Chapter 17: Day 9 — Summary, Analysis, and Key Takeaways

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Summary

At lunch on Day 9, Anna sits alone at the table she usually shares with Grace and Emily. The two girls have deliberately joined Kevin Mills's table, hoping to ingratiate themselves with the popular crowd. Grace tries to catch Kevin's attention by flaunting her purple-painted nails, but Kevin and his friends ignore the newcomers entirely. Anna watches from a distance, feeling the sting of being excluded not only by the town kids but also by her own sister and friend.

As Anna picks at her sandwich, she overhears Kevin's crew bragging about drinking, staying out late, and vandalizing a car. Julie Long and Corrine Harris sit among them, treating their cell phones as status symbols. Grace eyes Julie's phone with envy while still trying to get Kevin to notice her.

Anna decides to intervene. She crosses the cafeteria and tries to pull Grace away, but Grace resists, snapping at Anna and telling her to leave. When Anna insists that Kevin's friends are fake and not Grace's kind of people, Grace panics, worried that Kevin will see Anna and ruin her chances. Grace drags Anna into the restroom, where an argument erupts.

In the restroom, Grace reveals a painful secret: a senior named Ryan Romano created a ranking list of all eighty-seven freshman girls, placing Grace at number eighty-seven—last place. Next to her name, Ryan wrote “Anna Horn's sister.” Grace explains that Ryan used his younger brother Matt's middle school yearbook to compile the list, and that Matt passed it around to friends. Grace tells Anna that she has dreaded being seen with her ever since, because Anna's reputation and appearance—wearing their father's old clothes and boots—have made Grace a target. Grace insists that Anna's “otherness” is the reason she's bullied, not their Native identity, and that she can't let Anna “rub off” on her anymore.

Anna is stunned and hurt. She tries to argue that the list is meaningless, but Grace is adamant. She tells Anna not to ruin her chances at making friends and storms out of the restroom.

Anna, reeling, leans against the wall and then faces the mirror, examining her own features—thin eyebrows, strong cheekbones, a steep nose—wondering if her appearance truly is the cause of her social rejection. A girl emerges from a stall, a junior Anna vaguely recognizes. The girl casually mentions that Grace is acting desperate and that the guys don't really like her—they just like what she does. When Anna presses for details, the girl reveals that rumors have been circulating about Grace's sexual behavior, specifically that she is “good with her mouth.” The girl smirks, clearly enjoying Anna's shock, and Anna blocks the door, demanding more information.

Key Events

Grace and Emily abandon Anna at lunch to sit with Kevin Mills's table.
Anna overhears Kevin's friends bragging about drinking and vandalism.
Anna tries to pull Grace away, leading to a heated argument in the restroom.
Grace reveals Ryan Romano's ranking list of freshman girls, placing her last because she is Anna's sister.
Grace blames Anna's appearance and reputation for her own social struggles.
A girl in the restroom tells Anna that guys have been spreading rumors about Grace's sexual behavior.
Anna confronts the girl, who seems to enjoy revealing the gossip.

Character Development

Anna is forced to confront the painful reality that her sister sees her as a liability. Throughout the chapter, Anna's internal monologue reveals her deep sense of isolation—she feels like an outsider even among her own kind. Her attempt to protect Grace from the fake crowd shows her protective instincts, but Grace's revelation about the ranking list shatters Anna's confidence. Anna's reflection in the mirror suggests she is beginning to question whether her appearance truly defines her, even as she resists that idea. Her confrontation with the gossip girl shows her determination to uncover the truth, but also her vulnerability to the cruelty of others.

Grace emerges as a desperate, insecure teenager who desperately wants to belong. Her actions—trying to attract Kevin, snapping at Anna, and revealing the ranking list—reveal her deep-seated shame about her family's reputation. Grace's accusation that Anna is the cause of her social problems is both heartbreaking and revealing: she has internalized the bullies' judgments and now blames her sister for her own marginalization. Her line about not letting Anna “rub off” on her underscores her fear of being associated with Anna's otherness.

The unnamed junior girl serves as a catalyst for the chapter's final revelation. She embodies the casual cruelty of gossip culture, taking pleasure in delivering hurtful information. Her smirk and lack of sympathy highlight how rumors are weaponized to shame and control others, especially young women.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Social exclusion and reputation are central. Anna's isolation at lunch and Grace's desperate attempt to climb the social ladder illustrate how reputation dictates one's place in the school hierarchy. The ranking list is a literal symbol of this—a tool used to objectify and rank girls based on their perceived worth, with Grace's placement directly tied to her sister's reputation.

Sibling rivalry and betrayal emerge as Grace blames Anna for her own social failures. The chapter deepens the rift between the sisters, showing how external pressures can fracture even the closest bonds.

Rumors and gossip are shown as destructive forces. The rumor about Grace's sexual behavior is a form of sexual objectification, reducing her to a body part and a reputation. The girl's enjoyment in sharing the gossip underscores how such talk is used to humiliate and control.

Identity and otherness are explored through Anna's reflection. She wonders if her appearance—her father's clothes, her features—is the real reason she's bullied, even as she resists the idea that her ethnicity is the sole factor. The chapter complicates the notion of “otherness” by showing that Anna's difference is both ethnic and personal.

Desire for acceptance drives Grace's actions, while Anna's desire to protect her sister conflicts with Grace's rejection. The chapter highlights the painful trade-offs people make to fit in.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is pivotal because it reveals the root cause of Grace's recent behavior and the deep fracture in the sisters' relationship. The ranking list—a cruel, arbitrary artifact—becomes a symbol of how the school's social system devalues girls, and Grace's placement at the bottom because of her sister's reputation shows how family ties can be weaponized. The chapter also introduces a new layer of conflict: the rumor about Grace's sexual behavior, which threatens to further isolate her and potentially put her in danger. Anna's confrontation with the gossip girl sets up a potential investigation or confrontation in future chapters, as Anna will likely seek to protect her sister from the fallout. The chapter deepens the novel's exploration of identity, reputation, and the cost of being different.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Grace blame Anna for her social problems, and what does this reveal about Grace's character?

Grace blames Anna because Ryan Romano's ranking list placed her last specifically because she is “Anna Horn's sister.” Grace believes that Anna's appearance—wearing their father's old clothes and boots—and her reputation as an outsider have made Grace a target. This reveals Grace's deep insecurity and her desperate need for social acceptance. She has internalized the bullies' judgments and now sees Anna as a liability rather than a sister. Her accusation shows how external pressures can distort family bonds and lead to resentment.

2. How does the ranking list function as a symbol in this chapter?

The ranking list is a literal symbol of the school's social hierarchy and the objectification of girls. It reduces eighty-seven freshman girls to numbers, with a reason attached to each ranking. Grace's placement at the bottom, with the reason “Anna Horn's sister,” shows how reputation is inherited and how family ties can be used to shame someone. The list also represents the arbitrary and cruel nature of popularity, as it was created by a senior using a middle school yearbook—highlighting how superficial judgments are.

3. What is the significance of the rumor about Grace that the girl reveals at the end of the chapter?

The rumor—that Grace is “good with her mouth”—is a form of sexual objectification and gossip designed to humiliate Grace. It reduces her to a sexual act and spreads without her knowledge, showing how rumors can be used to control and shame young women. The girl's enjoyment in revealing it underscores the cruelty of gossip culture. For Anna, this revelation adds a new layer of urgency: she now knows that Grace is being targeted not just socially but also sexually, which may motivate her to take action in future chapters.