How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
The hard part was picking a body. I wanted to keep it simple, start small. Slip into a life that was already taking place. Something with all the synapses in working condition. A body that was carefree, insulated from earthly considerations like hunger; a protected place to try out physical existence. (1.7)
When we think about our lives, we don't usually focus on selecting a body from a crowd—after all, we're stuck with what we've got. For Kiriel, though, selecting the right body is key to making sure he has enough privacy and room to move around. He doesn't want parents cramping his style.
Quote #2
All at once I was in this brand-new, slightly used body. It was a fast-motion fill-up, like pouring myself all at once into a too-tight vessel. I'm not used to boundaries, and to be suddenly constricted—to need to breathe, to have a beginning and an end—gave me a feeling of… well, almost panic. (1.14)
Check out the way he describes the body as if it's a car he's taking for a test drive; he even calls it "slightly used." Kiriel finds his new existence as a human overwhelming at first because he's not used to seeing, smelling, and tasting things, but pretty soon, he loves it.
Quote #3
But after only a short time, I already felt an attachment to this particular body, to this particular life. Good old Shaun; I'd never seen any clue that he appreciated the wonder shining in every one of his moments. (3.25)
Ah, Shaun—we thought he was just Kiriel's ticket to earth, but our Fallen angel starts liking the guy. The fact that he feels anything toward Shaun shows us just how important someone's life can be. To Shaun, life is a mix of pretty ordinary events, but they are all new and exciting for Kiriel.
Quote #4
I thought, as I headed out to catch Shaun's school bus, that I wanted to eat some cookies today. Maybe chocolate would be best. To start with, anyway. (8.1)
His idea of living is a pile of chocolate chip cookies. Hey, we're not judging—we love us some cookies anytime. Our point here, though, is that Kiriel doesn't want to do anything extraordinary as a human. Instead, he wants the real life experience.
Quote #5
They were happily engrossed in their game, both completely unaware that the only things left of Shaun Simmons were a few photos and an empty space. (12.119)
Yikes, way to be a downer. As it starts to dawn on Kiriel that he's taken someone's existence away from them, it gets to him. At first, he just wanted a vacation, but now he feels badly for Shaun and his buddies for having taken something—or should we say someone—away from them.
Quote #6
Bodies are rather untidy, with a somewhat gummy saclike skin holding organs in place so they won't fall out, the whole thing oozing sweat and oil and constantly shedding dead cells. Physical contact is just plain odd, when you get down to it. (13.74)
Sure, bodies are messy. They do all kinds of things that Kiriel isn't used to caring about. But he likes it, which surprises him even more. It's not so much about the experience of sweating or feeling your own skin that he likes, but the idea that he has a body at all. Seems normal to us, but to him, it's downright miraculous.
Quote #7
Shaun's lungs heaved in and out with my breath. A slight breeze from outside teased the tiny hairs on Shaun's arms—but I was the one who felt them. I felt. I saw. I heard. I tasted. (14.28)
We'll be honest: We take these things for granted. There aren't many days when we wake up excited that we can see or touch or taste. The point? We should be. Kiriel gets to live life as a human with five senses and it rocks his world.
Quote #8
Was this what being human did to you? Warped you so that all you could think about was the tiny points at which other people's lives intersected yours? Made you forget that every one of these points has not only a history, but an infinite number of possible futures that can be spun out or stunted—or even unraveled to make more possibilities? (21.78)
In a word? Yes. Being human has its ups and downs, but it sure does make you overanalyze the smallest things. Kiriel likes the part where he gets to eat ketchup and kiss Lane, but he's not sold on the anxiety and stress that comes with living on earth. We feel you, bro.
Quote #9
It's the glitches and twists, I thought, that make this universe unique and compelling. Without flaws, there would be no depth, no substance. (23.31)
In the end, Kiriel realizes that he doesn't have to be perfect—no one is—and life isn't about perfection, but flaws. Once he gets this, he takes the pressure off himself to be perfect at everything and actually enjoys himself.
Quote #10
"Shaun has never appreciated his existence the way you have. Having to work for some of the simple things he has always taken for granted might enable him to be more appreciative, do you not agree?" (24.64)
It's easy to judge Shaun, but the truth is, most of us are in the same boat. Kiriel makes us realize that we should be more grateful when it comes to the simple stuff in life. He gets excited just walking around as a human, whereas Shaun didn't appreciate anything.