86 pages • 2 hours read
Wendelin Van DraanenA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Summary
Part 1, Chapters 1-3
Part 1, Chapters 4-6
Part 1, Chapters 7-9
Part 1, Chapters 10-12
Part 1, Chapters 13-15
Part 1, Chapters 16-18
Part 1, Chapters 19-21
Part 1, Chapters 22-24
Part 1, Chapters 25-26
Part 2, Chapters 1-3
Part 2, Chapters 4-6
Part 2, Chapters 7-9
Part 2, Chapters 10-12
Part 2, Chapters 13-15
Part 3, Chapters 1-3
Part 3, Chapters 4-6
Part 3, Chapters 7-9
Part 3, Chapters 10-12
Part 3, Chapters 13-15
Part 3, Chapters 16-18
Part 3, Chapters 19-21
Part 3, Chapters 22-24
Part 4, Chapters 1-3
Part 4, Chapters 4-6
Part 4, Chapters 7-9
Part 4, Chapters 10-12
Part 4, Chapters 13-15
Part 4, Chapters 16-18
Part 5, Chapters 1-3
Part 5, Chapters 4-6
Part 5, Chapters 7-9
Part 5, Chapters 10-12
Part 5, Chapters 13-15
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Jessica replays a recent 400-meter race in her mind, a race against her rival, Vanessa Steele. She remembers every detail about the race, from Vanessa’s deep-red painted fingernails to Vanessa’s habit of psyching out her competition by being the last girl in the starting blocks. Jessica recalls feeling confident and calm as she settles into the blocks before the gun goes off.
The race begins, and Jessica knows she is running well. Her “kick is good” (10), and she is “soaring around the track” (10) as she approaches Vanessa and the most challenging part of the race: Rigor Mortis Bend. She draws even with Vanessa with 100-meters to go. Both runners give it their all as they speed toward the finish line.
It is right before the finish line that Jessica leans forward one last time and “duck[s] over the finish line in front of [Vanessa}” (11). She has won the race, and not only is she the winner, but she ran the race in fifty-five seconds, a league record. It is also, Jessica remembers, the last race of her life, a race she calls “My finish line” (12).
By Wendelin Van Draanen