48 pages • 1 hour read
Christina LiClues to the Universe
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2021A 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 33-EpilogueChapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 33 Summary: “Ro”
Benji and Ro forget their fight and continue being best friends. They work until seven in the morning perfecting their rocket and making a new poster. It occurs to Ro that they never calculated wind resistance in their previous trials, and she realizes the rocket wasn’t a failure after all. Ro gets two hours of sleep and rushes to the science fair, where she sees Benji already waiting for her. She sees on their table that the original poster is clean and suspects that Drew must have felt guilty and fixed his “mistake.” When Ro and Benji present their rocket, everything goes smoothly, and the judges seem to be highly impressed by the project. Ro thinks about how each failure along the way was worthwhile because it taught her something. She knows now that scientists experience many failures in their quest for knowledge and answers, but they don’t give up.
Chapter 34 Summary: “Benji”
Benji is amazed by how well he presents and how little anxiety he feels. He is equally proud of Ro, who talks about the rocket like she’s an expert. As they await the results of the judge’s tally, Benji tells Ro about how his mom reacted when he came home. She was relieved to see him and hugged him at first, but when he mentioned having met his dad and getting his phone number, Benji’s mom shut down. He’s barely spoken to her since. Ro apologizes again for pressuring Benji to go to LA, but he assures her it was his own decision. The results are finally announced, and Ro and Benji win first prize. As they accept their medals, Benji looks over at Ro, who looks a little like Gemma Harris in that moment.
At home, Benji’s mom is waiting for him and reveals that she called his dad. They talked for a long time, and Benji’s mom admits that it was a much-needed conversation. She tells Benji that she was wrong to have kept him away from his dad for so long, and it’s his choice to decide if he wants to talk to his dad or not. Benji’s mom adds that Benji’s dad is already trying to help out by offering to pay for Danny’s college tuition. Benji looks at his mom, who sacrificed so much to raise two sons, and realizes that she is the true superhero, not his father.
Chapter 35 Summary: “Ro”
Ro wakes up late the next morning and has tea with her mom, who is curious to know how and why Benji went to LA. Ro explains everything, beginning with how she met Benji and accidentally exchanged folders with him and ending with the present, in which Benji finally decided to take the leap and see his father. Ro admits that she still feels guilty for pressuring Benji, but her mom assures her that she has made a solid friend in him.
Ro’s mom also asks if she and Benji are dating now, but Ro thinks about this and realizes she isn’t quite ready for the complications of relationships. Instead, she’s happy to just have a best friend. Ro’s mom tells her that her dad would be proud of her achievement at the science fair, and Ro realizes she will never stop missing her father. At school the following week, Ro sees Drew and thanks him for cleaning the poster. Drew doesn’t admit to having done so, but he doesn’t deny it, either.
Chapter 36 Summary: “Benji”
Benji works up the courage to call his dad, and their conversation starts out awkward and tense. He feels anxious and clammed up again and doesn’t know what to say. Benji can’t figure out why it feels so strange to talk to his dad, but his dad hopes that it will get easier over time. When Benji mentions the Spacebound movie, some tension is relieved, and they start discussing movies and comic books. When Benji’s dad asks him if he has any ideas for the next issue, Benji is floored; however, he decides he would rather write his own comics and asks for his dad’s help in learning how.
Chapter 37 Summary: “Ro”
Ro and Benji win third place in the state science fair, and Benji’s dad surprises him by turning up for the event. A couple of people who work for NASA tell Benji and Ro’s teacher that they should consider a future in astronomy, and both are flattered upon hearing this. Afterward, everyone goes to the diner, and Ro enjoys seeing Benji’s whole family together, even if it is a little awkward. Later, Ro’s mom tells her she wants to move to San Francisco to be closer to the family, and Ro responds by saying she needs to reflect on it. Ro thinks about her dad, all of the memories they created together in Sacramento, and leaving Benji behind.
Chapter 38 Summary: “Benji”
Benji feels strange having no particular goal to accomplish, although this used to be the way he floated through life. He and Ro go to the state fair, where Ro announces that she is moving. Benji is sad to hear it but assures Ro she will do great things and meet new people. They promise to write each other and visit as often as they can. Next, they ride the Gravitron, which makes them both laugh. Ro tries to turn upside down but can’t manage it, so her head ends up on Benji’s shoulder.
Chapter 39 Summary: “Ro”
Ro realizes she is still growing and learning, and doing so is a lifelong process. She knows now that science is a matter of trial and error, failures and successes, endless curiosity, and—most importantly—having the patience to find answers. Ro feels like she has more of that now. She also wonders if she might be developing feelings for Benji.
Epilogue Summary
Ro opens her first letter from Benji. He writes about how almost everything is normal but not quite the same without Ro. He has made a new friend, and he continues eating Red Vines. Benji remarks on how strange but wonderful it was to meet Ro in the way he did and adds that Ro is a unique person who pushes her limits and aims for the impossible. He finishes off the letter by saying he will visit soon and includes a comic book inside. When Ro sees the comic, she realizes that it’s herself on the cover, complete with her rocket, freckles, and confidence. Ro thinks it’s an amazing gift and finds a note inside in which Benji writes that Ro is his hero.
Chapter 33-Epilogue Analysis
In the story’s conclusion, all of the work and time that Benji and Ro have put into their project over the past several months is rewarded. While they already gained so much from working on the rocket together, they now get recognized for their efforts. Ro realizes that nobody else understands just how much went into making this project a reality, particularly on an emotional level. Her character arc of striving solely for perfection ends, as she tells herself, “Scientists are detectives. They go into deep oceans and to the ends of thick jungles to find clues to the universe. They stare at things under a microscope and crane their necks at the stars, always hoping to find something new” (252). She is now more interested in exploring than getting things right every time. Not every rocket launch NASA planned was a success, but each failure was a learning experience that led to advancement.
Meanwhile, Benji is surprised to find after winning the science fair that he actually enjoys seeing everyone’s projects, despite his previous disinterest in academia. Benji looks at Ro, with her medal around her neck and a grin on her face, and sees a hero who looks a little like Gemma Harris. The observation foreshadows Benji’s gift to Ro of a comic featuring herself as the hero. When Benji goes back home and sees his mom, a great deal is resolved between them and within the family. Benji’s mom makes the painful admission that she should not have kept Benji from his father, and she chooses to support his decisions. In seeing how strong and compassionate his mother is, Benji knows that she is the true hero of his life’s story, rather than his father who was never around. Their initial call is tense and uncertain, and Benji wonders, “What if it would never get easier?” (269). This directly parallels Ro’s musings on whether her grief will ever become easier to manage, showing that Benji is also coping with the loss of the years without his dad. Both he and Ro have emotional complications related to their dads that they’ll continue to deal with, but Benji’s effort to forgive and reconnect with his father shows maturity, selflessness, and patience.
At the same time, Ro also comes to some powerful conclusions about her life, her friendship with Benji, and The Science of Living. In thinking about her own mother, Ro feels comforted to know that even though she will always miss her dad, she is not the only one who feels that way. She also decides that she and Benji are better off just being friends for now but hints that she may have begun to develop feelings for him. The most significant change, however, comes when Ro reveals that she is moving to San Francisco only a year after she and Benji became friends. Though the year passed quickly, Ro and Benji have developed a close bond formed out of empathy, pain, and hard work. Benji sees Ro as another superhero in his life and knows she is meant for bigger things. The story ends with a letter from Benji to Ro, which includes a comic of Ro as a superhero who flies her rocket through space. This shows how Benji has shifted from idolizing someone who wasn’t there for him to appreciating those who have been there for him and offered support through the difficult moments in his life.
