Quotes from Cecil Castellucci

It was amazing what I could remember about myself when I retraced my own steps.

But the dead, they have ghosts. Ghosts are very useful for haunting. Never forget the dead, Tula. They have their function. They sometimes speak at the most useful or inopportune times.

Betrayal and grief have a certain color no matter what the species is.

Revenge is a good motivator, but it always disappoints in the end.

But liking someone whose species you dislike is something--worth more than currency on a chit.

It was nice to see a Human smile. So many things looked like smiles but weren't. Sometimes, to feel genuine kindness, I would stare into a mirror and smile at myself, just to remember what one looked like.

she makes a sound with her throat like she's annoyed or going to throw up and then changes it over to a 1990s rock oldies channel.

Weekday morning routine: Take shower. Assemble perfect outfit. Apply makeup. Pull hair into bun. Secure with glitter pencils. Accept twenty-dollar bill from Dad. Pick up latte and creamy chocolate brioche from cafe. Drive to school the long way. Listen to sad music way too loud. Nab choice parking spot under tree.

The parental units take no notice of me as I make my leave. They are too busy having a discussion.

There's no entrance exam. If you say you're a geek, you are a geek.

Here is the truth about being a nerd. You don't have to be an expert in something, you just have to be passionate. There is no test and no application. Only a love of a thing that is the best.

How come it's so hard to come to someone's rescue? How come it's so hard to come to your own rescue?

It makes me sad that not every book is good,' I said. 'Not every book can be loved.' 'But when I pull a book off a shelf, and examine it, turning it this way and that, inspecting the cover, flipping through the pages and glancing at the words as they flash by, a thought here and a sentence there and I know that there is potential between those pages for love. Even if in my opinion the book is bad, someone else may find it good. Isn't that like love?

After trauma, any way that a person can find to pick themselves up and become a new and better version of themselves makes them stronger.

There's gotta be kindness after pain. Forgiveness.