Count Me In

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2019

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-6

Chapters 7-14

Chapters 15-24

Chapters 25-31

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 25-31Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 25 Summary: “Karina”

The reporters stay outside Karina and Chris’s houses for several days. Karina is glad that her post went viral, but wishes the media would leave them alone. One TV station did a story on Karina, Anne’s article, the attack, and the memorial, asking questions about what defines an American. Shortly thereafter, the station called Dad and asked if Karina could do an interview, but he refused. The media hasn’t backed down since. One of Dad’s friends, a lawyer, suggests that Dad put out a statement asking reporters to respect their family’s privacy. Dad writes and reads the statement to the reporters, but it doesn’t change anything. Then one day, the president of the Indian American Association contacts Dad and asks that he let Karina do an interview. He thinks it might expose the hate crimes South Asians have been facing. Dad gives in and calls Anne, asking her to help Karina tell her story.

Anne comes over and interviews Karina. Karina answers Anne’s questions about Papa, the attack, the memorial, and her photos and hashtags. Chris sees the interview on TV and rushes over to Karina’s house afterward to congratulate her.

Chapter 26 Summary: “Chris”

Chris is glad that Karina did the interview and shared her story because now the whole community knows what’s been going on. However, Chris still sometimes feels uneasy about how he responded to the violence. After school one day, he asks Karina if he could have done more to defend her and Mr. C when the man attacked them. Karina reassures Chris, reminding him that the attacker had a knife and that Chris was in danger, too. She also reminds him that he’s been supporting her since the incident. Chris finally apologizes for the bullying incident in sixth grade and they make up. Then Chris asks Karina which photo she chose to submit to the photo competition. Upset, Karina confesses that she didn’t submit one because she missed the deadline. Chris suggests that they visit the gallery and ask the owner for an extension. Only two days have passed and Karina has a good reason for missing it.

The friends ride their bikes to the gallery and explain the situation to Riley, an assistant to the gallery’s owner. Riley has heard Karina’s story and seen her online activity and agrees to speak to her boss Margaret.

That night, Chris rereads Anne’s article and scrolls through the comments, many of which are hateful. He calls Karina and tells her not to look at them.

Chapter 27 Summary: “Karina”

Karina goes through her photos, considering which picture to submit to the gallery if they let her. Ashley comes over and Karina asks for her help choosing. Later, Karina scrolls through the #CountMeIn posts and sees the hateful comments Chris was talking about. Disturbed, she goes outside to get some air and studies the stars, thinking about her pictures.

Karina visits Papa at the rehab center and asks him about the hatred she’s been facing. Papa explains that there’s love and hate everywhere in the world, but that they still have to fight for what’s right. Karina reflects on the conversation for the rest of the night. Then she gets an idea for the photo competition. She calls Chirs and Ashley and asks for their help. They print out numerous #CountMeIn photos from social media and make a collage. Chris assures Karina that the gallery will love it.

Chapter 28 Summary: “Chris”

Matt is home for a visit, so he drives Chris and Karina to the gallery with Karina’s collage. Margaret loves it, but can’t let Karina submit because she already chose the contest winners. Karina is disappointed on the way home.

After dinner with his family, Chris invites Karina over. They hang out with Matt and discuss everything that’s been happening, including the online comments. Chris and Matt agree that Karina’s collage is the perfect representation of the US. Chris looks up, sees a shooting star, and realizes the importance of his friendship with Karina.

Chapter 29 Summary: “Karina”

Karina helps Mom while Dad visits Papa at the rehab center. Then Dad calls to say the doctors are releasing Papa early and he’s coming home today. Karina and Mom race around to get the house ready for his return. Karina is disappointed because they won’t have time to plan the welcome-home party she’d hoped to host for his return. She texts Chris and the friends decide that they should bring Papa to the memorial instead of the party. They get their friends together and bring Karina’s collage to the memorial, too. Karina posts online about the gathering and the community refreshes the flowers and signs while waiting for Papa to arrive.

Chapter 30 Summary: “Chris”

Chris is thrilled with all of the people who come to the memorial to welcome Mr. C home. Before Mr. C arrives, a news van arrives to report on the event. Jay and Mr. C pull up shortly thereafter. Overwhelmed, Mr. C thanks everyone for their support and shares a few words about his experiences as an immigrant. He finishes his speech by saying, “Count me in” (168). The whole crowd repeats the line, too.

Chapter 31 Summary: “Karina”

That night, Chris comes over and celebrates Papa’s return with Karina’s family. Mom bakes the special cake. When it’s finished, the family sits outside, has cake for dinner, and talks about the future. Karina realizes how glad she is to have Chris’s friendship while studying the starry sky.

Chapters 25-31 Analysis

Self-Advocacy and Resilience help Karina overcome adversity, claim who she is, and create a loving community. Karina feels as if her entire world has changed in the two weeks since the man attacked Karina, Chris, and Karina’s grandfather outside of school. She is right: Karina’s online activity and the media interest that followed have made the incident known to people outside the immediate circle of the tweens’ friends and family. Local news stations have discussed how the attack plays into narratives about immigrants to the US, while independent users have voiced their opinions online. This widespread response is often challenging: Karina “miss[es] [her] anonymous life” (132) and finds herself wishing the attention would disappear. However, with the help of her parents, grandfather, friends, and community, she also sees that her voice has created change and brought her community together for the better.

Karina’s collage is a symbol of this togetherness—it is literally many images becoming part of one piece of art. Karina’s real life and online communities—and her country—are made up of all sorts of different people, experiences, backgrounds, and voices. To represent this truth in the project, Karina “gathered all the pictures” (150) from the online #CountMeIn trend and combined them. Together the photos are “like brushstrokes on an empty canvas, melding “into one beautiful whole” (153). The collage therefore captures the way individual acts of love can unify to confront and combat hatred—a power that Papa describes in his conversation about adversity with Karina in Chapter 27. Finally, the collage also represents the home that Karina and Chris believe is possible—one that expands out into the world and welcomes those willing to engage with others with Tolerance and Acceptance. Emblematizing this meaning, Karina brings the collage to the memorial for Papa’s welcome-home celebration, literally shifting the definition of “home” to include well-wishers from the whole neighborhood. Like her grandfather, Karina has decided to combat hatred with resilience and love. She’s also learned to speak up for herself, her beliefs, and her cultural and personal identities.

The novel ends by foregrounding the relationship between Chris and Karina, once again emphasizing the important Power of Friendship and Community. As their shared experiences have brought them closer, the tweens have learned how to productively discuss and get over differences and how to support one another. Both characters end the novel glad for each other’s presence in their lives: In Chapter 28, while stargazing and discussing the collage, Chris realizes “how being Karina’s friend has made [him] stronger” (158); similarly, the novel ends with Karina confirming how much she values Chris in turn. Chris hasn’t faced the same adversity and prejudice as his new friend. However, he has witnessed the hatred she’s been dealing with and has seen how strong she’s remained despite it. Her resilience has taught him the importance of fighting against racism and discrimination despite one’s fears. In these ways, the novel reiterates the importance of building strong personal bonds to create a home one believes in.