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Chapter 36-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 36 Summary: “Garrett”
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of rape, child abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and substance use.
Garrett quickly recognizes signs that his father is abusive toward Cindy, noticing that she flinches whenever Phil touches her, just as Garrett’s mother used to do. Garrett struggles to contain his resentment and rage throughout the dinner, and to fill the tense silence, Hannah speaks about her showcase. When she tells Cindy about the troubles she had with Cass and MJ, Cindy says that Cass sounds like “an ass.” Phil scolds Cindy for her language, and she flinches and immediately apologizes.
Garrett and Hannah decide to leave early instead of staying for dessert. Phil pulls Garrett into his study for a private chat and tells him that Hannah is a liability. He demands that Garrett break up with her because the team has been losing games. Garrett angrily defends the relationship and accuses his father of abusing Cindy, likening it to the abuse that Garrett and his mother endured. He tells Phil to get some help before he hurts Cindy more than he already has. Garrett emerges and sends Hannah out to the car so that he can have a private word with Cindy. She flinches at his approach while alone with him, and he reassures her that he is nothing like Phil, explaining the years of abuse that he suffered at his father’s hands. He warns her that Phil is dangerous and assures her that if she ever needs help, she can reach out to him.
As Garrett drives back to campus with Hannah, he opens up about his fear that he has the potential to become like his father. Hannah reassures him that he isn’t like Phil, emphasizing that Garrett would never hurt anyone. She tells him that she loves him, and he reciprocates the sentiment.
Chapter 37 Summary: “Hannah”
A week after Thanksgiving, Hannah and Garrett’s relationship is still going strong. Hannah and Kim Jae Woo have perfected Hannah’s showcase performance arrangement, and Hannah has ignored several texts from MJ, asking to talk. Hannah has also received the good news that her parents will be able to join her for Christmas in Philadelphia. Unfortunately, however, Garrett can’t come because of his hockey team’s schedule. He will be spending the holiday with Logan and his family, who live nearby.
At Garrett’s latest game, Briar loses to a Division II team from Buffalo. Hannah meets Birdie’s girlfriend, Natalie, and immediately likes her. However, she is annoyed to see Garrett’s father in the crowd, soaking up attention from fans and signing autographs. After the game, Hannah runs into Rob Delaney, one of Aaron’s high school friends who lied about her in court. Garrett can see that she is visibly shaken by the interaction. When she tells Garrett who Rob is, Garrett angrily confronts him.
Chapter 38 Summary: “Garrett”
Garrett accuses Rob of aiding and abetting a rapist. In retaliation, Rob insults Hannah, calling her a “slut,” which enrages Garrett. He punches Rob, and the confrontation quickly escalates into a fight that Logan has to break up. Two hours later, after meeting with his coach, Garrett visits Hannah at her dorm. With her permission, Garrett informs his coach about the altercation and about Hannah’s past with Rob. As a result, Garrett receives a one-game suspension, though the punishment is lighter due to the circumstances. Garrett also explains the situation to Logan, who then regrets intervening in the fight. Garrett apologizes to Hannah for losing his temper. She reassures him that it doesn’t change how she feels about him. She still believes that he would never hurt her and hopes that he doesn’t hate himself for what happened.
Chapter 39 Summary: “Hannah”
The next morning, Hannah gets ready for work, leaving Garrett to sleep in her bed. During her shift at the diner, Garrett’s father arrives to speak with her. He believes that Garrett is too distracted by their relationship and is making costly mistakes that could harm his hockey career. Phil demands that Hannah break up with Garrett. At first, she refuses, but when Phil threatens to cut Garrett off financially, leaving him unable to complete college or continue with hockey, Hannah acquiesces to his demand, not wanting to be the reason why Garrett loses everything.
Chapter 40 Summary: “Garrett”
Garrett agonizes over the fact that Hannah has been avoiding him for days and believes that it is because of his fight with Rob. He wonders if she is scared of him after all. Unable to handle the suspense, Garrett shows up at her dorm to confront her. When he asks why she has been avoiding him, she says that they should stop seeing each other because they are moving too fast and she isn’t ready for a relationship. When he suggests slowing down, she instead insists that they see other people. Garrett’s heart breaks, and he leaves in a daze. At home, he decides to drown his sorrows, so he raids Logan’s room for alcohol. After he explains that Hannah broke up with him, Logan joins him in drinking to forget.
Chapter 41 Summary: “Hannah”
Hannah doesn’t see or speak to Garrett for a week. She has no desire to date anyone else and wallows in her own heartbreak, feeling resentful of Phil. The only bright spot is that Garrett’s team is on a winning streak again. With Allie’s help, she prepares for the winter showcase, although she no longer feels particularly motivated to compete. As she watches Cass, she notices that although his technique is flawless, his performance lacks emotion. Cass’s alterations to the composition have drained the piece of any feeling. During the showcase, MJ confides in Hannah, revealing that Cass dumped her shortly after getting everything he wanted. Though Hannah feels pity for MJ, forgiveness doesn’t come easily.
When it’s Hannah’s turn to perform, all her unresolved feelings for Garrett pour out, and the emotion she channels into her performance earns her a standing ovation. Overcome, she races to the bathroom. On her way, she runs into Garrett, who came to support her performance. Garrett asks her how many men she has dated since they broke up. Caught off guard by the question, she insists that she has dated no one. He believes that she lied to him about the real reason they broke up, and he is determined to find out the truth.
Chapter 42 Summary: “Hannah”
Hannah wins the performance scholarship, beating Cass and earning $5,000 to help cover next semester’s expenses, which eases the financial strain on her parents. Following the showcase, she runs into Garrett three times. Each time, he asks about her dating life, and her answer remains the same.
During her Christmas break in Philadelphia, Hannah confides in her mother about Garrett. Her mother keeps her busy with holiday activities, hoping to distract her from moping. On New Year’s Eve, after watching the ball drop on TV, Hannah remembers that January 1 is Garrett’s birthday. She calls him, and he picks up right away, sounding like he is home alone. She wishes him a happy birthday, and he asks how the dating is going. Hannah lies and says that it’s going great, but Garrett doesn’t believe her for a second.
Chapter 43 Summary: “Hannah”
When Hannah returns to campus after Christmas break, she desperately attempts to find someone to date to make her lie to Garrett seem true. However, she quickly realizes that all the men are avoiding her. She briefly considers asking Justin out again but quickly dismisses the idea, not wanting to lead him on. Instead, she apologizes for canceling their first date, explaining that she fell for Garrett unexpectedly. Justin is understanding, and the two agree to become friends.
When Hannah becomes desperate enough to call Allie’s boyfriend, Sean, to see if he’ll set her up with one of his fraternity brothers, she finally learns that Garrett has spread word around the school that if he discovers anyone dating Hannah, he will personally beat them up. Angered by this, Hannah storms off to Briar’s hockey arena and barges into the locker room, unintentionally catching sight of several naked players. Determined to confront Garrett, she marches straight toward him as he showers.
Chapter 44 Summary: “Garrett/Hannah”
Garrett grins when he sees Hannah marching up to his shower, her face twisted in anger. Hannah scolds him for implementing a campus-wide “hands-off” rule, and Garrett insists that he did it for her own good. He knew that she would stubbornly try to stick with her lie and date someone else, only to regret it later. Hannah laughs at this, deciding that she has had enough of the conversation. When she moves to leave, Garrett stops her and demands to know why they really broke up. After a bit of pressure, she admits that his father told her to. Garrett asks her to wait outside while he gets dressed so that they can talk about exactly what his father said to her.
Once they are in the privacy of Hannah’s dorm room, she explains that Phil threatened to withdraw his financial support for his son unless she broke up with Garrett. Garrett laughs when he hears the story, but his laugh is tinged with frustration. He explains that, as of January 2, he can now access a trust fund left to him by his mother’s parents, who never liked his father. The money was more than enough to pay off all his debts to Phil, leaving him financially independent.
Hannah realizes that she broke up with Garrett for no reason. Although Garrett is annoyed that she didn’t come to him sooner, he admires her willingness to look out for him, even if it meant sacrificing her happiness. Garrett then reveals that Cindy has dumped his father. A week after Thanksgiving, she packed her bags and left. Now, Garrett and Hannah make up, reaffirming their love for each other.
Chapter 45 Summary: “Hannah”
The narrative shifts from January to March. Garrett’s living room is now filled with the sound of video games and lighthearted banter. Justin, now a friend of Hannah’s, is lounging on the couch with Tucker, celebrating the hockey team’s success in making the semifinals. Justin has also recently been dating Stella, one of Hannah’s friends. Hannah notices Logan sitting across the room, and his eyes linger on her with an expression of longing. Garrett is aware of his friend’s feelings and hopes that Logan will eventually get over his crush on Hannah.
The spring semester has been hectic for all of them, especially for Hannah, who is rehearsing non-stop for the upcoming spring showcase. She will perform another duet, but this time with her trusted friend Dexter. The hockey championship next week is being held in Philadelphia, and Garrett’s team has made it far enough to compete. Hannah is planning to visit her aunt Nicole for three days and watch the championship games in person.
Epilogue Summary: “Garrett”
Garrett bursts out of the arena with his team after winning the Frozen Four championship game, and Hannah rushes into his arms to celebrate. His father is waiting outside the arena, but Garrett avoids looking his way. Because he has told his teammates and coach about the real Phil Graham—including his abusive behavior behind closed doors—they all ignore Phil as they board the bus. Garrett is content to move forward with his life.
Chapter 36-Epilogue Analysis
This section contains a nuanced exploration of The Impact of Past Trauma on Daily Life, and this dynamic takes center stage as Garrett confronts his father about current and past abuses and witnessing Cindy’s resentment and fright during Thanksgiving. These fraught interactions highlight the cyclical nature of abuse and the difficulty of breaking free from such unhealthy patterns. Garrett’s instinctive ability to recognize Cindy’s fear mirrors the abuses that he and his mother endured when they lived with Phil. The Thanksgiving altercations also bring Garrett’s internal struggles to the forefront of the narrative, compelling him to admit his deep-seated fear of inheriting his father’s abusive tendencies. In this moment, Kennedy engineers a role reversal as Hannah becomes an emotional anchor for Garrett, reassuring him that he is nothing like his father. This positive interaction further cements their bond and reinforces The Importance of Reclaiming Confidence and Personal Power.
Hannah’s faith in Garrett proves to be well placed, as is demonstrated in his decisions and inner reflections during the altercation with his father. For example, when his father moves as if he might hit Garrett on Thanksgiving, Garrett thinks,
I almost want him to. That way I can strike back. I can smash my fists into his pathetic face and show him what it’s like to get beat on by someone who’s supposed to love you. But my feet stay rooted in place, […] [b]ecause no matter how badly I want to do it, I will never […] lose control of my temper and be like him (265).
In this moment, Garrett makes the conscious choice not to mimic his father’s abusive tendencies, even when he feels that such an action would be more than justified. His reflections prove that he will never become like his father because he maintains an active awareness of his father’s flaws and is resolved to be a better person than the man who raised him.
Just as Garrett’s Thanksgiving confrontation with his father forces him to confront unresolved trauma from his past, Hannah also faces a similarly triggering confrontation when she encounters Rob Delaney after one of Garrett’s hockey games. Her visible distress following the encounter underscores the long-lasting effects of her trauma, but Garrett’s unwavering support and willingness to defend her demonstrate the significance of receiving staunch support during the journey to recovery. Thus, Kennedy uses these chapters to emphasize that healing is not linear and requires both internal strength and external validation.
Although Kennedy’s focus on overcoming trauma marks a more serious departure from the conventions of the sports romance subgenre, she also adheres to the traditional romance trope of the “third-act breakup,” as is evidenced when Phil’s interference temporarily forces Hannah to abandon her romance with Garrett. However, although Kennedy makes full use of this trope, she also elevates it by creating a concrete external threat rather than engineering a simple misunderstanding or miscommunication. In this particular instance, the requisite third-act breakup is spurred by one partner’s willingness to sacrifice for the other’s happiness. When the two finally reconcile, Garrett’s financial independence neatly eliminates the entire problem and nullifies Phil’s control, and the contrived nature of this conclusion is mitigated by the fact that both Hannah and Garrett succeed in overcoming The Systemic Issues Surrounding Abuse.
While the narrative focus during the novel’s third act shifts to Garrett’s troubled family dynamics, Hannah’s relationship with music has remained a constant presence throughout the novel, serving as a symbol of escapism and an emotional outlet for her. Her shifting attitude toward her showcase is a reliable indicator of her mindset at any given point. Thus, during the winter showcase, Hannah’s performance becomes a culmination of her emotional journey. Her decision to channel her heartbreak into her performance shows that she is finally ready to embrace emotional vulnerability, and it is therefore her own emotional growth that allows her to win the competition and earn enough prize money to alleviate some of her family’s financial stress. In this way, music transcends its narrative role as metaphorical and emotional escapism and improves her life in a very concrete way. As the Epilogue provides a glimpse into Hannah and Graham’s future, it is clear that their relationship will endure despite the strategic loose ends—such as Logan’s unrequited crush—that hint at conflicts in the series’ future installments.
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