How we cite our quotes: (Section Break.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"I've never been to Vietnam," you said eventually.
"Or me. I'd rather go to America."
"Really? All those cities, those people?" (1.56-58)
Hey, Ty—watch it. Americans aren't so bad. Seriously, though, this is our first clue that Ty and Gemma have differing perspectives in terms of what location they would most like to live in.
Quote #2
I wrapped my arms around me as tightly as I could, and stared up at the stars. Had I not been so cold and wanting to escape so badly, I could have stared at them forever: They were amazingly beautiful, so bright and dense. My eyes could get lost in them. Back home I was lucky if I even saw the stars at night, what with all the pollution and city lights, but in the desert, I couldn't miss them. They swallowed me up. (19.5)
Being in the middle of nowhere does have its perks, we suppose—like getting a full-on view of the stars. It's an astonishing contrast from Gemma's home in the city, and she's never experienced anything like it.
Quote #3
"At least there are no cities," you said finally. "Out here … no concrete."
"I like cities."
Your fingers tightened around the railings. "No one's real in a city," you snapped. "Nothing's real." (30.29-31)
Ty's contempt for cities and the fake people that inhabit them might be correct in some cases. Still, a lot of these feelings probably come from his abrupt exposure to the city as a child, being taken from the wilderness farm where he felt comfortable and forced to be somewhere different.