Count My Lies

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes depictions of death, emotional abuse, violence, and bullying.

Violet’s flip phone becomes a central symbol in the text, reflecting The Complexities of Lying and the deceptive nature of appearances. When Sloane first sees Violet speaking on the phone, she is spying on her through a window early in the narrative. She notices that Violet seems secretive and frustrated with whomever she is speaking to, but does not realize why. Later on, she finds the same flip phone while snooping through Violet’s things, and notices the messages from “DS”.

The phone is a burner phone, which Violet uses to communicate with Danny Shepherd about her plans to murder Sloane and frame Jay. The phone hints at the dark side of Violet’s seemingly idyllic life and the lengths she will go to plot Jay’s downfall in secret. While Sloane is mildly intrigued by the phone, she does not fully understand its implications until she has walked right into Violet’s trap.

Block Island is a symbol that speaks to the novel’s themes of wealth and identity. The Island is Violet’s domain; on it, she’s in control. She establishes her reign growing up.