60 pages • 2-hour read
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Symbols & Motifs
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of emotional abuse, mental illness, and physical abuse.
Abigail Monstera’s Diary
Abigail Monstera’s diary operates as one of the novel’s most important symbols, representing the buried history of violence at Nevaeh University and the Devil’s Backbone Society. Hidden behind a loose skirting board, the diary immediately signals that the truth at Nevaeh exists out of sight, accessible only to those willing to search for it. Abigail’s opening line, “[I]f you’ve found this diary, then I must be dead” (1), establishes it as a document written at the edge of catastrophe, turning her private record into a stark reminder of what the institution is capable of. Its fragmented entries mirror the fractured reality Ashley must piece together, showing how truth survives only in partial, concealed forms.
The diary functions as a bridge between past and present, positioning Abigail as Ashley’s silent predecessor. Her warnings and accounts of DBS rituals frame the society as an entrenched system of coercion and abuse. By chronicling “all the shady shit” she witnessed (53), Abigail leaves behind the only honest account of the group’s actions, a record the university and the group would prefer remain hidden. For Ashley, the diary becomes both a guide and an emotional burden. It equips her with information that helps her recognize danger, but it also deepens her anxiety as she absorbs Abigail’s warning to “not trust anyone” (2).
When the diary disappears from Ashley’s room, its symbolic weight intensifies. Its theft underscores how dangerous information becomes once others know it exists, and it highlights the lengths to which the society will go to maintain control. In its absence, Ashley is forced to confront Nevaeh without the one source of truth she relied on, amplifying the sense of vulnerability that defines her journey and emphasizing The Fragility of Trust in a World of Betrayal.
Masks and Robes
The masks and robes worn by the Devil’s Backbone Society symbolize the erasure of individual identity and the corrupting force of collective power. When members put on the uniform, they cease to function as independent students and instead become faceless extensions of the society’s authority. This anonymity enables them to enact violence without fear of personal consequence, reinforcing The Corrupting Influence of Power and Privilege. The mask does more than conceal a face; it dissolves accountability. The figures who abduct Ashley operate in complete concealment, turning the attack into something impersonal and overwhelmingly institutional, as though she is being targeted not by individuals but by the university’s darkest lineage.
This symbolism is reinforced through the recurring instances of ritualized kidnapping. The society relies on these hooded figures to enforce control, making the costume essential to its operations. Abigail’s diary shows that this tradition extends far into the past; she describes members in “robes and creepy metal masks” setting a chapel on fire, leaving her unable to identify who “lit the match” (54). Their anonymity gives the group its power, allowing generations of privileged students to commit crimes without consequence. Whether being used for abducting initiates for the Cat’s Peak ritual or carrying out violent intimidation, the masks and robes represent a collective moral vacuum in which individual responsibility is swallowed by the authority and protection of the group.
Sleepwalking and Nightmares
The motif of sleepwalking and nightmares reflects the psychological collapse that underpins life at Nevaeh University, revealing how trauma and secrecy erode the characters’ sense of control. It exposes a stark contrast between their outward performance of confidence and the internal instability that shadows them. This recurring element supports the theme of Navigating a World of Secrets and Lies, suggesting that the subconscious becomes a space where buried fears surface and suppressed histories refuse to stay hidden. Heath’s admission that he is “scared of [his] own mind” marks a breaking point in his arc; a character initially framed as charming and self-assured now confronts the terrifying realization that he cannot trust his own thoughts or impulses.
The motif moves beyond individual psychology to shape major plot developments, blurring the boundary between internal distress and external manipulation. Both Nate and Heath experience episodes of sleepwalking, but the pattern escalates into something far more dangerous when Heath, Carter, and Royce, each in a trance-like state, set fire to the science hall. Their coordinated, dissociated behavior implies a force operating on their minds that goes beyond personal stress, introducing the possibility that the Devil’s Backbone Society’s reach extends into their subconscious. This raises unsettling questions about consent, guilt, and responsibility: If the society can invade their minds, then betrayal becomes inescapable, even from within. The motif underscores a world where psychological autonomy is fragile, and the mind itself becomes a contested territory shaped by fear, manipulation, and the violence embedded in Nevaeh’s culture.
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