“Personally, I think they killed the bear because they were afraid of it. That s what people do, kill the things they re afraid of.”

“That's what people do. Kill the things they're afraid of.”

“No one in France cares if you tried to kill yourself. In fact, I think they like you better because you're all tragic.”

“That sounds so weird: "kill yourself." It makes it sound like you tried to murder someone, only that someone is you. But killing someone is wrong, and I don't think suicide is. It's my life, right? I should be able to end it if I want to. I don't think it's a sin.”

“Once you realise there's nothing to be afraid of when you die, there's nothing else to worry about.”

“I’ve been thinking about that ever since. Am I lucky? Am I lucky that I didn’t die? Am I lucky that, compared to the other kids here, my life doesn’t seem so bad? Maybe I am, but I have to say, I don’t feel lucky. For one thing, I’m stuck in this pit. And just because your life isn’t as awful as someone else’s, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t suck. You can’t compare how you feel to the way other people feel. It just doesn’t work. What might look like the perfect life—or even an okay life—to you might not be so okay for the person living it.”

“That sounds weird: "kill yourself." It makes it sound like you tried to murder someone, only that someone is you.”