“I want to be in fifth grade again. Now, that is a deep dark secret, almost as big as the other one. Fifth grade was easy -- old enough to play outside without Mom, too young to go off the block. The perfect leash length.” WantEnoughPlayBigsYoungEasyDarkPerfectSecretMomBlockGradesLengthFifthLeashesFifth GradeDeep DarkDark Secrets Book:Speak Source: Speak
“Sometimes I think high school is one long hazy activity: if you are tough enough to survive this, they'll let you become an adult. I hope it's worth it.” IfsThinkingLongSometimesEnoughSchoolActivityHigh SchoolAdultsToughWorth ItHazy Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“Emma is a mattress who got thrown off the truck when her parents split up. It's not like you can blame a mattress when people don't tie it down tight enough.” PeopleEnoughParentLike YouBlameTiesThrownSplitsTruckEmmaMattresses Book:Wintergirls Source: Wintergirls
“I don't just use yarn from a store. I buy old sweaters from consignment shops. The older the better, and unravel them. There are countries of women in this scarf/shawl/blanket. Soon it will be big enough to keep me warm.” CountryEnoughUseBigsWarmStoresShopsBlanketSweatersScarvesYarn Book:Wintergirls Source: Wintergirls
“The only number that would ever be enough is 0. Zero pounds, zero life, size zero, double-zero, zero point. Zero in tennis is love. I finally get it.” EnoughNumbersSizeTennisPoundsZeroAnorexiaSize ZeroLife Size Book:Wintergirls Source: Wintergirls
“I pull my lower lip all the way in between my teeth. If I try hard enough, maybe I can gobble my whole self this way.... I didn't try hard enough to swallow myself.” IfsWayTryingI CanSelfHardEnoughWholeLipsTeeth Book:Speak Source: Speak
“Mr. Freeman: You are getting better at this, but it's not good enough. This looks like a tree,but it is an average, ordinary, everyday, boring tree. Breathe life into it. Make it bend - trees are flexible, so they don't snap. Scar it, give it a twisted branch - perfect trees don't exist. Nothing is perfect. Flaws are interesting. Be the tree.” GivingLooksEnoughPerfectInterestingTreeOrdinaryEverydayAverageBoringBreatheGet BetterBranchesFlawsGood EnoughScarFlexibleTwistedSnapsNot Good EnoughFreemanNothing Is Perfect Book:Speak Source: Speak
“In one universe, they are gorgeous, straight-teethed, long-legged, wrapped in designer fashions, and given sports cars on their sixteenth birthdays. Teacher smile at them and grade them on the curve. They know the first names of the staff. They are the Pride of the Trojans. Oops – I mean Pride of the Blue Devils. In Universe #2, they throw parties wild enough to attract college students. They worship the stink of Eau de Jocque. They rent beach houses in Cancún during Spring Break and get group-rate abortions before prom.” KnowsFirstsMeanLongEnoughUniverseHouseNamesGivenSportsPartyBreakTeacherGroupsFashionCarStudentsCollegePrideWorshipSpringDevilBlueRateBeachDesignerAbortionGradesStaffCurvesGorgeousStinkPromCollege StudentsSports CarsTrojansSpring BreakBeach HouseSixteenth Birthday Book:Speak Source: Speak
“I scared myself, because once you've thought long and hard enough about doing something that is colossally stupid, you feel like you've actually done it, and then you're never quite sure what your limits are.” FeelsLongHardDoneEnoughStupidLike YouLimitsScared Book:Twisted Source: Twisted
“Adrenaline kicks you in when you’re starving. That’s what nobody understands. Except for being hungry and cold, most of the time I feel like I can do anything. It gives me superhuman powers of smell and hearing. I can see what people are thinking, stay two steps ahead of them. I do enough homework to stay off the radar. Every night I climb thousands of steps into the sky to make me so exhausted that when I fall into bed, I don’t notice Cassie. Then suddenly it’s morning and I leap on the hamster wheel and it starts all over again.” PeopleThinkingGivingFeelsI CanTwoEnoughNightFallCan DoStepsMorningSkyColdBedGive MeHearingSmellHungryKicksWheelsClimbsLeapEvery NightExhaustedStarvingHomeworkAdrenalineRadarSuperhumanHamstersSuperhuman PowersHamster Wheel Author:Laurie Halse Anderson
“Two days later, two days before Christmas, I am judged fat and sane enough to be kicked out of the hospital. The plan to send me straight back to New Seasons won't work. There is no room at the inn for a leather Lia-skin plumped full of messy things. Not yet. The director promises Dr. Marrigan he'll have a bed for me next week. I'm stable enough to go home until then. They all say I'm stable.” TwoEnoughHomeNextRoomsPlansWeekPromiseBedDirectorsSkinsSeasonsFatsInjuryHospitalsJudgedStableSaneDrsMessyLeatherTwo DaysNext WeekInnsSelf Injury Book:Wintergirls Source: Wintergirls
