Afterward she took me to see Titanic at the last-chance cinema, and for three hours I lost myself in the story the way I could in my favorite books. I was beautiful and brave, someone destined to love and to survive, to be happy and to remember. Real life held none of those things for me, but in the pleasant darkness of that shabby old theater I forgot it never would.
-- Maren (Chapter 1)

Importance: Although she is a cannibal, Maren often wishes she were a normal person. This quote is important because it shows how essential stories are to helping an ostracized person feel as if they have a space where they can belong.

I’m your mother and I love you but I can’t do this anymore.
-- Janelle (Chapter 1)

Importance: Maren's mother leaves her this note on the day after her 16th birthday. This quote is important because it demonstrates the pain Janelle has...