How we cite our quotes: Chapter.Paragraph
Quote #7
I THINK WHAT YOU SAW WERE PEOPLE'S PHEROMONES IN ACTION. THERE MUST BE SOME SYNESTHETIC CONNECTION. BEFORE YOU ASK WHAT A PHEROMONE IS, I'LL GIVE YOU THE DEFINITION FROM THE INTERNET: "A CHEMICAL SUBSTANCE INVISIBLE TO THE EYE THAT ALL ANIMALS AND HUMANS EMIT." (11.64)
After Mia sees colors following her acupuncture appointment, Adam does some research and figures out that she actually sees people's pheromones. It's a trippy experience, especially since Mia learns stuff about how people really feel by watching their deeper emotions come to life.
Quote #8
There's no noise; all the multicolored balls, zigzags, and spirals are coming from inside me. I slowly open my eyes, and things are a little calmer now. The glow around Faith is ten times as vibrant as it was the first time, and the last vestige of guilt caused by lying to my parents leaves me. I'm sure they wouldn't deny me this experience if they knew about it. (12.1)
Even though Mia lies to her parents about acupuncture, it's totally worth it to her. In fact, she thinks they'd even applaud her if they knew what she saw. Her colors are enhanced and magnified after her appointment, reminding us that the colors she sees normally are just part of reality for her.
Quote #9
From some dark corner of my brain I realize I can't see the colored shapes that would normally accompany the sound. All I see are gray blobs that look like used chewing gum. (14.5)
After Mango dies, Mia is distraught—she feels empty and perceives the world in black and white. It's a huge switch for her, one that ultimately makes her grateful for her synesthesia. What she sees might not be like what everyone else does, but it's more exciting and interesting than other people's realities.