Naomi's Perspective: Chapter 35 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 in January 2023, four months before Naomi's death, backstage at the BAC dance show. Thirty dancers crowd the dressing room as Zee fusses over lighting and choreography. Naomi is outwardly preparing for the performance, but her nerves have nothing to do with the show—she is still rattled by her earlier meeting with Professor DuPont, who suggested she ask her sister about Lila's death. She plans to confront Maya in person that night because Amy has warned her that their emails and phone calls may be monitored.

Zee delivers a rousing pump-up speech, and the show begins. Naomi performs with intensity, and during a slower moment she scans the audience. She spots Ben in the front row with his teammates—they have not spoken since their tense encounter on Nassau Street—and Liam in the upper deck. Margaret holds up a sign expressing her love. But one face is missing: Maya. Naomi's heart sinks, and the absence lingers with her through the rest of the performance.

After the show, Zee invites Naomi to a Sterling alumni birthday party in New York City. Liam arrives in the dressing room doorway holding blush-colored roses and apologizes for disappearing for weeks. Naomi's anger dissolves, and they ride his motorcycle through the Lincoln Tunnel to a rooftop party in the Village. A familiar Cat Burns song plays—the same one from their first kiss at Sterling Club—and the ride feels electric.

At the party, Naomi meets Calum Fuller, class of 2017, who reveals that Naomi's sister tutored him in high school and mentions a "favor" he owes. Calum also connects Liam to his father's generation, referencing Colin Fuller and an incident involving "Bethany Park hosed," a term for the cruel social ostracism of students rejected from eating clubs. Meanwhile, Zee reveals she broke up with Trey after the show, and she grows increasingly drunk.

Naomi's phone buzzes with a text from Amy: the police are reopening the Lila Jones case. Excited, Naomi looks for Liam and sees him talking to DuPont, who is accompanied by his fiancée Sara, a Broadway actress who recently won a Tony. Liam warns Naomi to keep her distance from Sara, describing her as intense and protective around "girls like you."

Naomi then asks Liam about the Greystone ski cabins in New Hampshire. He reacts with surprising force, pulling her aside and warning her that someone has been contacting Greystone alums asking about "that incident." He shows her a photo of her sister in ski gear with friends—Daisy, Cecily, Kai, Maya, and Lila. Liam tells Naomi her sister was involved and that Greystone hid it for a reason, urging her to stop asking questions. His fear is palpable.

Shaken, Naomi searches for a quiet corner to call Amy. She discovers several missed calls from Zee and a voicemail: Zee says she is leaving, mentions that Trey texted her, and that she took shots. But when Naomi scans the party, Zee is nowhere to be found.

Key Events

Naomi performs in the BAC dance show while preoccupied with DuPont's suggestion about her sister.
Maya fails to attend the show, deepening Naomi's unease about her sister's involvement.
Liam arrives with roses and takes Naomi to a Sterling alumni party in New York.
Calum Fuller reveals that Naomi's sister tutored him and references a "favor."
Amy texts that the police are reopening the Lila Jones case.
Liam shows Naomi a photo placing her sister with Lila and friends at the ski cabins.
Liam warns Naomi to stop investigating, citing Greystone's efforts to hide the incident.
Zee disappears after leaving a voicemail saying she is leaving the party.

Character Development

Naomi: Torn between her polished performance persona and her growing suspicion of her sister. She performs brilliantly but feels incomplete, and her determination to investigate conflicts directly with Liam's warnings.
Liam: Reveals a fearful side, showing genuine concern for Naomi's safety while also demonstrating his deep ties to Greystone's legacy networks. His father's involvement suggests the cover-up spans generations.
Zee: Drunk and impulsive after her breakup with Trey, her sudden disappearance adds a new layer of unease and foreshadows danger.
Maya: Absent throughout the chapter, her failure to attend the show reinforces Naomi's suspicion and leaves her character shrouded in ambiguity.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Performance and identity: The dance show highlights the contrast between Naomi's public confidence and her private turmoil, suggesting that performance is a recurring motif for how characters present themselves versus who they really are.
Legacy networks: Calum's connection to Liam's father and the "hosed" reference illustrate how Greystone's alumni network spans generations, with old loyalties and old secrets persisting.
Photographic evidence: The ski photo is the first concrete proof that Maya was present at the cabin weekend with Lila, transforming suspicion into documented fact.
Surveillance paranoia: Amy's belief that communications are monitored reflects the novel's atmosphere of hidden surveillance and the danger of asking questions.
Disappearance: Zee's vanishing at the chapter's end echoes the pattern of people disappearing when they get too close to the truth, reinforcing the novel's sense of looming threat.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter delivers a major revelation: photographic evidence places Naomi's sister Maya at the ski cabin with Lila and their mutual friends, confirming DuPont's earlier claim and forcing Naomi to confront the possibility that her sister is connected to Lila's death. Liam's warning—that Greystone hid the incident for a reason—raises the stakes for Naomi's investigation and introduces the idea that the cover-up is actively enforced. The chapter also introduces Sara, DuPont's fiancée, whose protective intensity hints at hidden knowledge. Finally, Zee's unexplained disappearance at the chapter's end adds a new mystery and suggests that even peripheral figures connected to the investigation may be at risk.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why is Naomi's reaction to the ski photo significant?

The photo confirms that Maya was present at the cabin weekend with Lila, directly contradicting any assumption that Maya was uninvolved. It validates DuPont's suggestion and forces Naomi to reconcile her love for her sister with the mounting evidence that Maya is connected to Lila's death.

2. What does Liam's warning reveal about Greystone's power?

Liam's fear suggests that Greystone's alumni network actively suppresses information about the incident. His father's knowledge of the situation indicates the cover-up spans generations, and his warning implies that asking questions carries real personal risk—a threat that proves prophetic given Naomi's fate.

3. How does Zee's disappearance function in the chapter?

Zee's voicemail—mentioning Trey, shots, and leaving—followed by her absence creates an ominous parallel to other disappearances in the novel. It suggests that even characters who are only tangentially connected to the investigation may be vulnerable, and it leaves the reader with a sense of unresolved danger.