Chapter 33 Summary, Analysis, and Key Themes
⚠️ 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
On June 22, 2019, Jax returns to Sparrow Crest to find the house empty. She takes a beer and one of Diane's pain pills to dull her headache, then begins packing her suitcase. While sorting through boxes of Lexie's papers, she reads a journal entry dated June 14, in which Lexie writes that she made a wish at the pool—to have Jax back at Sparrow Crest. Jax whispers that Lexie got her wish, and reflects on how cruel wishes can be.
Exhausted, Jax falls asleep on her bed. When she wakes, it is nearly dark. She hears tapping on the wall and then Lexie's muffled voice saying, 'Ready or not, here I come.' She searches the house but finds no one. Soon Diane and Ted return, having been worried about Jax's disappearance. They prepare dinner, but discover that every light bulb in the house has been removed. Diane lights candles, and the three sit down to eat. Ted becomes increasingly agitated, humming and staring out the window.
The phone rings. Jax answers and hears a voice that initially sounds like her younger self, but turns out to be Declan, one of her clients. Declan confesses that he killed the fish because they wouldn't stop talking to him and showing him things. Diane takes the phone and hears only a dial tone. Jax sees what she thinks is Lexie's face at the window, but it disappears.
Ted suddenly announces that he sees Lexie outside and runs to the pool, jumping in. Jax dives in to save him. Underwater, she is pulled deeper by something. She sees Lexie, who takes her hand and leads her down to a gathering of drowned souls—Rita, Nelson DeWitt, Eliza Harding, Martha Woodcock, and others. Jax realizes these are the source of the pool's power. She begins to glow and feels tempted to stay, but her father grabs her shirt and pulls her back to the surface, shouting that he has her.
Key Events
- Jax returns to Sparrow Crest and finds the house empty. - She reads Lexie's journal entry about wishing to have Jax back. - She falls asleep and wakes to darkness, hearing tapping and Lexie's voice. - Diane and Ted return; they discover all light bulbs have been removed. - Declan calls and confesses to killing the fish. - Ted sees Lexie outside and jumps into the pool. - Jax dives in to save him and is pulled underwater by Lexie. - Jax sees the drowned souls and learns they power the pool. - Jax begins to glow and is tempted to stay, but her father pulls her out.
Character Development
- Jax: This chapter forces Jax to confront the consequences of her childhood wish. She realizes that her wish to not be the 'special one' may have set off a chain of events leading to Lexie's illness and death. Her guilt deepens as she apologizes to Lexie underwater. She also faces the temptation to stay with her sister in the pool, but ultimately chooses life, thinking of her father, Diane, her cat, and her clients. - Ted: Ted's mental state deteriorates dramatically. He becomes fixated on seeing Lexie, hums a song, and jumps into the pool believing she is there. His desperate need to reconnect with his daughter drives him to risk his life. - Diane: Diane remains pragmatic, trying to keep the family together and dismissing supernatural explanations. She is protective of Jax and Ted, but her skepticism is challenged by the events. - Lexie: Though dead, Lexie appears as a powerful presence, pulling Jax down and offering a shared afterlife. Her wish to have Jax back is fulfilled in a twisted way, but Jax resists.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Wishes granted at a price: Lexie's wish to have Jax back is granted, but it comes with the cost of Jax nearly drowning and the revelation that the pool demands sacrifice. Jax's own childhood wish—to not be the special one—may have contributed to Lexie's fate. - The pool as a gateway to the afterlife: The pool is depicted as a place where the dead reside, and the drowned souls are the source of its power. Jax sees them as glowing lights, and they beckon her to stay. - Darkness enables the dead to emerge: The removal of all light bulbs creates darkness that allows the dead to appear. Jax notes, 'When it's dark, they can come out of the pool,' and the chapter is filled with darkness and candlelight. - The X girls bond: The connection between Jax and Lexie is central. Lexie's handhold and the crossing of fingers symbolize their unbreakable sisterly bond, even in death. - The temptation to stay with the dead: Jax feels warmth and a desire to remain with Lexie and the drowned souls, but she chooses to return to the living, thinking of those who need her.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is the climax of the novel's supernatural plot. It brings Jax face-to-face with her sister's ghost and the truth about the pool's power. Jax's realization that her childhood wish may have set everything in motion deepens the novel's exploration of guilt and responsibility. The chapter also resolves the mystery of the phone calls (they were from Declan) and sets up the final confrontation with the pool's influence. Jax's choice to leave the water, despite her love for Lexie, underscores the theme that the living must move forward.
Study Questions and Answers
- What does Jax learn from Lexie's journal entry, and how does it affect her?
Jax reads that Lexie wished to have Jax back at Sparrow Crest. This makes Jax feel guilty because she realizes her own childhood wish—to not be the special one—may have contributed to Lexie's downfall. She whispers that Lexie got her wish, and reflects on the cruelty of wishes.
- Why does Ted jump into the pool, and what does he see?
Ted becomes convinced that Lexie is outside and runs to the pool. He jumps in, claiming he sees her in the water. He is so desperate to reconnect with his daughter that he risks drowning, and later tells Jax that Lexie is down there.
- What does Jax see underwater, and why does she almost stay?
Underwater, Jax sees Lexie and a host of drowned souls, including Rita, Nelson DeWitt, Eliza Harding, and Martha Woodcock. She realizes they are the source of the pool's power. Lexie pulls her deeper, and Jax begins to glow, feeling tempted to stay. She thinks of her father, Diane, her cat, and her clients, and fights to return to the surface.