Chapter 25 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.

If you're ready, let's dive in.

This chapter is a pivotal one, blending a haunting childhood memory with the culmination of a long-running plan.

We'll break it down chronologically, examine the characters and themes, and then pose some study questions to deepen your understanding.

Let's begin with a full summary of what happens in Chapter 25.

Summary

The chapter opens with a flashback to the day Evelyn's arm cast was removed—the last day she ever saw her father.

Her mother brings her home from the doctor and sends her upstairs to wash off the smell of the cast.

Evelyn spends the afternoon in her bedroom, reading, and occasionally creeping downstairs for food when she hears the study door close.

That afternoon, she hears the study door and decides to sneak down, hoping to find a snack.

As she descends, she hears a strange, rhythmic sound—labored breathing.

She peeks around a corner and sees her mother standing over something on the floor, her dress flecked with dark spots.

Her mother turns her head just enough to signal Evelyn to go back upstairs, and Evelyn obeys.

The next morning, her mother sits on her bed and tells her that her father didn't come home.

Evelyn, sensing there is a