Fablehaven

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2006

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapters 3-5

Chapters 6-8

Chapters 9-11

Chapters 12 -14

Chapters 15-17

Chapters 18-19

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 18-19Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 18 Summary: "Bahumat”

Kendra retrieves some milk from Viola, the giant cow, and adds some ofViola’sblood as well as some of her own since she isn’t sure which one is necessary. The fairies on the grounds seem very interested in the mixture, though they won’t try it until Kendra does. As they try the potion, they are transformed into human-sized fairies outfitted with magical, ethereal weapons. They take Kendra as their leader in the battle they have been summoned to and fly her to the chapel.

The fairies defeat Muriel and her imps with relative ease; they kiss each of the imps in turn, the imps revert into fairies, and they join the fight against evil. The full-grown fairies then return both Bahumat and Muriel to a prison in the basement of the Forgotten Chapel, covering the site where the church used to stand with rolling hills and fruit trees. The fairies bring Grandma, Grandpa, Seth, Kendra, and Hugo back to the yard, where they restore Dale to his human form. The fairies also return a struggling Lena to the naiad pond. Once they are safely back to the house, which has been freshly repaired by the brownies, the fairies revert to their usual size. Each one kisses Kendra’s face before they revert, putting her into a state of gratitude and bliss.

Chapter 19 Summary: “Farewell to Fablehaven”

After Kendra awakes from a two-day nap, she finds that the fairies now seem to like her a lot and that she no longer has to drink the milk to see magical creatures, a phenomenon that Grandpa says is unheard of. Kendra and Grandpa go to the naiad pond so that Kendra can try to say goodbye to Lena, but Lena doesn't seem to recognize her. Kendra is sad about losing a friend in this way, though Grandpa tells her that Lena is no longer the person she was. Kendra learns that Dale has a brother, Warren, who has been near catatonic for an unknown reason. Warren lives in a secluded cottage on the preserve and Dalefeels guilty that the fairies didn’t heal Warren the way they healed him.

Grandpa reassures Kendra that Fablehaven will stay on guard against The Society of the Evening Star and that she will be allowed back to visit (and perhaps to inherit the preserve). Kendra and Seth’s parents return to take them back home, and though Kendra will miss the preserve and all the experiences she had there, she wants to remember them; good and bad. Kendra and Seth now share a secret that they appear to revel in as their parents ask them about their“vacation.”

Chapters 18-19 Analysis

These final chapters return to ideas of bravery and agency. Kendra is forced to be braver than she ever has been before in these final chapters to save her family. Mull writes that she is terrified but pushes through and manages to save the day anyways, emphasizing her courage and perseverance. In the final chapter, Grandpa and Grandma praise both Kendra and Seth for their bravery both in the final fight for Fablehaven and during their stay. This shows development on the part of both Kendra and Seth. Kendra began the novel as mild-mannered and scared to act, and she ends the novel as the leader of an army of fairies. Seth isn't shown to fear much at the beginning of the novel, but it is his lack of forethought and recklessness that lead him to appear brave. By the end of the novel, he is much more intentional about his actions, lending more weight to his bravery.

These chapters also reinforce character agency, especially as it relates to Kendra’scharacter development. Kendra exercises her will more than ever before in these final chapters. She makes the decision to go to the Fairy Queen’s shrine on the island, she removes Mendigo’s arms, and she leads the fairies in battle. This motivation to act, again, shows decisive character development on her part.