58 pages • 1 hour read
Gordon KormanLevel 13
Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2018A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Chapters 22-28Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Chapter 22 Summary: “Cameron Boxer”
Cam has a fever and questions if streaming is worth it. He stresses over school, the GameFox229 shirts, and his inability to reach Level 13. Someone rings the doorbell, and Cam and Melody argue about who should answer it. Finally, Melody goes to answer the door, but Cam looks out the window and sees the suspicious black SUV. He grabs Melody to keep her from answering the door. Cam explains about the black SUV and the man stalking him to her. Eventually, the man leaves their door and drives away.
At first, Melody does not believe Cam, but then she gets scared. She tells Cam that stalkers are a deal breaker and that she will tell their parents. After arguing, Melody agrees not to tell their parents if Cam promises to come to her if he sees the man again so they can tell their parents together.
Chapter 23 Summary: “Pavel Dysan”
Pavel volunteers to help Cam retrieve Elvis for the last time. Although Cam's stream is popular, Pavel finds the work is not worth the rewards or fun. He realizes he has not had a real conversation with Cam in weeks, and his grades start to slip, jeopardizing his goal of becoming valedictorian.
Pavel resents Cam but also feels bad for him because he always looks ill and stressed. With the GameFox229 shirts all over school, Cam never gets a break from thinking about the stream. Pavel also regrets that he is no longer friends with Chuck.
Pavel plans his quitting speech as they ride their bikes to Elvis's habitat. Suddenly, Cam grabs Pavel, and they both fall off their bikes. Cam points out his stalker who is watching Elvis. Cam decides to stream without Elvis and asks Pavel not to mention the stalker to anyone, especially Melody.
Cam starts his stream without mentioning Elvis's absence. His followers are concerned but soon refocus. Cam pauses as his followers reach 407,256 and his subscribers reach 50,003. Pavel looks over the messages and finds one with a thumbnail of the tall, thin man holding Elvis and asking to speak with Cam. Cam logs off, and Pavel and Cam struggle to devise a plan. Pavel agrees they must tell Cam's parents and the police, but Cam worries that would end his stream. Pavel points out that the stream will likely end without Elvis and Cam's inability to reach Level 13. Cam is so upset that Pavel cannot tell Cam he is quitting.
At school, GameFox229 fans express their disappointment with the stream. Daphne cannot understand why everyone is upset about the beaver since she does not watch the stream. Chuck accidentally swipes his phone screen, revealing the picture of the stalker with Elvis. Daphne recognizes Elvis immediately and starts asking questions. Chuck breaks up with her and walks away. Daphne tries to get answers from Pavel, but he follows Chuck.
Chapter 24 Summary: “Chuck Kinsey”
Pavel hugs Chuck, who wants to punch him. Pavel calls Chuck a genius, which makes him feel better, though he is still upset about ending his relationship with Daphne. Chuck feels guilty and looks for Daphne after seventh period, only to hear she was very upset and left after fifth period. Chuck initially thinks Daphne is upset over the breakup but learns she left because she was worried about Elvis. Chuck panics, realizing Daphne went to the habitat and might be at risk because of the stalker. He tries to leave school but runs into Mr. Fanshaw. Mr. Fanshaw refuses to let Chuck leave, giving him another week of detention. Worse, he forces Chuck to stay with him until the eighth-grade assembly. Near the end of the assembly, Chuck sees Daphne sneak in and feels relieved. The principal then announces that Cam is the eighth-grade valedictorian.
Chapter 25 Summary: “Cameron Boxer”
Cam is so shocked to hear he is valedictorian that Pavel must shove him toward the stage. Only the teachers clap for Cam. All the students who helped him either glare at him or look incredibly disappointed. While Cam wants to argue with them that he never asked for help, he takes responsibility, realizing that he never told anyone to stop giving him assignments.
The principal drones on endlessly about Cam’s progress, making him feel more guilty. As soon as the assembly ends, Cam bolts, running past Chuck, who tries to talk to him. The eighth graders start hunting Cam, blocking his escape routes. He heads for the custodian’s exit while several students chase after him.
Cam leaves the building but sees his stalker and turns back. He slips in a mud puddle, and the eighth graders surround him. Elvis escapes from Daphne’s bag and jumps on Cam’s shoulder, and the students realize Cam is GameFox229. Daphne yells at him, Chuck, and Pavel for exploiting Elvis. The mob of eighth graders advance on Cam. The stalker pushes through the crowd and pulls Cam to his feet.
The stalker turns out to be legendary gamer Draja Dubrovnik who wants to talk to Cam about Level 13 and help him beat it. All the stress and illness overwhelms Cam, and he passes out.
Chapter 26 Summary: “Melody Boxer”
On her way home, Katrina grabs Melody and tells her that Cam collapsed, and the nurse took him to the hospital. Melody calls her parents, who confirm that Cam is in the hospital but is doing better. Her father picks Melody up, and they all wait for Cam’s test results in his hospital room.
The doctor diagnoses Cam with leptospirosis, a bacterial infection most often transmitted to humans from rodents. Melody blurts out the whole story about Elvis and GameFox229. Cam’s parents are furious, especially since Cam did not tell them about the stalker. Cam explains that the stalker is Draja Dubrovnik and only wants another chance to reach Level 13.
The doctor explains that Elvis most likely has leptospirosis and reports him to animal control. Cam spends the night in the hospital and several days at home from school. The entire school is furious at Cam. Rather than feeling vindicated, Melody feels terrible for Cam.
The evening before Cam returns to school, he gets the subscriber check from his streaming platform.
Chapter 27 Summary: “Daphne Leibowitz”
Public opinion about Cam changes dramatically. People no longer think he took advantage of the eighth-grade class; instead, they believe he created the GameFox229 stream as a secret fundraiser. Cam donates all his profits, $186,274, to the P.A.G.'s library-building fund.
The school is amazed at Cam's leadership and ability to involve everyone by having them complete his assignments and watch the stream as followers. The veterinarian explains that beavers are rarely susceptible to leptospirosis, so no one suspected the illness was affecting Cam and Elvis. Elvis starts to gain weight after a round of antibiotics.
Chuck and Daphne get back together, and Daphne realizes that Chuck should spend time with his friends. Cam refuses the valedictorian position, which then goes to Pavel.
They all go to Sweetness and Light together. Pavel proclaims that Daphne is now part of the group.
Chapter 28 Summary: “Cameron Boxer”
Cameron is relieved that his streaming days are over, realizing it made him miserable. His entire family, including Melody, agrees that donating the money is the right thing to do. The donation benefits everyone: Cam’s parents get the contract to furnish the renovated library, and the school now sees Cam as a hero.
Draja visits Cam’s house to work together to reach Level 13. Before they start, Daphne arrives with Elvis, having realized from watching the old streams how much Elvis loves video games.
Draja and Cam breeze through the first 11 levels together but struggle with level 12. Elvis becomes increasingly upset at their failures.
Eventually, Melody takes Draja's controller and explains that they are playing the level wrong. Instead of fighting the bugs, they need to trick them. She creates a mountain of sugar that attracts all the enemy insects and completes the level.
They reach Level 13, which is a destroyed version of Earth. The inappropriate content is a ruined billboard advertising toothpaste, a copyrighted product the game developers did not have permission to use. The group is shocked, and Elvis makes a noise that sounds like laughter before he runs into his carrier and falls asleep.
Chapters 22-28 Analysis
The final section highlights significant character growth, underscoring The Importance of Community, Collaboration, and Friendship and the disparity between Expectations, Perceptions, and Reality.
Pavel is the first to show significant growth. He resolves to quit Cam's stream because the amount of work no longer makes it worth it. While frustrated with Cam's focus on streaming, Pavel is empathetic toward Cam, recognizing the immense strain his newfound career places on him: “[H]is smile was as rare as the trip to Level 13 he couldn't seem to earn” (183). Pavel demonstrates emotional maturity by understanding Cam's struggles and recognizing that his needs clash with Cam's. Expectations do not match reality as the stream causes Pavel and Cam to spend hours together but never have a meaningful conversation. Pavel's decision to quit reflects his growth, as it is a well-thought-out and considered decision, unlike Pavel's ending his friendship with Chuck.
While Pavel empathizes with Cam, he is initially harsh on Chuck. Later, Pavel acknowledges his faults, noting how Chuck was caught between his loyalty to Daphne and Cam. When Chuck breaks up with Daphne, Pavel realizes the rift in their friendship was partly his fault: “Ever since [Chuck] started with Daphne, I'd accused Chuck of being a lousy friend. I blamed him for everything that happened to the Awesome Threesome because he was the first of us to get a girlfriend…and now…he had thrown away a relationship that meant a lot to him because there was no way he could answer without betraying Cam” (193). Pavel's growing empathy allows him to see Chuck's struggles and reconcile their friendship. Pavel's self-reflection changes his perceptions about Chuck and Daphne's relationship. By the end of the book, Pavel includes Daphne in the Awesome Threesome's activities, showing his newfound willingness to change and the author’s emphasis on the theme of Evolving Identities, Relationships, and Responsibilities.
Daphne also grows as a character. She starts engaging in Chuck's interests, realizing he needs time with his friends. Daphne becomes interested in gaming for Chuck's sake and even watches Cam's stream. She realizes that Cam, Chuck, and Pavel are not exploiting Elvis, who truly enjoys video games, and brings Elvis to watch. Daphne shifts from a character who drags Chuck along on whatever she wants to do to one who listens and observes her boyfriend and his interests. Although many of Daphne's perceptions remain wrong, she demonstrates new openness and empathy. Daphne's willingness to integrate with the Awesome Threesome friend group and compromise in her relationships shows her growth as a character.
Cam evolves significantly as well. Previously lucky and often escaping consequences, Cam takes responsibility for his actions. For most of the novel, he rationalizes using his classmate's homework by saying he never asked them to do it. However, Cam recognizes his wrongdoings in this section: “I was guilty. I'd spread the word that I was failing. I only did it to get out of my P.A.G. duties. But when all that free work showed up, I used it anyway. And I definitely didn't tell people to stop sending it” (204). Though he never fully admits the real reasons behind his behavior, he tries to atone by donating all his streaming money. Though Cam is not a perfect character, he makes significant progress in this section in recognizing he is at fault for his past behavior and trying to correct his mistakes.
Cam admits that streaming turned his favorite pastime “into a chore, a responsibility, a misery, and a source of stress and exhaustion” (225). Forced to step away, Cam sees the toll streaming took on him, physically and mentally. Despite the money, Cam realizes streaming will not help him reach his dream; it only makes him miserable. Cam learns to reconcile the difference between expectations and reality and realizes that quitting something that makes him unhappy is the right choice.
Each character demonstrates growth and learns the importance of honesty and empathy in relationships. The characters bridge the gap between their expectations and reality, strengthening The Importance of Community, Collaboration, and Friendship and building resilience to accept and address Evolving Identities, Relationships, and Responsibilities as growing adolescents.
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