How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
I can't even talk to Tony anymore—I tried on Sunday, but his mom hung up on me, muttering something about the devil's influence, which I think was a little overstated. (15.3)
Levithan interweaves seriousness with laugh breaks throughout the book, taking real human problems and writing about them with a hefty dose of levity and camp. In a way, making the villains so far-fetched makes the protagonists seem more normal—when we don't have to focus on the sexuality and gender of gay and trans characters, we can focus on the plights that make them universally human.
Quote #8
There is only one cemetery in our town, where people of all religions and beliefs rest side by side. Just like a community. (22.1)
Is death a requirement for people of differing ideologies to share space peacefully? Would the people in Paul's community live as peacefully if Tony's parents weren't the only homophobic ones (at least that we are told about)?
Quote #9
"They honestly believe that if I don't straighten out, I will lose my soul. It's not just that they don't want me kissing other guys—they think if I do it, I will be damned. Damned, Paul. And I know that doesn't mean anything to you. It doesn't really mean anything to me. To them, though, it's everything." (23.34)
This is the first time in the book we see Tony's parents in a sympathetic light. Even more than they don't want a gay son, they don't want a son in hell.