Chapter 9 Summary: Lizzy's Perspective on August 20, 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.
You can return to the chapter 8 summary or the book hub at any time.
This page covers Chapter 9, titled “Lizzy: August 20, 2019.”
It is the first chapter told from Lizzy’s perspective in the present-day timeline, and it sets up the central mystery of the novel.
The chapter is rich with atmosphere, character backstory, and folklore, and it establishes the stakes for Lizzy’s investigation.
Below, you’ll find a complete summary, key events, character analysis, thematic discussion, and study questions with answers.
All claims are grounded in the chapter’s text.
If you haven’t read the chapter yet, you may want to do so before continuing.
Now, let’s dive in.
Summary
The chapter opens with Lizzy driving onto Chickering Island, a peninsula on Crane Lake in Vermont.
She has just passed the exit for Fayeville, the town where she grew up and where the Hillside Inn—the site of her childhood trauma—is located.
She reflects that she has avoided Vermont for years because of that place, calling her own past “the most terrifying, unfaceable monster of all.”
She feels a pull toward Fayeville but forces herself to continue to her destination.
She has researched Chickering Island during a stop in Pennsylvania, learning that it is not actually an island but a peninsula, and that it has a small year-round population that swells in summer.
She notes the absence of cranes, which makes the name feel like a lie.
After passing through the quaint downtown with its seasonal shops and a town green featuring a stone lighthouse, she drives to the wildlife sanctuary at the island’s tip.
She knows from her research that most Rattling Jane sightings have occurred in these woods and along the water.
She feels the woods “pulling” her, but she decides to return later.
She then checks into the Chickering Island Campground, using the name Lizzy Shelley and claiming it is her first time in Vermont.
The owner, Steve, is friendly and assigns her Site 23, which is private and backed against the woods.
After setting up her van, she works on finishing a podcast about the Honey Island swamp monster, deliberately keeping her online location listed as Louisiana to avoid attention.
While she edits, a teenage campground worker named Dave Gibbs, nicknamed Skink, arrives on a four-wheeler.
He recognizes her immediately, having been a fan since her early blog days.
Despite her desire for anonymity, she agrees to interview him about Rattling Jane.
Skink describes the creature as a being assembled from lake debris—fish bones, driftwood, weeds, and feathers—that rattles like wind chimes when the wind blows through it.
He explains that locals create scarecrow-like sculptures of her, and that people can call her by bringing something shiny to the water; she will then hand them a pebble that grants wishes.
Skink admits he has tried to summon her many times without success.
He then tells Lizzy about Lauren Schumacher, a Massachusetts tourist who disappeared a few days earlier.
Lauren had claimed to have seen Rattling Jane and had shown people a pebble she said came from the creature.
Skink says most people thought Lauren was seeking attention, but he suspects something darker: he believes Rattling Jane may have taken Lauren, dragging her into the lake.
The chapter ends with Skink’s ominous whisper that the creature “takes people sometimes,” leaving Lizzy with a lump in her throat.
Key Events
-
Lizzy arrives on Chickering Island, a peninsula on Crane Lake, after driving past the Fayeville exit.
-
She tours the downtown and visits the wildlife sanctuary, where most Rattling Jane sightings have occurred, but leaves without exploring.
-
She checks into the campground under the name Lizzy Shelley, claiming it is her first time in Vermont.
-
She works on her Honey Island swamp monster podcast and keeps her online location set to Louisiana.
-
Skink, a teenage campground worker, recognizes her and interviews with her about Rattling Jane.
-
Skink describes Rattling Jane as a creature made of lake debris that rattles, and explains the wish-making pebble folklore.
-
Skink reveals that Lauren Schumacher, a tourist from Massachusetts, disappeared after claiming she had seen Rattling Jane and possessed one of her pebbles.
-
Skink expresses his belief that Rattling Jane took Lauren, implying the creature may be dangerous.
Character Development
Lizzy is revealed to be a monster hunter with a personal history that makes Vermont a forbidden territory.
Her avoidance of the state stems from her childhood at the Hillside Inn, which she calls “the dark, shadowy form of my own past.”
This chapter establishes that her professional curiosity is at odds with her emotional trauma.
She is methodical and cautious, as shown by her research and her decision to use a false name, but she is also vulnerable—she feels the “pull” of the woods and the past.
Her reaction to Skink’s recognition shows her discomfort with fame; she prefers to work in obscurity.
Her internal monologue reveals a belief that fear is protective, a theme that will likely shape her actions later.
Skink is introduced as an enthusiastic, knowledgeable local.
He is a self-described “reptile guy” with over twenty lizards, and he has been a fan of Lizzy since childhood.
His eagerness to help and his detailed knowledge of Rattling Jane folklore make him a valuable source, but his belief that the creature took Lauren adds a layer of unease.
He is portrayed as both earnest and slightly naive, yet his suspicion about Lauren’s disappearance suggests he is not entirely gullible.
Lauren Schumacher is mentioned but not directly present.
She is characterized through Skink’s description as a troubled teenager who sought attention, but her disappearance and the pebble she claimed to possess make her a central mystery.
Her fate is left ambiguous, but Skink’s theory points to a supernatural explanation.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
The past as an unfaceable monster: Lizzy explicitly compares her own history to a monster, and her avoidance of Vermont mirrors the way people avoid confronting trauma.
The chapter suggests that the past can be as terrifying as any cryptid.
Identity concealment: Lizzy uses a false name and hides her location, reflecting her desire to control how others see her.
This motif of concealment extends to the town itself, which presents a cheerful facade that may hide darker truths.
Idyllic facade vs. dark undercurrent: The downtown is described as quaint and welcoming, but the woods and the lake hold a creature that may take people.
The contrast between the sunny, tourist-friendly surface and the lurking danger is a recurring motif.
Lake monster folklore and wish-making: The legend of Rattling Jane, with its pebbles that grant wishes, taps into classic folklore patterns.
The wish-making element adds a layer of temptation and danger, as wishes often come with costs.
Fear as protective instinct: Lizzy reflects that fear keeps her on guard, suggesting that her caution is a survival mechanism.
This theme is likely to be tested as she investigates.
Media distortion of true crime: Lizzy mentions that the book and movie about the Hillside Inn got many details wrong, and she has corrected a copy of the book.
This highlights how public narratives can misrepresent real events, a theme that may connect to the novel’s larger mystery.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter serves as a crucial turning point in the novel’s structure.
It introduces the present-day timeline and establishes Lizzy as the protagonist investigating a new mystery.
The chapter also deepens the novel’s central tension between rational investigation and supernatural belief.
By placing Lizzy in a location that triggers her traumatic past, the author creates a personal stake that goes beyond professional curiosity.
The introduction of Lauren Schumacher’s disappearance provides a concrete case for Lizzy to pursue, and Skink’s testimony plants the idea that Rattling Jane may be more than folklore.
The chapter also sets up the setting—Chickering Island—as a place where the idyllic and the sinister coexist, preparing readers for the revelations to come.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Lizzy avoid Vermont, and how does this chapter reveal her internal conflict?
Lizzy avoids Vermont because it is associated with Fayeville and the Hillside Inn, where she experienced childhood trauma.
She calls her past “the most terrifying, unfaceable monster of all,” and she feels a pull toward the place even as she drives past the exit.
Her decision to come to Chickering Island, despite this avoidance, shows that her professional drive to hunt monsters is now forcing her to confront her personal history.
The chapter reveals this conflict through her internal monologue and her physical reactions, such as rolling down the window to breathe and telling herself she can do this.
2. How does Skink’s description of Rattling Jane and Lauren Schumacher complicate the mystery?
Skink describes Rattling Jane as a creature assembled from lake debris that rattles, and he explains the folklore of calling her with something shiny to receive a wish-granting pebble.
He then reveals that Lauren Schumacher, a tourist who disappeared, claimed to have seen the creature and had a pebble.
Skink believes Rattling Jane took Lauren, which introduces the possibility that the creature is not just a legend but an active threat.
This complicates the mystery by blurring the line between folklore and reality, and it raises questions about whether Lauren’s disappearance has a supernatural or human explanation.
3. What does Lizzy’s decision to keep her location listed as Louisiana reveal about her character and the theme of identity concealment?
Lizzy deliberately keeps her online location set to Louisiana while she is in Vermont, even though she is working on a podcast about the Honey Island swamp monster.
This decision shows her desire to maintain control over her public image and to avoid unwanted attention, especially after being recognized by fans.
It also reflects the theme of identity concealment, as she is using a false name and hiding her true whereabouts.
This concealment may be a way for her to protect herself from the emotional weight of returning to Vermont, and it suggests that she is not fully ready to confront her past openly.
Navigation
-
Previous chapter: Chapter 8 Summary