An eleven-year-old girl is many things, but she is not stupid.

When a person's last response was Saumensch or Saukerl or Arschloch, you knew you had them beaten.

Fear is shiny. Ruthless in the eyes.

I guess that’s the beauty of books. When they finish they don’t really finish.

You might argue that I make the rounds no matter what year it is, but sometimes the human race likes to crank things up a little. They increase the production of bodies and their escaping souls.

The thrill of being ignored!

She leaned down and looked at his lifeless face and Leisel kissed her best friend, Rudy Steiner, soft and true on his lips. He tasted dusty and sweet. He tasted like regret in the shadows of trees and in the glow of the anarchist's suit collection. She kissed him long and soft, and when she pulled herself away, she touched his mouth with her fingers...She did not say goodbye. She was incapable, and after a few more minutes at his side, she was able to tear herself from the ground. It amazes me what humans can do, even when streams are flowing down their faces and they stagger on.