the past week: the man was a void, that son of a bitch got what he deserved, there's more than one way to be awful. She wonders whether she ever really knew her favorite teacher at all.

Key Events

Brynn's call to Jonathan Bartley-Reed fails; she can't ask real questions and is dismissed as a student
Charlotte confronts Brynn about Tripp and warns her to stay away
Charlotte reveals her history of being objectified by boys
Charlotte warns Brynn not to interfere with her boys—Shane and Tripp
Charlotte notices the defaced poster of Mr. Larkin and makes a cryptic comment
Brynn begins to seriously question her view of Mr. Larkin

Character Development

Brynn continues to navigate the tension between her investigation and her personal life. Her failed phone call shows the limits of her undercover approach—she can't ask real questions without blowing her cover. Her internal conflict about Tripp is also on display; she denies interest while simultaneously imagining him in a way that suggests genuine attraction. Most significantly, this chapter marks a turning point in her perception of Mr. Larkin. The accumulation of negative remarks—from the defaced poster to Charlotte's cryptic warning—forces her to confront the possibility that her favorite teacher wasn't who she believed.

Charlotte is humanized significantly here. Her confession about being objectified from a young age explains her fierce protectiveness of Shane and Tripp. She's not just a jealous girlfriend; she's someone who has learned to guard the people who treat her with respect. Her comment about Mr. Larkin suggests she knows something about him that she's not sharing, adding another layer to the mystery.

Tripp is absent but central to the conversation. Charlotte's claim that he needs someone to look out for him hints at vulnerability beneath his confident exterior, and Brynn's attraction to him complicates her investigation.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Objectification of women: Charlotte's story about being treated like a prize and catcalled at eleven is a stark illustration of how girls are dehumanized. Her contrast between that experience and Shane's respectful treatment explains her loyalty.

Protective loyalty: Charlotte's defense of Shane and Tripp—calling them her boys—shows how past trauma can create fierce, almost territorial bonds.

Hidden darkness in respected figures: The chapter builds the case that Mr. Larkin may not have been the mentor Brynn remembers. The defaced poster, the negative remarks, and Charlotte's cryptic comment all point toward a more complicated truth.

Investigation under false pretenses: Brynn's fake memorial garden is a reminder that her investigation requires deception, which limits what she can learn and puts her in awkward positions.

Public defacement as condemnation: The red slashes on Mr. Larkin's poster represent a public judgment that Brynn is only beginning to understand.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a pivotal moment in Brynn's investigation. Her failed call to the Eliot School closes off one avenue of inquiry while Charlotte's cryptic comment opens another. Charlotte's revelation about Mr. Larkin—that there's more than one way to be awful—is the strongest hint yet that the teacher's death may be connected to something darker than a random act of violence. The chapter also deepens Charlotte's character, transforming her from a seemingly shallow rival into a sympathetic figure with her own history of pain. Finally, Brynn's growing doubt about Mr. Larkin sets up the central question of the novel: can we ever truly know the people we admire?

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Brynn lie about the memorial garden during her call with Bartley-Reed?

Brynn can't ask her real questions about Mr. Larkin's time at the Eliot School because Charlotte is watching her. The memorial garden story is a cover that lets her appear to be working on a legitimate school project. The lie backfires when Bartley-Reed dismisses her as a student and hangs up, leaving Brynn with no useful information.

2. What does Charlotte's confession reveal about her character?

Charlotte's story about being objectified from a young age—from a crush who only stared at her to being catcalled at eleven—reveals that her fierce protectiveness of Shane and Tripp comes from a place of genuine pain. She values people who treat her as a person, not a prize, and she's determined to protect the people who matter to her. It also explains why she's so suspicious of Brynn's interest in Tripp.

3. What does Charlotte's comment about there being more than one way to be awful suggest about Mr. Larkin?

Charlotte's comment suggests that Mr. Larkin was not the kind, beloved teacher Brynn remembers. While Charlotte denies that he treated her inappropriately, her phrasing implies he was awful in some other way—perhaps emotionally, professionally, or in his treatment of others. This is the strongest evidence yet that Brynn's perception of her favorite teacher may be fundamentally wrong.