How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
[Hana is] absolutely gorgeous. (3.6)
It's telling that this is the first thing Lena reports about Hana. By the end of the book, we're still not quite sure why they're best buds, but at least we know she's gorgeous. Unlike Lena. And this matters because…?
Quote #2
I'm not ugly, but I'm not pretty, either. Everything is in-between. (3.6)
Lena follows up her assessment of Hana's show-stopping looks with a not-so-glowing review of her own. Lena seems to apply her average looks to her personality, which she also describes as average and unloveable. Why is Lena so down on herself? Do you think that Lena is an accurate assessor of her own potential?
Quote #3
[Alex isn't] like any guard I've ever seen—at least not the typical guards [...] fat and scowly and old. (5.97)
Lena seems to think that guards exist for her viewing pleasure. Thankfully, Alex has come along to be all studly in his guard uniform.
Quote #4
"I was kidding. You don't exactly seem like terrorists." (5.118)
This is funny on two levels. One: a ditzy teenage girl would actually be the perfect cover for a terrorist. Two: Alex is a sympathizer, what Lena's government views as a terrorist, and yet he doesn't exactly fit the profile either. He's all young and dreamy and seemingly law-abiding and stuff.
Quote #5
For once, [Hana] doesn't look pretty and in control. She looks pale and unhappy, and her expression reminds me of something, but I can't place it right away. (8.49)
Hm, could her unhappiness remind you of what you see when you look in the mirror, Lena? We think so.
Quote #6
I'm struck dumb by the beauty of it [...] a sea of people, writhing and dancing in the light. (9.35)
Beauty is the number one thing that Lena values in a person, so it's no surprise that this is what she instantly picks out about the party. It's all looks, looks, looks for this girl.
Quote #7
Hana made fun of [Angelica Marston] for the way she wore her uniform. It was always perfectly pressed and spotless, the collar of her button-down turned down exactly, her skirt hitting exactly at the knee. (12.69)
Why would Hana make fun of a girl for these reasons? Does she have the perfection that Hana lacks and wants?
Quote #8
Then he breathes, "Beautiful," and when his eyes meet mine I know that he really, truly means it. [...] I believe what Alex said. I am beautiful. (16.28-16.29)
Lena doesn't believe she's beautiful until Alex says she is. Now that Alex is presumed dead at the end of the book, do you think Lena still believes she's beautiful, without a boy to reaffirm this belief?
Quote #9
[Brian Scharff] is impressively short, for a guy—and so thin I'm worried about breaking his wrist bone when we shake. (19.61)
This is the opening volley in Lena's private barrage of criticism toward Brian Scharff for not living up to Alex's perfection. Is her hatred of him a result of her newfound distaste for the government's matching system, or is this just her shallow nature swimming to the surface?
Quote #10
This guard is actually normal-sized—skinny, even, with acne pockmarks and hair that reminds me of overcooked spaghetti. (22.8)
Again, Lena thinks the guards should be judged like the contestants on Top Model. She'll continue to go on about Thomas's crooked yellow teeth and bad complexion. Maybe the next cure the U.S. will develop is a cure for ugliness, because it sure seems to breed a lot of discontent. In Lena, at least. Although if Lena is as average as she says she is, she might be on the receiving end of it herself.