60 pages • 2 hours read
Elle KennedyThe Graham Effect
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2023A 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 30-Interlude 6Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 30 Summary: “Ryder”
The game against Brown concludes in a tie, marred by an argument between Case and Ryder that results in a delay of game penalty. Coach Jensen forces Case and Ryder to disembark 40 miles away from the school while riding back to Briar. They have essentials like food, lighters, and a Swiss army knife. He informs them that they will be retrieved the following morning.
Chapter 31 Summary: “Ryder”
Ryder and Case collaborate to construct a fire, with Case sharing his camping expertise while Ryder recounts his past experiences of hiding. Eventually, they reach a truce and exchange stories, including their respective team superstitions. However, Case’s lament about his breakup with Gigi makes Ryder uneasy.
Chapter 32 Summary: “Ryder”
Case and Ryder successfully endure the night, and the following day, they extend compliments to the team to foster unity.
Later, Ryder visits Gigi’s dorm room for the first time and admires how it reflects her personality, leading to an intimate moment between them. Afterward, Ryder attempts to ask Gigi out on a date, but she declines, expressing concerns about complicating their relationship and suggesting she would only consider a date to the opera.
Interlude 5 Summary: “Puckboys Chat”
The entire team participates in one of Eastwood’s superstitions by texting each other, “I’m aching for you” (322).
Chapter 33 Summary: “Gigi”
The women’s team travels to Portland for a game. Gigi receives encouraging words from the assistant coach for Team USA, who expresses his admiration for her skills and subtly suggests she need not worry about making the team. Gigi delivers an outstanding performance during the game. Meanwhile, Ryder surprises her by revealing his presence in Portland and inviting her to a night at the opera.
Despite initially being intended as a jest, Gigi and Ryder genuinely enjoy the opera, sharing an intimate moment during the performance. Later, back at the hotel, Gigi opens up about her aspirations to win Olympic gold, driven partly by a desire to achieve something her father has not. Ryder reassures Gigi, encouraging her to let go of any guilt she may feel for her emotions. Finally, they both agree to officially start dating, marking a new chapter in their relationship.
Chapter 34 Summary: “Gigi”
After Case and Ryder’s night in the woods, the men’s team wins their next four games, showcasing a newfound cohesion. Meanwhile, Gigi observes the men’s game in Portland, impressed by their performance.
Following the game, Gigi encounters a man named Nathan, who aggressively hits on her. Despite Gigi’s attempts to remain polite, Nathan persists in his advances.
Later, as Gigi prepares to join Ryder at a club with the teams, she runs into Nathan again, who continues his aggressive pursuit. Growing increasingly uncomfortable, Gigi firmly tells him to back off. Nathan refuses to heed her words and grabs her, but Ryder intervenes, pulling Nathan away as the elevator doors open.
Case joins the altercation, and the presence of five hockey players convinces Nathan to retreat and take the stairs. As everyone boards the elevator, Gigi finds herself alone with Case, the tension between them palpable.
Chapter 35 Summary: “Gigi”
Gigi celebrates Friendsgiving with Mya and Diana, who delve into Gigi’s relationship with Ryder. Both Mya and Diana observe that Gigi’s feelings for Ryder run deeper than she admits, suggesting she might be in love with him.
Later that night, Ryder visits Gigi, prompting her to confront her conflicted emotions toward him.
Chapter 36 Summary: “Ryder”
Ryder grapples with guilt over his burgeoning friendship with Case while navigating his developing feelings for Gigi.
To celebrate National Cotton Candy Day, Ryder picks a flower for Gigi, a gesture of his affection for her. Their kiss is interrupted by Coach Jensen, who questions Ryder’s intentions and the potential impact of his relationship with Gigi on the team’s dynamics and progress.
Chapter 37 Summary: “Ryder”
Ryder has a tense conversation with the lawyer, Peter Greene, who requests Ryder’s presence at his father’s parole hearing. Despite Ryder’s offer to provide a written statement, he adamantly refuses to attend in person.
Later, Ryder visits Gigi’s dorm in a foul mood. When Gigi inadvertently calls him “Luke,” Ryder reacts sharply, insisting she not call him by that name. Despite Gigi’s attempts to understand and support him, Ryder remains silent, prompting Gigi to ask him to leave her dorm room.
Chapter 38 Summary: “Ryder”
Gigi refuses to talk to Ryder, prompting him to seek advice from a friend’s girlfriend, Darby. Darby clarifies that Gigi is not upset about Ryder snapping at her but rather that he did not confide in her about what was troubling him, a vital component of any relationship.
Chapter 39 Summary: “Gigi”
Ryder visits Gigi and reveals his aversion to being called Luke. He recounts the tragic event from his childhood: His father, also named Luke, fatally shot his mother in front of him when he was six years old.
Gigi listens as Ryder shares the traumatic story of his mother’s death, offering comfort while also urging Ryder to confront the lingering impact of his past. As they discuss their emotions, Gigi confides in Ryder about her feelings regarding Case’s infidelity, realizing that she was not as devastated as she expected to be. In this vulnerable exchange, Ryder and Gigi acknowledge their feelings for each other.
Chapter 40 Summary: “Gigi”
Gigi prepares for the annual hockey fundraiser and dresses up for the occasion. Upon arrival, she encounters Case, feeling guilt over their breakup and a desire for him to find closure and move forward. However, a conversation with Trager unintentionally reveals the true extent of Case’s infidelity, leaving Gigi unsettled and tired of tiptoeing around Case’s feelings.
Feeling overwhelmed by the situation and tired of hiding their relationship, Gigi asks Ryder to dance.
Chapter 41 Summary: “Ryder”
Gigi and Ryder share a dance, with Gigi revealing that the song holds significance as her parents’ wedding song. As tensions escalate, Case leaves abruptly after exchanging heated words with Ryder. Gigi and Ryder follow suit, divulging to Case that they have been in a relationship for months.
Amid the confrontation, Case disapproves, arguing that Gigi should have respected him enough not to date his teammate. Gigi counters by highlighting the deeper betrayal she felt due to Case’s deceit regarding the extent of his infidelity. After Case departs in frustration, Ryder and Gigi retreat to Ryder’s place.
Gigi invites Ryder to her house for Christmas the following morning, marking a significant step forward in their relationship.
Interlude 6 Summary: “Texts From Dad”
Garrett expresses his disapproval of Gigi dating Ryder, to which she responds defiantly by informing him that she intends to bring Ryder home for Christmas.
Chapter 30-Interlude 6 Analysis
Kennedy’s exploration of The Power of Love and Acceptance in Fostering Emotional Growth and The Weight of Legacy reveals complex dynamics and contrasts between the characters of Gigi and Ryder. While Gigi grapples with the burden of her father’s legacy, her loving and stable family supports her. Conversely, Ryder’s experiences with his blood family and the legacy he carries from it are fraught with trauma and unresolved issues.
The families depicted in the novel are imperfect. While Garrett is supportive and genuinely involved in his children’s lives, he can also be pushy and resistant to accepting Gigi’s decisions, such as her breakup with Case. Mya’s parents, on the other hand, are preoccupied with appearances and find it challenging to comprehend their daughter’s bisexuality. Despite these flaws, Kennedy portrays these familial interactions with a loving exasperation. Despite their imperfections, these families ultimately demonstrate love and support for their members.
By contrast, Ryder remains guarded about his family history, rarely mentioning it until prompted by circumstances. His reluctance to discuss his past stems from a belief that it serves no purpose, leading to unresolved trauma from his mother’s death and his time in foster care. He tells Gigi, “I’ll talk about it. It’s just… there’s no point. It’s in the past” (371). Ryder’s experiences have shaped his cautious approach to love and relationships as he struggles to acknowledge his feelings for Gigi. During a revealing conversation, Ryder divulges why he abhors the name Luke. Recounting the harrowing moment when his father aimed a gun at him while his mother pleaded, “Luke, stop,” Ryder discloses the enduring trauma this has left him with. His name, once a symbol of familial connection, has become tainted by his father’s violent legacy, haunting him throughout his life.
The legacy of trauma profoundly shapes Ryder’s perception of love. Witnessing his father fatally shoot his mother upon hearing her declaration that she no longer loved him, Ryder grapples with deep-seated apprehension toward relationships. While Gigi contemplates the possibility of being in love with Ryder, she suppresses these feelings to avoid complicating matters. Ryder does not reciprocate this sentiment and never entertains the idea of love himself. He terms his emotions toward Gigi with the broad word “feelings.”
Ryder’s tumultuous experiences in foster care further underscore the contrast between his upbringing and Gigi’s stable childhood. His stories of abuse and neglect reveal a starkly different view of family dynamics, emphasizing the importance of supportive relationships outside of blood ties. Ryder tells Case that he knows how to start a fire because of his experiences in an abusive foster home, revealing, “Sometimes it got pretty bad, so whenever that happened, I’d grab a tent and take my little foster sister and brother out to the woods behind the house. Some nights it was cold, so we’d start a fire to keep warm” (309). Indeed, many of Ryder’s practical skills, such as starting a fire, cleaning, and cooking, are remnants of his traumatic upbringing in foster care.
Ultimately, Kennedy’s portrayal of family dynamics emphasizes the significance of both blood relatives and chosen family in shaping the characters’ identities and navigating the complexities of their lives. Through Gigi and Ryder’s experiences, the novel explores the enduring impact of legacy and the transformative power of familial bonds, whether by blood or by choice.
