Chapter 5 Summary: Surviving Church Camp and the Battles That Test You
⚠️ 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 {#summary}
Riley wakes on the first full day of church camp to a blaring alarm playing a club song. Julia silences it and explains that her brother Ben's CD has been stuck in the alarm clock for years, meaning the family has woken to the same track every morning. Riley, still groggy, tries to stay in bed, but Julia encourages her to get ready for breakfast.
Alone in the cabin, Riley confronts her old clothing anxieties. She remembers how she used to worry about what she wore and how a judgmental voice in her head—one she now recognizes as Pastor Young's—would criticize her choices. She recalls a humiliating moment when a church elder handed her a lost-and-found cardigan in front of the congregation for showing her collarbones on Easter Sunday. She reflects on how she once blamed herself for that incident.
Amanda, who is still in the cabin, asks Riley directly why she is at camp. Riley deflects with a question about Amanda's lateness to the previous day's sermon, then walks out without answering.
At breakfast, Riley confronts Ben about the alarm. Their exchange is interrupted when Pastor Young announces the seven-virtues program. Each camper receives a workbook with a group number, meeting location, and counselor assignment. Riley is placed in group three with Counselor Gabe; Ben is in group two. Riley is disappointed that she and Julia are in different groups.
Riley writes in her prayer book—her secret notebook—questioning who Pleasant Hills is actually there to support. Patrick notices her writing and asks what she is doing; she claims she is praying.
Riley walks to the picnic area alone, reflecting on how she has tried to pack away her complicated feelings about leaving Pleasant Hills. She thinks about how Amanda and Greer chose Pastor Young over their friendship with Hannah, and she worries about whether Julia might one day decide Riley is too much trouble.
At the picnic area, Riley meets Gabe, a counselor who seems distracted and unprepared. Delaney arrives, relieved to have company, followed by Greer, who is dismissive. Gabe calls the group a safe space, though Riley notices his phone is open to a dating ad. He asks everyone to introduce themselves with their favorite Bible verse. Greer chooses John 3:16, and Riley, unable to recall another verse, says the same one.
Gabe reads from the workbook about diligence versus sloth, describing sloth as a deadly sin that numbs the spirit. He then announces the day's activity: each group must build a shelter for one person using only natural materials and a limited set of supplies, with a panel of counselors judging the results. The winning group earns extra free time.
Riley decides to embrace sloth as part of her plan. She reasons that sloth could be reframed as self-care or relaxation, and that refusing to build a pointless shelter is a reasonable act of resistance. She steps toward the trees, officially beginning her seven-step plan.
Key Events {#key-events}
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Riley wakes to the stuck alarm clock CD and learns it has been playing for two years.
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Riley reflects on her old clothing insecurities and recognizes Pastor Young's voice in her self-criticism.
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Amanda confronts Riley about why she is at camp; Riley evades the question.
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Riley confronts Ben about the alarm at breakfast.
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Pastor Young announces the seven-virtues program and assigns groups; Riley is placed in group three, Ben in group two.
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Riley writes in her prayer book, questioning the camp's stated purpose.
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Riley meets Counselor Gabe and the rest of her group, including Delaney and Greer.
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Gabe reads about diligence and sloth, then announces the shelter-building activity.
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Riley decides to embrace sloth as her first act of resistance.
Character Development {#character-development}
Riley continues to navigate the tension between her old life and her new identity. Her reflection on the cardigan incident shows how deeply Pastor Young's judgment has been internalized—she once believed the shaming was her fault. Her decision to embrace sloth is a deliberate act of reclamation: she is choosing to define a sin on her own terms rather than accept the camp's framing. Her fear of losing Julia reveals her vulnerability beneath her defiant exterior.
Delaney emerges as a potential ally. Her relief at finding Riley and her willingness to joke about the Bible verse suggest she is not fully invested in the camp's agenda, making her a natural companion for Riley's plan.
Greer remains hostile and dismissive, reinforcing the social hierarchy Riley remembers from Pleasant Hills. Her choice of John 3:16—the same verse she criticizes others for using—shows her performative piety.
Gabe is introduced as an ineffective counselor. His claim that the group is a safe space is undercut by his distracted behavior and his phone's dating ad, suggesting the camp's rhetoric does not match its reality.
Amanda is briefly shown to have a weakness—she flinches when Riley mentions her lateness—hinting that there is more beneath her composed surface.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs {#themes-symbols-or-motifs}
Internalized shame and self-blame. Riley's memory of the cardigan incident illustrates how religious institutions can make individuals feel responsible for their own humiliation. She notes that she did not see anything wrong with the situation at the time, and that she assumed it was her fault.
Resistance through non-compliance. Riley's plan to embrace sloth is a form of quiet rebellion. By redefining sloth as self-care, she rejects the camp's moral framework without openly confronting it.
Safe space rhetoric vs. reality. Gabe calls the group a safe space, but his behavior and the camp's structure suggest otherwise. Riley's prayer book—her private space for questioning—becomes her true refuge.
The stuck alarm clock CD. The CD that will not come out of the alarm clock symbolizes the persistence of the past. Just as the song keeps playing, Riley's old life and its expectations keep intruding on her present.
The prayer book as secret weapon. Riley's notebook is where she records her doubts and plans. It is her private resistance, hidden in plain sight as a religious object.
Social exclusion and hierarchy. The Cool Table at breakfast and the group assignments reinforce the camp's social order. Riley's placement in group three separates her from Julia and Ben, isolating her further.
Fear of abandonment. Riley's worry that Julia might one day decide she is too much trouble echoes her earlier loss of Amanda and Greer. This fear drives much of her emotional vulnerability in the chapter.
Why This Chapter Matters {#why-this-chapter-matters}
This chapter establishes the central conflict of the camp section: Riley's plan to commit seven sins in seven days as a way of proving Pastor Young wrong. It also deepens her characterization by showing the psychological toll of her religious upbringing. Her internalized shame, her fear of abandonment, and her determination to resist are all on display.
The chapter also introduces the camp's structure—the seven-virtues program, the group assignments, and the activities designed to enforce conformity. Riley's decision to embrace sloth as her first act of resistance sets up the pattern for the rest of the camp arc.
Finally, the chapter develops Riley's relationships with Delaney and Greer, establishing who will be her allies and who will be her obstacles in the days ahead.
Study Questions and Answers {#study-questions-and-answers}
1. Why does Riley decide to embrace sloth rather than resist the camp's lesson directly?
Riley's decision to embrace sloth is a form of quiet rebellion. She recognizes that the camp's framing of sloth as a deadly sin is designed to control behavior, and she rejects that framing by redefining sloth as self-care or relaxation. Direct confrontation would draw attention to her plan, so she chooses non-compliance instead. This approach also allows her to maintain the appearance of participation while secretly working against the camp's goals.
2. How does the stuck alarm clock CD function as a symbol in this chapter?
The CD that will not come out of the alarm clock represents the persistence of the past. Just as the song keeps playing every morning, Riley's old life—her church, her friends, her internalized shame—keeps intruding on her present. The CD is also a reminder of Ben's presence in her life, connecting her to the family she cares about even as she tries to distance herself from the church.
3. What does Riley's memory of the cardigan incident reveal about her character?
The cardigan memory shows how deeply Riley has internalized the church's judgment. She once believed that being shamed for showing her collarbones was her fault, and she did not question the situation at the time. This memory explains why she is so determined to resist the camp's teachings now—she has recognized the harm of that internalized voice and is trying to reclaim her identity on her own terms.
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