Tripp's Chapter Thirty-Five: Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways
⚠️ 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
When Tripp arrives home from school on Wednesday afternoon, he is startled to hear his father's voice calling from the kitchen—a rare sound, since the house is usually silent. His father has lined up the empty liquor bottles Tripp drained the previous week and demands an explanation. Tripp admits he drank them all himself and that he wasn't actually sick. He explains that recent events surrounding Mr. Larkin's death—memorial projects at school and TV programs investigating the case—have been weighing on him. Then he confesses the deeper truth: he found the stolen class-trip money under his father's workbench, panicked, and dumped it into Charlotte's locker, where Grizz later discovered it.
His father is not angry but regretful. He reveals that he did not take the money. Tripp's mother, Lisa Marie, stole it during Tripp's spring concert. His father recovered it from her bag at Valerie's house and was trying to figure out how to return it anonymously when the money disappeared and later turned up at school. He had hoped Lisa Marie had a change of heart, but he admits that was unlikely. He also tells Tripp that Mr. Larkin knew Lisa Marie was responsible—a student witness had come forward—but Mr. Larkin died before he could report it. His father chose to stay silent to protect Tripp from learning how little his mother cared.
Tripp apologizes for suspecting his father all these years. His father apologizes for avoiding hard conversations and for letting Tripp fend for himself. They reconcile over a plan to order dinner from Golden Palace, and Tripp feels the moment of tension finally pass.
Key Events
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Tripp's father confronts him about the empty liquor bottles.
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Tripp admits he drank them and reveals he found the stolen money under the workbench.
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He explains he put the money in Charlotte's locker, where Grizz found it.
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His father reveals Lisa Marie stole the money and that he recovered it from her.
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His father explains Mr. Larkin knew the truth but died before reporting it.
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Tripp and his father apologize to each other and reconcile.
Character Development
Tripp shows significant growth in this chapter. He takes responsibility for his drinking and for his role in returning the money, even though his method was impulsive. More importantly, he admits he suspected his father of theft—and possibly worse—for years. By voicing his apology, he moves from silent resentment toward honesty. His father's response allows Tripp to begin shedding the forced maturity he has carried since the day in the woods.
Tripp's father undergoes a parallel transformation. He acknowledges his pattern of avoidance, admitting he never knew how to talk about Lisa Marie and let that silence spill into his relationship with Tripp. He takes full responsibility for his neglect, telling Tripp he should be allowed to be a kid. His apology is sincere, and his willingness to have the hard conversation marks a turning point in their relationship.
Lisa Marie remains an off-page presence, but her actions are clarified: she stole the money, abandoned her son, and never bothered to see him while she was in town. Her absence looms over the reconciliation, highlighting the damage she caused.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
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Alcohol abuse as coping: Tripp's drinking is a direct response to unresolved guilt and suspicion. His father's discovery forces the issue into the open.
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Parental neglect: Both parents have failed Tripp—his mother by abandoning him, his father by avoiding difficult conversations and letting Tripp raise himself.
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Secrets and lies: The truth about the money is buried for years, and the chapter reveals how silence can distort relationships.
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Misplaced blame: Tripp wrongly blamed his father for the theft, and his father wrongly assumed Tripp had returned the money.
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Protective silence: Tripp's father stayed quiet to shield Tripp from the painful truth about his mother, even though that silence caused more harm.
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Reconciliation: The chapter ends with a tentative but genuine repair of the father-son bond, symbolized by the shared dinner plan.
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Forced maturity: Tripp has felt like an adult since the day in the woods; his father's apology offers him a chance to be a kid again, even if it feels impossible to reclaim.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter resolves the central mystery of the stolen class-trip money, clearing Tripp's father of suspicion and revealing Lisa Marie as the true thief. It also deepens the emotional stakes by showing how the theft and its cover-up shaped Tripp's relationship with his father. The reconciliation is a pivotal moment in Tripp's arc, allowing him to release years of misplaced anger and begin healing. The chapter also reinforces the novel's exploration of how secrets and avoidance can poison family bonds, and how honesty—even when painful—can open the door to repair.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why did Tripp initially suspect his father of stealing the class-trip money, and what changed his mind?
Tripp found the money hidden under his father's workbench, and given his father's secretive behavior and his mother's absence, he assumed the worst. He never confronted his father directly, letting the suspicion fester for years. In this chapter, his father explains that Lisa Marie stole the money and that he had recovered it, intending to return it. The explanation, combined with his father's genuine remorse, allows Tripp to see that his suspicion was misplaced.
2. How does Tripp's father justify his decision to stay silent about Lisa Marie's theft?
He says he wanted to protect Tripp from the painful truth that his mother had been in town and never bothered to see him. He also worried about the social consequences at school if people learned Tripp's mother was a thief. He admits this was a cowardly choice, and he apologizes for it, acknowledging that his avoidance caused more harm than the truth would have.
3. What does the reconciliation between Tripp and his father reveal about their relationship?
It reveals that both have been carrying guilt and resentment. Tripp has felt abandoned and forced to grow up too fast, while his father has avoided difficult conversations out of fear and shame. Their apology exchange shows a willingness to break the cycle of silence. The dinner plan symbolizes a fresh start, even if the wounds are not fully healed.