Son of a Trickster

by

Eden Robinson

Jared is the 16-year-old protagonist of Son of a Trickster. He lives in Kitimat, British Columbia and is a member of the Heiltsuk and ‘Namgis Nations. Jared had a tough upbringing, as his mom and dad divorced after his dad experienced a back injury at work and consequently became addicted to painkillers. Jared’s mom, who is emotionally volatile, won sole custody him and subsequently dated a series of abusive boyfriends, including one named David who broke Jared’s ribs. As a result of David’s actions, Jared is very uncomfortable with violence in his life, and he prefers relationships based in unconditional love, like the ones he shares with his dog Baby Killer and his paternal grandmother, Nana Sophia. Because of Jared’s dysfunctional family life, he becomes much more responsible than most of his peers: for example, he helps his dad pay rent (though he’s only able to do so because he sells marijuana cookies). He also keeps up the house when his mom abandons him for months while she’s high on drugs. Jared also illustrates his responsibility by taking care of his elderly neighbors, Mr. Jaks and Mrs. Jaks, and by emotionally supporting his girlfriend, Sarah. However, even though Jared is more responsible than the typical teenager, the hardship in his life leads him to try and avoid his problems. Jared drinks and smokes marijuana frequently as a coping mechanism, but this often leads him to get into fights or become violently ill. Jared also tries to avoid increasingly strange occurrences in his life, like the trickster raven Wee’git telling him that he is Jared’s real father, or visions of prehistoric “ape men” climbing up from his basement. But because Jared doesn’t face these problems head-on, he ultimately endangers himself and those around him, getting captured by violent river otters who bite off one of his toes. By the end of the novel, Jared accepts the magic in his life and his true identity as Wee’git’s son, and he also starts to go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and finds empowerment in his sobriety. Both of these developments suggest that confronting his problems directly is the only way that Jared regains some control of his life.

Jared Martin Quotes in Son of a Trickster

The Son of a Trickster quotes below are all either spoken by Jared Martin or refer to Jared Martin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dysfunctional Families, Responsibility, and Maturity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Nana Sophia kissed him. “And I love you and I would never hurt you. But if you weren’t Philip’s and your momma tried to pass you off as his, I’d have slit her throat and left her in a ditch to die like a dog.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Nana Sophia (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Wee’git/The Voice
Page Number: 13
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

Think of magic as a tree. The root of supernatural ability is simply the realization that all time exists simultaneously. Humans experience time as a progression of sequential events in much the same way we see the horizon as flat: our reality is shaped by our limitations.

If you blasted off in a rocket and achieved a low, stable orbit, you would see the planet’s horizon curving into a sphere. But how, you may be wondering, can you blast yourself out of time? We don’t know how to build those machines yet.

Close your eyes. Concentrate on your breath. Remember that you were not always earthbound. Every living creature, every drop of water and every sombre mountain is the by-blow of some bloated, dying star. Deep down, we remember wriggling through the universe as beams of light.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Wee’git/The Voice
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

Baby thumped her tail when his mom came over to squeeze Jared’s shoulder. His mom’s eyes darted around the room, but she avoided meeting his. Normally, she’d be telling him sixteen was way too old to be acting like a big fucking wuss, but they could hear the vet and the receptionist talking in the front room, so she stayed quiet. She patted her jeans as she walked out. Probably forgot her lighter in the truck.

The world is hard, his mom liked to say. You have to be harder.

Baby licked his cheek.

“Gonna miss you,” Jared whispered in her ear.

Baby lifted a leg and farted. Jared laughed, and then it turned into crying that faded into more sniffling.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Baby Killer
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:

He looked down. Blood and chunks had turned the front of his jeans red. And of course his homework was blowing down the street and he didn’t want to arrive late, get stared at for his dog-splattered jeans and not have his homework done. His mom wrapped him in her arms while the cop asked Richie to describe his other pit bull. She squeezed him until his ribs creaked.

“Richie could be the answer to a lot of our problems,” she whispered in his ear. “If you keep your cool and don’t take this personally.”

He choked on his answer, trying to pull out of her grip.

“I’d kill and die for you, Jelly Bean,” she said. “Don’t ever forget that.”

Related Characters: Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom (speaker), Jared Martin, Richie, David
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

A raven landed on the sidewalk in front of him, black and ominous. It cocked its head, studying him. Jared liked crows because they were small and goofy, but ravens with their deep croaks and their large size unnerved him.

“FYI,” the raven said, “advertisers lie to get you to buy their product. If you coat yourself in Axe body spray, girls aren’t going to pull your clothes off. They’re going to hold their noses and back away.”

Holy crap, Jared thought. I am still way more stoned than I thought.

The raven hopped closer. “So do everyone a favour and stop bathing in it. Okay?”

“‘Kay,” Jared said.

Related Characters: Wee’git/The Voice (speaker), Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Richie, David
Page Number: 33
Explanation and Analysis:

Jared bumped off a couple of trees as he sped down, laughing his ass off as Kelsey tumbled past him. He was declared the loser, and had to spin a plastic cocoon around Blake, who kangaroo-hopped over to Kelsey and jumped up to kick him.

Afterwards, Jared took the bus back to their neighbourhood and helped Mrs. Jaks shovel the snow out of her driveway while Mr. Jaks searched the house for snow tires for the car they’d sold. They had venison pie for supper. She asked him if he could watch Mr. Jaks on Wednesday while she went to a doctor’s appointment. She promised to make his favourite, spaghetti with moose meatballs.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Mrs. Jaks, Mr. Jaks, Blake, Kelsey
Page Number: 35
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

She was going to be so pissed if—when—she found out he was helping out his dad. Jared didn’t want to live with his dad. He wasn’t picking sides. God, no. He just didn’t want his dad to be homeless. He didn’t want to worry about her reaction, but it wiggled around the back of his mind like a melody that you hummed without thinking.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

The money is for YOU, she wrote. I mean it.
Destiny’s having her baby soon.
My pretty, pretty enabler. Repeat after me: I’m not responsible for the crappy decisions of the grown-ups in my life.
Jared rolled his eyes. Love you, Nana.
Love you more, Cutie.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Nana Sophia (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Destiny
Page Number: 81
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Dylan threw up and Jared went to the kitchen and made coffee.

He sat at the island and turned on his phone again.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, Destiny had texted.

I hate my life, Jared thought.

He checked his voice mail, erasing Destiny’s messages as soon as he heard her voice. One of the messages began with a long pause.

“Jared?” Mrs. Jaks said. “I’m home. I need some help.”

She’d phoned two days ago. After the holiday parties, he couldn’t really remember what he was doing two days ago.

Related Characters: Mrs. Jaks (speaker), Jared Martin, Destiny, Dylan Wilkinson
Page Number: 92
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

U home 2nite? his mom texted.

Yup.

Luv ur guts.

She was probably drunk and lonely but he read it and reread it, swallowing. Back atcha.

Sarcastic lil shit ur lucky I luv u nuff not to murder u in ur sleep.

Ya, ya.

Get ur rotten ass home b4 I hunt u down.

I have pizza.

Best son ever.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom (speaker), Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad
Page Number: 108
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

“Are you going to the Idle No More walk?”

“The what?”

“Seriously? Do you live under a rock? It’s all over the news.”

“Kinda busy lately.”

“Wow. Just…wow. Dude, Native people are rising up. We’re protesting the omnibus budget bills that are stomping all over the treaties and this oil company called Enbridge—”

“Oh, that.”

“Oh, that?”

“It’s pretty much a done deal,” Jared said. “The environmental review is a dog-and-pony show to shut everyone up.”

“Way to bend over.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Sarah Jaks (speaker)
Page Number: 135
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

Science had a pop quiz. French had homework due he hadn’t done. At lunch, he ate a stale croissant with no-name margarine that he’d scored from the food bank. Spring had sprung. The grass needed cutting, the fridge was making noises and he had no idea how he was going to make the bills. He thought that was probably part of the punishment. If he was going to pay his dad’s bills, then he was going to pay his mom’s. She had a Biblical sense of justice. Eye for an eye, bill for a bill.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad
Page Number: 162
Explanation and Analysis:

He took her hand and put it on his ribs. “My mom dated this douche named David. He didn’t like my grades, so he broke a couple of my ribs. Slowly. He got a boner when I started screaming.”

Sarah flinched. “That’s messed up.”

After a bit she kissed him, then took her hand back and reached up for the j. She inhaled deep before she curled into his side.

“I feel numb,” she said, “all the time, like I took sleeping pills and can’t wake up. I just want to feel something.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Jared said. “And I don’t want to be hurt.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Sarah Jaks (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, David
Page Number: 163-164
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

“Are you still helping him?”

“No.”

“Then why’d you pawn the TV?”

“You took off, but we still had bills.”

She took another deep, slow breath. “I was pissed. You have no idea what it took not to strangle you.”

“Yeah,” Jared said. “That’s love.”

She side-eyed him. “That’s the only thing that kept you from being mulch.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom (speaker), Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad
Related Symbols: Jared’s Rooms/The Basement
Page Number: 186
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

His younger brother wanted nothing to do with magic or magical creatures. He was in love with a woman who wanted high status and a strong warrior for a husband. His village was at war and he wanted to fight. He didn’t want his father’s lonely life. His father was regarded with suspicion, resentment and hatred by everyone, even his own clan, who all blamed the shaman when someone fell sick. His son saw the fasting, and the time alone in the wilderness, and the lack of friends and decided that being a shaman wasn’t for him. But the spirits flocked to him like mosquitoes, torturing him until he gave in and became a powerful, powerful shaman.

Related Characters: Jwa’sins (speaker), Jared Martin
Page Number: 195
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

“Give me the knife.”

“Not while you’re wasted. No cutting.” He wiped her blood off his face, tasting salt. His hand came away red.

“No cutting,” Sarah agreed.

Jared let her go. She traced his face with her fingertip.

“Blood,” she said.

“Your blood.”

“You’re mine. Now and forever.”

“Awesome,” Jared said. He wished people could make undying declarations of love and loyalty to him when they weren’t half-cut or stoned out of their gourds. Or sorry.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Sarah Jaks (speaker)
Page Number: 212-213
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 30 Quotes

The ape man leaned on his knuckles, sniffing the air. His head swung back and forth. He bent down and sniffed the floor. Jared lifted his feet onto the couch. There goes the neighbour’s house. Off to Kansas.

[…]

Other hands scrabbled through the floor, their nails clicking on the linoleum.

I’m here, Jared thought. Alone in the living room. I’m watching TV. Nothing else is real. I know the difference between real and not, and this isn’t real.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Sarah Jaks
Related Symbols: Jared’s Rooms/The Basement
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 33 Quotes

“You loved your dog because you were her master,” Fake Sarah said.

“What?”

“You only love the ones that crawl to you and beg for food.”

“Hey, I didn’t do anything to you.”

“Human,” she said. “We’re dying because you’re killing us.”

“I’m not killing anyone.”

“You’re killing the world and you have the nerve to wonder why we hate you.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Fake Sarah (speaker), Sarah Jaks, Baby Killer
Page Number: 239
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 35 Quotes

Jared swallowed. He needed to get them off topic. What would get them off topic? “Anthropocene.”

Fake Sarah nodded as the others murmured. “The world is burning.”

“Humans take all the fish,” another one said.

“Can’t stay in the river,” another spat, “The rivers burn and taste like shit.”

“Soon the only thing left to eat,” Fake Sarah said, “is you.”

“I’m sorry,” Jared said.

“We don’t want you sorry,” Fake Sarah said. “We want you dead.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Fake Sarah (speaker)
Page Number: 253
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 36 Quotes

All he seemed to be doing these days was crying. Why stop now, he thought, as he bent over and put his head on the table. He didn’t care if Nana—if Sophia killed him. She’d been his lifeline when things got dark. She’d been the one person who could make the crap seem less crappy. And she hated him now. And he hated himself and his life, and he heard himself choking on his own snot and he was disgusted but he couldn’t stop.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Wee’git/The Voice, Nana Sophia
Page Number: 269
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37 Quotes

He heard the fireflies coming with her down the hallway, and he didn’t want to see them. He willed them away, but they wouldn’t go.

“Come back,” Sarah said. “I can’t hear them if you aren’t there.”

“No,” Jared said.

“I’ve never felt anything like that.”

“You’re coming apart,” Jared said. “It’s taking you apart.”

“We’re joining.”

“No, you’re shredding.”

“I’m not scared.”

“I am.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Sarah Jaks (speaker)
Page Number: 280
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 39 Quotes

The bites had healed. He didn’t feel his missing toe anymore. He should be over it by now, he thought, but as he treaded water, he wanted to get drunk, immediately. He wanted to not feel terrified or dumped or used anymore. He wanted to get out of his head and never, ever crawl back in.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Sarah Jaks, Nana Sophia, Dylan Wilkinson
Page Number: 306
Explanation and Analysis:

“I want to shake your hand,” Mr. Wilkinson said. And he held out his hand, and he was attracting attention, so Jared reluctantly shook. “It took a lot of guts to come here. I wish I’d been as together as you are when I was your age. I’m proud of you, Jared.”

Jared started crying. Leaking tears. And then bawling and shaking. And feeling like a phony and a loser. Mr. Wilkinson wrapped his arms around him and let him cry.

Related Characters: Mr. Wilkinson (speaker), Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Jwa’sins, Dylan Wilkinson
Page Number: 311
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 40 Quotes

“Judge-y and self-righteous, just like my mom.”

“I’m not judging you. I love you.”

“You want me to quit drinking now, right? Stop partying. Be a good fucking girl and keep your legs fucking shut and obey everybody. Right?”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with you. This is my sobriety.”

“Can you stop quoting your cult?”

“You don’t have to change,” Jared said. “You don’t—”

She whacked him upside the head.

“Later,” Jared said.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom (speaker)
Page Number: 313-314
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Son of a Trickster LitChart as a printable PDF.
Son of a Trickster PDF

Jared Martin Quotes in Son of a Trickster

The Son of a Trickster quotes below are all either spoken by Jared Martin or refer to Jared Martin. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Dysfunctional Families, Responsibility, and Maturity Theme Icon
).
Chapter 1 Quotes

Nana Sophia kissed him. “And I love you and I would never hurt you. But if you weren’t Philip’s and your momma tried to pass you off as his, I’d have slit her throat and left her in a ditch to die like a dog.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Nana Sophia (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Wee’git/The Voice
Page Number: 13
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 2 Quotes

Think of magic as a tree. The root of supernatural ability is simply the realization that all time exists simultaneously. Humans experience time as a progression of sequential events in much the same way we see the horizon as flat: our reality is shaped by our limitations.

If you blasted off in a rocket and achieved a low, stable orbit, you would see the planet’s horizon curving into a sphere. But how, you may be wondering, can you blast yourself out of time? We don’t know how to build those machines yet.

Close your eyes. Concentrate on your breath. Remember that you were not always earthbound. Every living creature, every drop of water and every sombre mountain is the by-blow of some bloated, dying star. Deep down, we remember wriggling through the universe as beams of light.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Wee’git/The Voice
Page Number: 15
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 3 Quotes

Baby thumped her tail when his mom came over to squeeze Jared’s shoulder. His mom’s eyes darted around the room, but she avoided meeting his. Normally, she’d be telling him sixteen was way too old to be acting like a big fucking wuss, but they could hear the vet and the receptionist talking in the front room, so she stayed quiet. She patted her jeans as she walked out. Probably forgot her lighter in the truck.

The world is hard, his mom liked to say. You have to be harder.

Baby licked his cheek.

“Gonna miss you,” Jared whispered in her ear.

Baby lifted a leg and farted. Jared laughed, and then it turned into crying that faded into more sniffling.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Baby Killer
Page Number: 17
Explanation and Analysis:

He looked down. Blood and chunks had turned the front of his jeans red. And of course his homework was blowing down the street and he didn’t want to arrive late, get stared at for his dog-splattered jeans and not have his homework done. His mom wrapped him in her arms while the cop asked Richie to describe his other pit bull. She squeezed him until his ribs creaked.

“Richie could be the answer to a lot of our problems,” she whispered in his ear. “If you keep your cool and don’t take this personally.”

He choked on his answer, trying to pull out of her grip.

“I’d kill and die for you, Jelly Bean,” she said. “Don’t ever forget that.”

Related Characters: Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom (speaker), Jared Martin, Richie, David
Page Number: 21
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 4 Quotes

A raven landed on the sidewalk in front of him, black and ominous. It cocked its head, studying him. Jared liked crows because they were small and goofy, but ravens with their deep croaks and their large size unnerved him.

“FYI,” the raven said, “advertisers lie to get you to buy their product. If you coat yourself in Axe body spray, girls aren’t going to pull your clothes off. They’re going to hold their noses and back away.”

Holy crap, Jared thought. I am still way more stoned than I thought.

The raven hopped closer. “So do everyone a favour and stop bathing in it. Okay?”

“‘Kay,” Jared said.

Related Characters: Wee’git/The Voice (speaker), Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Richie, David
Page Number: 33
Explanation and Analysis:

Jared bumped off a couple of trees as he sped down, laughing his ass off as Kelsey tumbled past him. He was declared the loser, and had to spin a plastic cocoon around Blake, who kangaroo-hopped over to Kelsey and jumped up to kick him.

Afterwards, Jared took the bus back to their neighbourhood and helped Mrs. Jaks shovel the snow out of her driveway while Mr. Jaks searched the house for snow tires for the car they’d sold. They had venison pie for supper. She asked him if he could watch Mr. Jaks on Wednesday while she went to a doctor’s appointment. She promised to make his favourite, spaghetti with moose meatballs.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Mrs. Jaks, Mr. Jaks, Blake, Kelsey
Page Number: 35
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 7 Quotes

She was going to be so pissed if—when—she found out he was helping out his dad. Jared didn’t want to live with his dad. He wasn’t picking sides. God, no. He just didn’t want his dad to be homeless. He didn’t want to worry about her reaction, but it wiggled around the back of his mind like a melody that you hummed without thinking.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad
Page Number: 60
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 9 Quotes

The money is for YOU, she wrote. I mean it.
Destiny’s having her baby soon.
My pretty, pretty enabler. Repeat after me: I’m not responsible for the crappy decisions of the grown-ups in my life.
Jared rolled his eyes. Love you, Nana.
Love you more, Cutie.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Nana Sophia (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Destiny
Page Number: 81
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 12 Quotes

Dylan threw up and Jared went to the kitchen and made coffee.

He sat at the island and turned on his phone again.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, Destiny had texted.

I hate my life, Jared thought.

He checked his voice mail, erasing Destiny’s messages as soon as he heard her voice. One of the messages began with a long pause.

“Jared?” Mrs. Jaks said. “I’m home. I need some help.”

She’d phoned two days ago. After the holiday parties, he couldn’t really remember what he was doing two days ago.

Related Characters: Mrs. Jaks (speaker), Jared Martin, Destiny, Dylan Wilkinson
Page Number: 92
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 13 Quotes

U home 2nite? his mom texted.

Yup.

Luv ur guts.

She was probably drunk and lonely but he read it and reread it, swallowing. Back atcha.

Sarcastic lil shit ur lucky I luv u nuff not to murder u in ur sleep.

Ya, ya.

Get ur rotten ass home b4 I hunt u down.

I have pizza.

Best son ever.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom (speaker), Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad
Page Number: 108
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 17 Quotes

“Are you going to the Idle No More walk?”

“The what?”

“Seriously? Do you live under a rock? It’s all over the news.”

“Kinda busy lately.”

“Wow. Just…wow. Dude, Native people are rising up. We’re protesting the omnibus budget bills that are stomping all over the treaties and this oil company called Enbridge—”

“Oh, that.”

“Oh, that?”

“It’s pretty much a done deal,” Jared said. “The environmental review is a dog-and-pony show to shut everyone up.”

“Way to bend over.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Sarah Jaks (speaker)
Page Number: 135
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

Science had a pop quiz. French had homework due he hadn’t done. At lunch, he ate a stale croissant with no-name margarine that he’d scored from the food bank. Spring had sprung. The grass needed cutting, the fridge was making noises and he had no idea how he was going to make the bills. He thought that was probably part of the punishment. If he was going to pay his dad’s bills, then he was going to pay his mom’s. She had a Biblical sense of justice. Eye for an eye, bill for a bill.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad
Page Number: 162
Explanation and Analysis:

He took her hand and put it on his ribs. “My mom dated this douche named David. He didn’t like my grades, so he broke a couple of my ribs. Slowly. He got a boner when I started screaming.”

Sarah flinched. “That’s messed up.”

After a bit she kissed him, then took her hand back and reached up for the j. She inhaled deep before she curled into his side.

“I feel numb,” she said, “all the time, like I took sleeping pills and can’t wake up. I just want to feel something.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,” Jared said. “And I don’t want to be hurt.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Sarah Jaks (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, David
Page Number: 163-164
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

“Are you still helping him?”

“No.”

“Then why’d you pawn the TV?”

“You took off, but we still had bills.”

She took another deep, slow breath. “I was pissed. You have no idea what it took not to strangle you.”

“Yeah,” Jared said. “That’s love.”

She side-eyed him. “That’s the only thing that kept you from being mulch.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom (speaker), Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad
Related Symbols: Jared’s Rooms/The Basement
Page Number: 186
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 27 Quotes

His younger brother wanted nothing to do with magic or magical creatures. He was in love with a woman who wanted high status and a strong warrior for a husband. His village was at war and he wanted to fight. He didn’t want his father’s lonely life. His father was regarded with suspicion, resentment and hatred by everyone, even his own clan, who all blamed the shaman when someone fell sick. His son saw the fasting, and the time alone in the wilderness, and the lack of friends and decided that being a shaman wasn’t for him. But the spirits flocked to him like mosquitoes, torturing him until he gave in and became a powerful, powerful shaman.

Related Characters: Jwa’sins (speaker), Jared Martin
Page Number: 195
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 29 Quotes

“Give me the knife.”

“Not while you’re wasted. No cutting.” He wiped her blood off his face, tasting salt. His hand came away red.

“No cutting,” Sarah agreed.

Jared let her go. She traced his face with her fingertip.

“Blood,” she said.

“Your blood.”

“You’re mine. Now and forever.”

“Awesome,” Jared said. He wished people could make undying declarations of love and loyalty to him when they weren’t half-cut or stoned out of their gourds. Or sorry.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Sarah Jaks (speaker)
Page Number: 212-213
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 30 Quotes

The ape man leaned on his knuckles, sniffing the air. His head swung back and forth. He bent down and sniffed the floor. Jared lifted his feet onto the couch. There goes the neighbour’s house. Off to Kansas.

[…]

Other hands scrabbled through the floor, their nails clicking on the linoleum.

I’m here, Jared thought. Alone in the living room. I’m watching TV. Nothing else is real. I know the difference between real and not, and this isn’t real.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Sarah Jaks
Related Symbols: Jared’s Rooms/The Basement
Page Number: 216
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 33 Quotes

“You loved your dog because you were her master,” Fake Sarah said.

“What?”

“You only love the ones that crawl to you and beg for food.”

“Hey, I didn’t do anything to you.”

“Human,” she said. “We’re dying because you’re killing us.”

“I’m not killing anyone.”

“You’re killing the world and you have the nerve to wonder why we hate you.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Fake Sarah (speaker), Sarah Jaks, Baby Killer
Page Number: 239
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 35 Quotes

Jared swallowed. He needed to get them off topic. What would get them off topic? “Anthropocene.”

Fake Sarah nodded as the others murmured. “The world is burning.”

“Humans take all the fish,” another one said.

“Can’t stay in the river,” another spat, “The rivers burn and taste like shit.”

“Soon the only thing left to eat,” Fake Sarah said, “is you.”

“I’m sorry,” Jared said.

“We don’t want you sorry,” Fake Sarah said. “We want you dead.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Fake Sarah (speaker)
Page Number: 253
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 36 Quotes

All he seemed to be doing these days was crying. Why stop now, he thought, as he bent over and put his head on the table. He didn’t care if Nana—if Sophia killed him. She’d been his lifeline when things got dark. She’d been the one person who could make the crap seem less crappy. And she hated him now. And he hated himself and his life, and he heard himself choking on his own snot and he was disgusted but he couldn’t stop.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Wee’git/The Voice, Nana Sophia
Page Number: 269
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 37 Quotes

He heard the fireflies coming with her down the hallway, and he didn’t want to see them. He willed them away, but they wouldn’t go.

“Come back,” Sarah said. “I can’t hear them if you aren’t there.”

“No,” Jared said.

“I’ve never felt anything like that.”

“You’re coming apart,” Jared said. “It’s taking you apart.”

“We’re joining.”

“No, you’re shredding.”

“I’m not scared.”

“I am.”

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Sarah Jaks (speaker)
Page Number: 280
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 39 Quotes

The bites had healed. He didn’t feel his missing toe anymore. He should be over it by now, he thought, but as he treaded water, he wanted to get drunk, immediately. He wanted to not feel terrified or dumped or used anymore. He wanted to get out of his head and never, ever crawl back in.

Related Characters: Jared Martin, Sarah Jaks, Nana Sophia, Dylan Wilkinson
Page Number: 306
Explanation and Analysis:

“I want to shake your hand,” Mr. Wilkinson said. And he held out his hand, and he was attracting attention, so Jared reluctantly shook. “It took a lot of guts to come here. I wish I’d been as together as you are when I was your age. I’m proud of you, Jared.”

Jared started crying. Leaking tears. And then bawling and shaking. And feeling like a phony and a loser. Mr. Wilkinson wrapped his arms around him and let him cry.

Related Characters: Mr. Wilkinson (speaker), Jared Martin, Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom, Phil Martin/Jared’s Dad, Jwa’sins, Dylan Wilkinson
Page Number: 311
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 40 Quotes

“Judge-y and self-righteous, just like my mom.”

“I’m not judging you. I love you.”

“You want me to quit drinking now, right? Stop partying. Be a good fucking girl and keep your legs fucking shut and obey everybody. Right?”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with you. This is my sobriety.”

“Can you stop quoting your cult?”

“You don’t have to change,” Jared said. “You don’t—”

She whacked him upside the head.

“Later,” Jared said.

Related Characters: Jared Martin (speaker), Maggie Moody/Jared’s Mom (speaker)
Page Number: 313-314
Explanation and Analysis: