87 pages 2 hours read

Matt de la Peña

The Living

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2013

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Day 7, Chapters 41-45

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 41-45 Summary

Shy wakes to find Shoeshine kneeling over him. Addison explains that Shoeshine saw the flares and found their lifeboat in time to bring them back to the safety of Jones Island. Claiming that he is giving them “vitamins you’re gonna need on the island” (233), Shoeshine gives them both a shot from the collection of needles in the duffel bag Shy found, then makes them promise not to tell anyone. As they make their way onto the island, Shy sees a ship big enough to bring all the survivors home, as well as a helicopter and a badly damaged sailboat. Shoeshine explains that the ship belongs to a team of researchers who have promised to help take the survivors home. Shy gives Shoeshine the duffel bag and the gun. Before they exit the boat, however, Shoeshine warns them that some of the survivors are sick and have been quarantined elsewhere on the island. Shoeshine is clearly holding something else back, but Shy isn’t sure what.

Shy and Addison swim to shore and feel reinvigorated to be on dry land. Addison is conflicted about her father; she wants him to be alive but doesn’t know how she’ll go about confronting him if he is.

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By Matt de la Peña