I have a question. A specific research question. Something that I want to find out.’ There. Done. This was the answer. ‘Something I’m afraid no one else will discover if I don’t.
-- Olive (“Prologue”)

Importance: When the man in the bathroom asks Olive why she wants to go to graduate school, this is the answer that she gives him. He encourages her to attend school when he tells her that her reason for wanting to go to graduate school is the best reason of all.

The department suspects that I’m making plans to leave Stanford and move to another institution. Normally it wouldn’t bother me, but Stanford has decided to freeze my research funds.
-- Adam (Chapter 2)

Importance: Adam suggests that he and Olive have a fake dating relationship. He tells her that it will help her because it will convince Anh that Olive is no longer interested in Jeremy. It will also...