My Heartbeat Coming of Age Quotes

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #1

When I was little we used to sleep in each other's rooms the night before all special occasions: Christmas, trips to Europe, first days of school, and birthdays. We stopped when I was nine or ten. I don't remember which one of us decided we were too old or if anything was said. It just stopped. Special occasions now come and go without our marking it by sleeping in the same room. (1.35)

Sometimes getting older can feel bittersweet and melancholy. Like, it's a bit sad that they don't celebrate special occasions with sleepovers anymore. It feels like a missed opportunity for them to continue getting to know each other as they mature into early adulthood.

Quote #2

Mom and I have radically different ideas about what looks good on me. We spend almost four hours buying five dresses, three of which I will never wear, four skirts, three pairs of pants, two pairs of jeans, four sweaters, and seven tops. Mom says I am impossible to shop for because I am too tall for things that should fit. That and the fact that she still thinks I am nine. She vetoed every short skirt I wanted, and the only tops we could agree on without a fight have little collars and button up to my chin. Ugh. (5.4)

Show us a girl who says she hasn't gone through this with their mom, and we will show you a girl who is lying to your face. This is the age-old struggle between moms and daughters (or dads and daughters, whoever happens to be holding the purse strings when back-to-school shopping comes around again).

Quote #3

How is it that my father, whom I think I know so well, has picked the wrong—the ignorant—laws to follow? How would Link—how would I—ever follow laws different from Dad's if his are the ones we learn first? (7.67)

This is one of the toughest parts of growing up. There comes a time when you have to decide to disagree with your parents—who up until that point have seemed infallible and omniscient. It is a sign that you are coming-of-age when you can finally see your parents for who they are as flawed adults rather than the superheroes you grew up with.