52 pages • 1 hour read
Sarah PekkanenA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Aware that Harriet does not want her to see Rose’s room, Stella moves quickly to investigate the book that does not match its dust jacket. She realizes that Rose is not reading Anne of Green Gables but a book about serial killer Ted Bundy. This strikes her as bizarre and inappropriate reading material for a child. She also finds a small collection of weapons hidden in Rose’s jewelry box. On the way out, she runs into Harriet, who is angry that she has looked in Rose’s room. Harriet asks Stella to leave, and she complies. Harriet tells Stella that Rose is just a “little girl” and should not be judged harshly.
Stella drives away from the Barclay house, shaken by her discoveries. She pulls over to take a call from Rose’s school and learns that Rose’s parents did not withdraw her from classes. In reality, Rose was asked to leave because she brought a weapon to school. Stella recalls the hesitation that Beth and Ian expressed when she asked to be alone with Rose, and she wonders what other lies they have told her.
By Sarah Pekkanen