Chapter 33 Summary: Lizzy on August 21, 2019

⚠️ 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

In Chapter 33, Lizzy sits in the campground office with Skink, reading The Book of Monsters. The pages trigger a flood of memories from her childhood as Iris, when Gran brought her home and introduced her to her grandchildren, Violet and Eric. Lizzy recalls how the children taught her everyday skills—dressing, brushing her hair, tying shoes—and introduced her to pop culture like Scooby-Doo and Count Chocula cereal. They also taught her about monsters: how to spot them, how to be one, and how to act human even when feeling like a monster.

The memory shifts to the secret clubhouse in the woods, where Violet invited Iris to join their monster club. Lizzy remembers drawing a picture of a door in B West with Gran's eyes looking through, labeled “MNSTR.” She finds that drawing in the book. Skink interrupts, asking if she's at the end, and for a moment Lizzy is disoriented, unsure if she's in the past or present. She continues reading, encountering the entry on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which emphasizes that the dark side wins and both must die.

Skink asks about the girl she wrote the book with, and Lizzy confirms she is her sister. He asks if she is Violet Hildreth or Iris, and she says she was Iris. He asks if she knew Violet had evil inside her, and Lizzy admits she didn't—she thought she was the broken one, the monster.

Lizzy then recalls the final night in the basement at the Hillside Inn. Violet closed her eyes, slipped to the floor, and when she woke, she was no longer the same person. Violet Hildreth was gone; a monster looked back from icy-cold eyes.

Turning to the new, added pages in the book, Lizzy reads a message from the monster. The monster claims to be many-faced, like Eric's chimera, and says she has roamed the country, always seeking girls. She explains that she saves girls because she could not save Iris. The monster calls Lizzy her sister, her other half, her missing piece, and invites her to come home.

Lizzy realizes the monster has returned to the Hillside Inn. Skink connects the name Hildreth to The Helping Hand of God, the cult led by the doctor. He is shocked to learn that Lizzy and Violet were part of that experiment. Lizzy stands, her legs shaky, and decides to go back to the place where both she and the monster were created. She is going home.

Key Events

Lizzy reads The Book of Monsters and is transported to memories of her childhood as Iris.
She recalls Gran bringing her home and introducing her to Violet and Eric, who taught her everyday skills and monster lore.
Lizzy remembers drawing the “MNSTR” door in the clubhouse, a symbol of her early awareness of the monster within.
She reads the Jekyll and Hyde entry, reinforcing the theme that the dark side wins.
Skink questions Lizzy about her identity and her sister, and she reveals she was Iris, not Violet.
Lizzy recalls the final night in the basement when Violet transformed into a monster.
She reads the monster's new pages, which explain that the monster saves girls because she couldn't save Iris, and invites Lizzy home.
Lizzy deduces the monster is at the Hillside Inn.
Skink connects the Hildreth name to The Helping Hand of God, revealing the sisters' origin.
Lizzy decides to return to the Inn, the place where both she and the monster were created.

Character Development

Lizzy undergoes a significant shift in this chapter. For most of the novel, she has been running from her past, identifying as a monster hunter. Here, she confronts her own history as Iris, the “broken” girl who was brought into Gran's family. She admits she thought she was the monster, but now realizes Violet was the one who transformed. This acknowledgment forces Lizzy to reconcile her identity: she was Iris, but she is also Lizzy, and she must accept that her past is intertwined with the monster's. Her decision to return to the Inn marks a turning point from passive flight to active confrontation.

Skink serves as a grounding presence, asking pointed questions that help Lizzy articulate her memories. His reaction to the Hildreth name—connecting it to The Helping Hand of God—shows his growing understanding of the dark history. He is determined to stay with Lizzy, refusing to let her face this alone, which deepens their bond.

Violet is present only through memory and the monster's written words. Her transformation in the basement is depicted as a complete loss of self, with the monster taking over. The monster's message reveals a twisted motivation: she saves girls as a way to save Iris, her sister. This adds complexity to Violet's character, suggesting that even in her monstrous state, she is driven by a distorted love for her sister.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Identity and Transformation: The chapter explores the fluidity of identity. Lizzy was Iris, then Lizzy; Violet became a monster. The Jekyll and Hyde reference underscores the idea that the dark side can overpower the human side. The monster's claim to be “many-faced” echoes Eric's chimera, suggesting that identity is not fixed but composed of multiple selves.

Sisterhood and the Other Half: The monster calls Lizzy her “other half” and “missing piece,” emphasizing a bond that transcends blood. They were “reborn in that basement,” linking them in a way that is stronger than shared DNA. This motif of two halves suggests that Lizzy and the monster are inseparable, even as they oppose each other.

Seeking vs. Saving: The monster says she is always seeking girls, while Lizzy seeks monsters. The monster's motivation is to save girls, but her method—transforming them—is horrifying. This contrast highlights the difference between Lizzy's quest to destroy monsters and the monster's twisted attempt to save her sister.

Return to the Origin: The chapter ends with Lizzy deciding to return to the Hillside Inn, the place where both she and the monster were created. This return symbolizes a confrontation with the past, a necessary step to break the cycle of running and chasing.

The Door Drawing (MNSTR): Lizzy's childhood drawing of a door with Gran's eyes looking through represents the threshold between human and monster. It foreshadows the revelation that the monster is connected to Gran and the experiments at the Inn.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 33 is a pivotal turning point in the novel. It provides crucial backstory, revealing that Lizzy was originally Iris, a girl brought into Gran's family, and that Violet was the one who transformed into a monster. The monster's written message explains her motivation—saving girls as a substitute for saving Iris—and directly invites Lizzy to come home. This revelation reframes the entire narrative: Lizzy is not just a monster hunter; she is the sister of the monster, and her quest is deeply personal.

The chapter also connects the Hildreth name to The Helping Hand of God, linking the sisters' origin to the cult and the doctor's experiments. This ties together the historical and contemporary threads of the story. Lizzy's decision to return to the Inn sets up the climax, as she prepares to face her past and the monster she helped create. The chapter deepens the emotional stakes and clarifies the central conflict, making it essential for understanding the novel's resolution.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Lizzy initially believe she was the monster, and how does that belief change in this chapter?

Lizzy believed she was the monster because she was the “broken” one, the stitched-together girl who had forgotten how to be human. In this chapter, she recalls that Violet was the one who transformed in the basement, and she realizes that Violet's evil was hidden. This shifts her understanding: she was not the monster; Violet was. This realization forces Lizzy to redefine her identity and her role as a monster hunter.

2. What is the monster's stated motivation for saving girls, and how does it complicate the reader's view of her?

The monster says she saves girls because she could not save Iris. Each transformation is an attempt to save her sister, whom she sees as her other half. This motivation complicates the reader's view because it suggests the monster is driven by love, albeit twisted. It makes her more sympathetic, even as her actions remain horrifying, and it deepens the bond between her and Lizzy.

3. How does the chapter use the Jekyll and Hyde reference to reinforce its themes?

The Jekyll and Hyde entry states that the dark side wins and both must die. This reinforces the theme that the monster within can overpower the human, as seen with Violet. It also foreshadows the possibility that Lizzy and the monster are two sides of the same coin, and that their confrontation may require a sacrifice. The reference underscores the novel's exploration of duality and the struggle between human and monstrous identities.