Character Analysis
Oh, Jason. The perfect guy. Or is he?
(Spoiler alert: No. No, he's not.)
There's so much that's wrong about Jason, but on the surface, he seems flawless. He's blindingly smart, kind to his grandma, a leader in school, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity, and—to top it all off—a recycling vegan who does yoga. Is this a real person?
In terms of his relationship with our leading lady, Jason seems to be pretty kind. But here's the thing: she knows he cares, and yet, he's never really affectionate with her. As Macy explains, "I sometimes wished for more" (1.30). So he's not a touchy-feely type of guy—that's fine, right?
Well, yeah, until Macy starts trying to get some emotional support from him, instead of just helping him with all his projects. When she starts complaining about Bethany and Amanda's behavior toward her, Jason gets impatient. And when she actually dares to send him an email that reveals her feelings about him—telling him she loves him—he instantly drops her, asking for a break because she's becoming a distraction from his goals. Huh?
It's not until the very end of the book that Jason ever realizes that emotional support might not be such a bad thing, after all—when his own grandma nears death. But when he tries to get Macy to agree to date him again, he approaches it like another one of his projects, complete with lists and meetings:
For Jason, there was no unexpected, no surprises. His whole life was outlined carefully, in lists and sublists. (21.50)
Macy realizes that Jason really, honestly doesn't understand that life can throw you curve balls, and she knows that he'll have to learn the hard way. Just like she did.