How we cite our quotes: (Section Break.Paragraph)
Quote #10
"Out here things pretend to be dead, Gem. It's their survival tactic. Underneath, they're bursting with life. Nearly all of a desert plant's growth is below the soil […] I guess it's a bit like us in the city, or the city itself … dead to look at, but underneath, it's tingling." (53.8)
After spending a lot of the story haranguing against the city's fakery and noise, Ty makes a surprising statement when he actually says that they are alike, with life under the surface trying to get out. On the other hand, though, he also seems to be making a statement about himself and his general situation with Gemma. What looks like a kidnapping (and still is, but you know what we mean) is actually a reaction to a traumatic childhood and a desire to show a city girl that there is more to life than what she's experienced.