Quotes from Sarah Dessen

There's a real bonding in someone beating the crap out of you. - Rolly

Whenever something great happens, you're always kind of poised for the universe to correct itself.

Oh darling, don't be bitter. It's the first instinct of the weak.

When he stopped walking and kissed me a few minutes later, it was like time had stopped, with the air, my heart, and the world all so still. And it was this I remembered every other time I was with Marshall.

Because maybe, the best of times were yet to come. You never knew.

There comes a point when things are undeniable and can't be hidden any longer. Even from yourself.

Too many locks, not enough keys.

That was the thing. You just never knew. Forever was so many different things. It was always changing, it was what everything was really all about.

It's the things you fight for and struggle with before earning that have the greatest worth.

It took a lot of work to be perfect. If you didn't want to break a sweat, there was no point in even bothering.

which is completely out-of-line behavior. Then you are wholly within your rights to stomp on their foot. No, Delia said, over her shoulder. Actually, you're not. Just excuse yourself as politely as possible, and get out of arm's reach. Kristy looked at me, shaking her head. Stomp them. she said, under her breath. Really

Call it crazy, or just chicken salad.

As I shut the door and started to walk away, I heard him say, Hey. Sydney. Yeah? You had on a shirt with mushrooms on it, and your hair was pulled back. Silver earrings. Pepperoni slice. No lollipop. I just looked at him, confused. Layla was walking toward us now. The first time you came into Seaside, he said. You weren't invisible, not to me. Just so you know.

See, Colie, it's all about understanding. We're all worth something.

It all counts,' Adam said again. 'And the bottom line is, what defines you isn't how many times you crash, but the number of times you get back on the bike. As long as it's one more, you're all good.-pg 325 Along for the Ride

Why should I even bother? What's the point, really? He thought for a moment. Who says there has to be a point? he asked. Or a reason. Maybe it's just something you have to do.

The thing is, you can't always have the best of everything. Because for a life to be real, you need it all: good and bad, beach and concrete, the familiar and the unknown, big talkers and small towns.

We both know the limits of this relationship. It's understood. And as long as we're both comfortablewith that, nobody get's hurt. It's basic.' ~Oliva, pg 374

The only trick was never giving more that you were willing to lose.

Wake up, Caitlin, Mr. Lensing had said. But what he didn't under­stand was that this dreamland was preferable, walking through this life half-sleeping, everything at arm's length or farther away.

We make such messes in this life, both accidently and on purpose. But wiping the surface clean doesn't really make anything any neater. It just masks what is below. It's only when you really dig down deep, go underground, that you can see who you really are.

Failing sucks. But it's better than the alternative. Which is? Not even trying. Now he did look at me, straight on. Life's short, you know?

My mother was strong, in all the ways I was weak. She fell, she hurt, she felt. She lived. And for all the tumble of her experiences, she still had hope. Maybe this next time would do the trick. Or maybe not. But unless you stepped into the game, you will never know.

It was like when you ripped a piece of paper into two: no matter how you tried, the seams never fit exactly right again.