Chapter 28 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

This chapter is a deep dive into the diary of Sabrina Abbott, the camp counselor whose death in 1978 is the central mystery of the novel. The diary entries, spanning from January to July of that year, provide a first-person account of her final months, revealing her personal struggles and the events that led to her fateful decision to go into the woods.

The diary begins in January 1978, shortly after the death of Michael Penhale. Sabrina records the town's suspicion of Todd Cooper, though the police have cleared him. She is focused on her college applications, particularly to Columbia University, and feels increasingly stifled by her boyfriend, Shawn, who doesn't understand her desire to leave their small town. She finds solace in music, particularly Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, which she interprets as a guide for her own life.

In April, Sabrina decides to break up with Shawn at the Dairy Duchess. The breakup is a