"Their words of encouragement were just what I needed. I was doing a great job, and I appreciated their cheers.I felt a dormlike camaraderie in the burn unit, since each of us knew the challenges we were facing like no one else could, and therefore how meaningful each triumph was."

"Blake dug a hand into our popcorn.Jayden leaned forward. “Aurora, perhaps you can reconcile our debate. Is Hitchcock horror or suspense?”“Suspense,” Tristan said.“Horror,” Logan countered.“You thought Sleepless in Seattle was horror,” Tristan said. “All that lovey-dovey stuff gave you nightmares.”“Sad but true,” Jayden confirmed."

"I wish every day could be Halloween. We could all wear masks all the time. Then we could walk around and get to know each other before we got to see what we looked like under the masks."

"Was I ever crazy? Maybe. Or maybe life is… Crazy isn’t being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It’s you or me amplified. If you ever told a lie and enjoyed it. If you ever wished you could be a child forever. They were not perfect, but they were my friends."

"Our two peoples are sworn enemies,” he whispered. “You would not do it.”“Call me your enemy no more,” Jan bade him, drawing nearer. “I grow weary of our being enemies. The scars your talons left upon my back this autumn past are old scars now, long healed. Time to heal this ancient rift between our peoples as well."

"In my life, John has been the epitome of gratitude, and not just because he responds to every meal as if it were the best he'd ever eaten. Throughout the many years of our friendship I have learned that John lives on the breath of gratitude and his response is always celebratory. If an exclamation point had arms and legs, its name would be John."

"If we are devoted to some inspirational and significant people in our lives, they will never vanish from our memories. The people who we do not keep a good relation with can be forgotten because they do not take affirmative action to help you overcome your obstacles."

"Think about how much better this world would be if people would just smile at each other more often...You don't have to talk; you don't have to agree on anything; all you have to do is smile! Smiling breaks barriers; it eases tension, and it's the first step to making a new friend."