I know that I am always alone, even when surrounded by people, so I let the emptiness in.
-- Marin as narrator (Chapter 1)

Importance: This quote showcases the loneliness that Marin feels. LaCour’s use of the word “emptiness” conveys something though somewhat beyond loneliness, which is due to Marin’s almost-orphan-like status. Marin is lonely, but she has also seemingly lost her identity when Gramps died and following the discovery of his secret collection of family artifacts. When she found such belongings of her mother, Marin’s life prior to this incident appeared a lie. Thus, the person whom she considered herself was also flawed and unrealistic. In college, Marin’s true identity still feels empty in that she has not let people truly in to her life, evidenced by her ignoring of Mabel’s text messages.

But what I didn't know yet was that you can tell a girl you want to hang out...
-- Mabel (Chapter 4)