Chapter 20 Summary: It Was That Boy

⚠️ 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 Galveston, Texas, in late June, where Lizette Mercier is coaching a young pageant student, Mahckenzee Foster, in her sweltering attic studio. Lizette runs a successful word-of-mouth pageant coaching business, deliberately avoiding social media because she doesn't want to be found—the internet, she reflects, is no place for people with secrets. Her studio is decorated with a glittery banner reading TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE, though the e has fallen off, leaving TO THIN OWN SELF BE TRUE, which she jokes still works given her emphasis on keeping her girls skinny.

When her phone rings, Lizette is startled to see Genevieve's name—they speak only four times a year: twice in April for birthdays, once in September for Audre's birthday, and at Christmas. Genevieve asks about the morning Lizette found her at the Wisconsin Avenue house, a topic they've never discussed. Lizette reluctantly recounts the events: Shane called her, said Genevieve was in trouble, and gave her the address. She drove there, found Genevieve unconscious with drugs and cuts, and assumed Shane was responsible. She called paramedics and police, and Shane was arrested and sent to juvenile detention—his third time, according to authorities.

Genevieve then reveals the truth: she had cut herself and taken drugs herself, and Shane was innocent. She tells Lizette she'd been self-harming and using drugs—her mother's drugs, or drugs from her mother's boyfriends—her whole life. Lizette defends her actions, citing the Mercier women's curse and her belief that she was protecting her daughter. When Genevieve accuses her of jealousy, Lizette inadvertently admits it, saying she was talking about herself. Genevieve hangs up, and Lizette returns to coaching Mahckenzee, reflecting that with each new student she gets a chance to get it right.

Key Events

Lizette is coaching Mahckenzee Foster in her Galveston attic studio when Genevieve calls—a rare occurrence since they speak only four times a year.
Genevieve asks about the morning Lizette found her at the Wisconsin Avenue house, a topic they've never discussed.
Lizette recounts: Shane called her, said Genevieve was in trouble, and gave her the address.
Lizette found Genevieve unconscious with drugs and cuts, assumed Shane was responsible, and called paramedics and police.
Shane was arrested and sent to juvenile detention.
Genevieve reveals she cut herself and took drugs herself; Shane was innocent.
Genevieve says Lizette sent Shane away, and accuses her of jealousy.
Lizette defends her actions, citing the Mercier women's curse and her belief that she was protecting her daughter.
Genevieve hangs up; Lizette returns to coaching Mahckenzee.

Character Development

Lizette Mercier: This chapter reveals Lizette as a deeply flawed, self-deceiving figure. She lives on a Xanax-assisted cloud, swatting away depressive thoughts, and has built her life around avoidance—dead plants as superstition, no social media, no connection to her daughter. Her jealousy of Shane's devotion to Genevieve is the chapter's most damning revelation: she admits, almost accidentally, that her anger at Shane was rooted in envy that her daughter received an adoration she never experienced. Her defense—that Mercier women are cursed—reveals a woman who has internalized her family's mythology as a way to avoid accountability.

Genevieve: Though present only through a phone call, Genevieve's revelation reframes her entire character. She confesses to years of self-harm and addiction, and reveals that she'd been watching her mother's life closely, taking drugs from her mother's boyfriends. Her accusation that Lizette sent Shane away carries the weight of years of misplaced hatred; she'd believed Shane was a coward and a liar, when in fact he was innocent.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Mother-daughter estrangement: The chapter is structured around a rare phone call between a mother and daughter who speak only four times a year, revealing the deep chasm between them.
Misplaced blame: Lizette blamed Shane for Genevieve's injuries, and Genevieve blamed Shane for abandoning her—both were wrong.
Jealousy: Lizette's jealousy of Shane's devotion to Genevieve is a key driver of her actions.
The Mercier women's curse: Lizette cites this as an explanation for her failures, revealing her belief in an inescapable family fate.
Self-harm and addiction: Genevieve's confession reveals hidden pain that was never addressed.
Dead plants as protection: Lizette's superstition (inherited from Mama Clo) that dead plants absorb bad juju—a symbol of her avoidance and magical thinking.
To thine own self be true: The banner's broken e (reading TO THIN OWN SELF BE TRUE) ironically reflects Lizette's values—she prioritizes thinness over authenticity.
Invisibility: Lizette reflects on being compared to various celebrities and feeling invisible—just another way they make you feel invisible.
Cycles of behavior: Lizette's return to coaching at the end, with the thought that each new student is a chance to get it right, suggests she's repeating patterns rather than breaking them.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a pivotal revelation that reframes the novel's central romance. It reveals that Shane was innocent of the harm Lizette blamed him for, and that Genevieve's self-harm and addiction were the real causes of the incident at the Wisconsin Avenue house. It also deepens our understanding of Lizette as a complex, flawed character whose jealousy and denial shaped her daughter's life in profound ways. The chapter's title, It Was That Boy, is ironic—it wasn't that boy at all.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Lizette's jealousy of Shane's devotion to Genevieve influence her actions on the morning she found them?

Lizette's jealousy is revealed when Genevieve accuses her of being jealous of Shane's love. Lizette initially deflects, saying she was talking about herself—admitting that her anger at Shane was rooted in envy that her daughter received an adoration she never experienced. This jealousy likely influenced her decision to call the police and have Shane arrested, as she couldn't bear to see her daughter loved in a way she never was.

2. What does the TO THIN OWN SELF BE TRUE banner reveal about Lizette's character and values?

The banner, originally TO THINE OWN SELF BE TRUE, has lost its e, making it read TO THIN OWN SELF BE TRUE. Lizette jokes that it still works since she encourages her girls to stay skinny. This reveals her prioritization of appearance and thinness over authenticity—the opposite of the banner's original meaning. It also symbolizes how Lizette's values have become distorted over time.

3. How does the revelation about Genevieve's self-harm and addiction reframe the reader's understanding of the novel's central romance?

The revelation that Genevieve cut herself and took drugs herself—and that Shane was innocent—reframes the central romance by showing that the obstacle between Eva and Shane was not Shane's wrongdoing but a series of misunderstandings and misplaced blame. Lizette's assumption that Shane was responsible led to his arrest and imprisonment, and Genevieve's belief that Shane abandoned her led to years of hatred. The truth is that Shane was innocent, and Genevieve's own pain was the real cause of the incident.