A darkness different from Ember's, but just as frightening.

It’s for my God, the god of dogs, and snakes and dust mites and albino bears and Siamese twins, the god of stars and starships and other dimensions, the god who loves everyone and makes everything marvelous.

What could be more interesting than thinking of mysterious happenings, finding the answers to intriguing questions, and making up new worlds?

There is so much darkness in Ember, Lina. It's not just outside, it's inside us, too. Everyone has some darkness inside. It's like a hungry creature. It wants and wants and wants with a terrible power. And the more you give it, the bigger and hungrier it gets.

Unintended consequences, he thought miserably. He was angry at his anger, the way it surged up and took over.

Poppy was now almost well. She still slept more than usual, but when she wasn't sleeping she tromped around the doctor's house pulling spoons off the table and spilling cups of water and crumpling pages of books. That is, she was almost her old self.

He says I'm beautiful as a red tomato