How we cite our quotes: (Poem Title, Stanza)
Quote #7
"What about your bad choices, Mom? Have you ever once stopped to consider how they not only created me, but helped mold me into the not-so-fine, not-so-upstanding, old-beyond-her-years, not-exactly-a-lady standing in front of you?" (Half of Me.2)
We don't mean to play the blame game here, but Kristina's mom does bear some responsibility for her daughter's decline. It's true that she couldn't help sending Kristina to see her dad—the court order made it impossible not to—but she could have immediately followed up with Kristina to make sure nothing bad happened during her trip, or intervened as soon as she realized her daughter was different. Alas, she did neither of these things.
Quote #8
This very big part of me wanted to confess, to ask forgiveness, request help. Oh, I knew my bad habits had escalated, and if Kristina had had her way that day, well, who knows? But over the last few weeks, Bree had gotten stronger, and her argument—that Mom might put her away, far removed from friends, Chase, and all personal choice—was feasible. (I Spent the Next Day.1)
Maybe Kristina is indeed on a downward spiral that she's powerless to stop, but she refuses to seek help for her problems just as much as she refuses to stop them herself. In this case, the prospect of losing Chase as well as access to the drug makes telling her mom an option too frightening to consider.
Quote #9
I would never shoot up again. I would smoke less, toot less, keep my bad habits manageable. (Notice I didn't say quit them.) I would also avoid sipping other people's blood. (Resolutions.7)
Even a brush with juvenile detention after getting picked up by the cops isn't enough to make Kristina realize that things are totally out of control. Rather than seeing her habits as the source of these problems, she again decides against quitting, thinking that moderation will be the key to getting her out of this. As for the blood thing, we're pretty sure that's a good move.