How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
[Jack had] been kind of a jerk. But when he was killed--instant sainthood. (5.2)
This is a different kind of transformation than the literal one we'll see later, from human to wolf. This transformation is the kind that occurs when people don't feel right speaking “ill” of the dead, even if they are only speaking the truth.
Quote #2
I knew those eyes. (9.15)
Even after transforming, werewolves retain their human eyes. This is a critical plot point, because it allows Grace to recognize Jack, and to start suspecting that things like werewolves still exist.
Quote #3
I was not a wolf, but I wasn't Sam yet, either. I was a leaking womb bulging with the promise of conscious thoughts. (13.1-13.2)
Stiefvater uses birth imagery a couple times when talking about the transformation from wolf to human and vice versa. How is transforming like a birth, or rebirth, for the wolves?
Quote #4
Lying next to the girl who rescued me, my simple humanity felt like a triumph. (16.2)
Sam doesn't just have to grapple with transforming into a wolf, he has to deal with transforming back when he isn't supposed to. This is a triumph for him, but we think it's anything but simple. It's practically the whole focus of the book! Why does he think it's simple?
Quote #5
I didn't even really understand how being shot had given me back my human form in this cool weather. (16.18)
That's the problem with supernatural transformations: there's just no way to tell exactly how they'll work.
Quote #6
Jack didn't need a transformation to become a monster. (24.25)
This is a key concept in the book. Wolves basically have the same personality that they have as a human, so a non-violent person like Sam is still a non-violent wolf. Does being a wolf heighten any aspects of the shifter's personality?
Quote #7
“I don't change, Sam. I'm not really like you.” (24.50)
Grace might not physically change during the course of this novel, but does she experience any sort of psychological or emotional change? Or does she remain a static character?
Quote #8
“The only thing magical about it is that we can't explain it.” (39.15)
“Magic” is a term that's often used for things that humans don't understand. Could there be a scientific reason behind the change, or is it purely supernatural? Keep in mind that they manage to “cure” the disease with science.
Quote #9
This wasn't the silent struggle of Sam trying to stay human that I'd seen before. This was violent, angry, loud. [...] [Jack's] skin bulged and shimmered for a moment before each radical change, like a placenta covering a terrifying, feral infant. (50.7)
When Sam watches Jack change, it's not that remarkable. He's used to it. But here, as Grace watches him change, it's a horror show. Plus, more bonus icky-sticky birth imagery.
Quote #10
[Olivia] was a strange, light creature that I didn't recognize. [...] It was as if she had been meant for it. (62.51, 62.52)
Olivia's transformation might be the only one that can be seen as positive. Shelby's is debatable because, while positive for her, she ends up inflicting pain on others. We can't see Olivia causing anyone any harm.