How we cite our quotes: (Section Break.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"Why am I here?" I whispered.
You patted your pockets, then pulled out a box of matches. You gestured toward the rocks.
"Because it's magic, this place … beautiful. And you're beautiful … beautifully separate. It all fits." (7.45-47)
What Ty is saying here makes more sense on a second read-through, but we wouldn't be surprised if your initial reaction to this is, "Uh-huh, Ty. Sure. Whatever." In his warped mind, though, it makes total sense: Gemma is uniquely beautiful and needs to be rescued.
Quote #2
"I've got skirts and a dress or two. They're in the other room. They're green."
I narrowed my eyes. Green was my favorite color. How did you know all this? Did you know all this? (8.13-14)
Dude—he knows her favorite color. That's messed up. And we don't even want to know how he got that information.
Quote #3
You opened the cabinet and showed me the games on the lowest shelf: UNO, Connect Four, Guess Who?, Twister. They were all games we'd had at home, games I could remember playing with friends, or on Christmas mornings with my parents. But these versions were faded and old, as if they'd come from consignment shops. (8.18)
Again, it's obvious that Ty has been watching Gemma's family and observing their habits, including what games they play. We don't actually see it happen in the book, but maybe he hoped to use the games as something familiar to acclimate Gemma to being with him.
Quote #4
"How long had you been planning it?"
You shrugged. "Awhile, two or three years. But I'd been watching you for longer than that."
"How long?"
"About six years."
"Since I was ten? You've been watching me since then?"
You nodded. "On and off." (30.39-44)
Yeah … We'll just leave this here: "Every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you."
Quote #5
It sounded weird to hear you talk so much; normally, you only said a few words at a time. I'd never imagined that you'd have a story, too. Until that moment, you were just the kidnapper. You didn't have reasons for anything. You were stupid and evil and mentally ill. That was all. When you started talking, you started changing. (31.18)
Let's be real. Even though Gemma's attitude toward Ty changes, he most likely still isn't mentally sound in some way. Let's go back to the idea that no matter how wrong the kidnapping is, Ty honestly feels and believes that he's doing the right thing. Typically, a loss of definition between right and wrong indicates some kind of instability.
Quote #6
"Who says I'm not Superman?" You were looking at me with one eye closed against the sun. I shrugged.
"You would have rescued me by now if you were Superman," I said quietly.
"Who says I haven't?"
"Anyone would say you haven't."
"Anyone's just looking at it wrong, then." You pushed yourself up a little, onto your elbows. "Anyway, I can't steal you and rescue you. That would give me multiple personalities."
"And you don't have them already?" I muttered. (41.23-28)
Is it possible that Ty really has both stolen and rescued her? Perhaps he has delusions of grandeur in saying he's a superhero, but he actually might be on target without even realizing it. This book is all about shades of gray.
Quote #7
"Why do I recognize you?"
"I told you, I've been following you."
"That's just creepy."
You shrugged.
I leaned forward on the couch. "But I recognize you, too. And that's creepier. Why?"
You smiled. "I lived nearby." (46.6-11)
Okay. He stalked Gemma and her family, memorized her favorite things, and then moved near her. Maybe this all makes sense in Ty's mind, but the whole thing is pretty deranged.
Quote #8
But you heard. Your face was right beside the window, your hands pressing against the glass and clawing at the door, your eyes hard. I pushed the accelerator farther down […]
"Gemma, don't do this," you were shouting, your voice firm and commanding. "You can't do this." (54.12-13)
Ty sounds like an animal bent on catching his prey as he tries to get Gemma to stop the car. Clearly, his obsession with her is so great that it inspires this kind of desperate behavior.
Quote #9
You were naked. But you were so covered with paint and sand, flowers and leaves, that I didn't notice right away. The paint and textures covered you like clothes. Your face was a light red color with orange and yellow dots and swirls all over it. Your lips were dark brown. A gray, granite texture covered your legs […] You looked crazy like that, but beautiful, too. (76.2)
Is Ty's art and painting of his body a part of his peculiar personality or his madness? We don't really know, but regardless, Gemma sees something in it that points to him being someone who's passionate and expressive.
Quote #10
Mum shook her head. "He must be mad. It'll never hold up. The police have witnesses, video evidence from the airport, and you, of course. How can he even think to plead not guilty?" She shook her head again, annoyed. "It just proves that he's insane." (102.17)
Gemma's mom's reaction to Ty shows that madness is really a relatively term. The guy took her daughter, so it makes sense that her mind would go to insanity as a reason. But, it returns us to one of the core debates of this book: Is Ty really nuts? Or is he genuinely just trying to do something good for Gemma based on his own childhood horrors?