Now they seemed to be in a contest over who could irritate her more, and she sometimes had to remind herself that teenagers had souls

I won't be what I'm not. -Jing-mei

There are a lot of people who think that's what's needed to be successful is always being right, always being careful, always picking the right path.

My parents had very high expectations. They expected me to get straight A's from the time I was in kindergarten.

You have to be your own person. You can't let people's opinions determine how you think about yourself. There's a difference between identity and self-identity.

Those who don't heed the warnings don't live to admit they were stupid not to do so.

Among writers, if you don't have a therapist, it's like saying you don't keep a journal or use the thesaurus. It's a natural accompaniment.