How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
As Colin had explained to Hassan countless times, there's a stark difference between the words prodigy and genius. Prodigies can very quickly learn what other people have already figured out; geniuses discover that which no one has ever previously discovered. Prodigies learn; geniuses do. The vast majority of child prodigies don't become adult geniuses. Colin was almost certain that he was among that unfortunate majority. (2.16)
Why does he feel the need to explain the difference over and over again? Is it because he hasn't earned his stripes when it comes to be a genius? Or is he trying to convince himself of something? We'll let you decide.
Quote #2
The problem was that this most special, magnificent, brilliant boy was—well, not. The Problem itself was that he didn't matter. Colin Singleton, noted child prodigy, noted veteran of Katherine Conflicts, noted nerd and sitzpinkler, didn't matter to Katherine XIX, and he didn't matter to the world. All of a sudden, he wasn't anyone's boyfriend or anyone's genius. And that—to use the kind of complex word you'd expect from a prodigy—blew. (2.17)
We'll take a side of irony with our reading, thanks. Blew isn't the kind of word we'd expect from a prodigy at all. In fact, the more Colin thinks about it, the more he doesn't really seem like a prodigy—he's just a kid who knows how to absorb facts quickly.
Quote #3
His dad paused. He always paused after a question, and then when he did speak, it was in complete sentences without ums or likes or uhs—as if he'd memorized his response. "It pains me to say this, Colin, but if you wish to continue to grow intellectually, you need to work harder right now than you ever have before. Otherwise, you risk wasting your potential." (3.6)
When he tells his parents he's going on a random road trip, Colin gets the standard response from his dad—he's wasting his potential. Ouch. Is all his incessant studying just to prove to his dad that he's lived up to some markers? We're not sure Colin can ever fully reach this magical place where he's certified as a genius.