“At least one thing was consistent about her life: It just kept on getting more complicated.”

“I like my first lines short and declarative. No complicated sentences. Of course, that's not really a Scott thing. It's pretty classic grab-the-reader technique.”

“The physical beauty…also cleared her mind of worries. Every day seemed to change the mountain, the sky, and the surrounding valleys, making them spectacular in a completely new way. Nature, at least, didn’t need an operation to be beautiful. It just was.”

“It's just the way things are." she shrugged. "It's no one's fault.""Or everyone's.”

“Dying is one of those things that can’t be fixed. Not by talking about it, not with all the brain surge in the world.”

“Not everything made you stronger. It was possible to survive, yet still be crippled for your trouble. Sometimes it was okay to run away, to skip the test, to chicken out. Or at least to get some help.”

“He squeezed her hand. "Then I'll come get you, wherever you are when it happens. We'll be okay.""But what about everybody else?"He stared out across the river, nodding slowly. "My guess is, everybody else is in big trouble.”