Juliet Takes a Breath

“Panic always started in my lungs first and then spread to nervous fingers, knuckles that had to be cracked, and a heartbeat that wouldn’t slow” (52). How does Juliet’s anxiety influence her life? How does she deal with her anxiety and why is it important to the novel’s larger themes?

“My parents raised me to believe that I should be proud to live in the land of the free. But what the heck did any of that mean if it came at the cost of other people’s countries and lives?” (139). Juliet realizes how naïve she is about the history of the US in the novel. How has Juliet’s understanding of the US changed throughout the novel? Why is it important that she reads about the history of the US during her internship?

“Ask the questions that make you feel like your heart is blasting out of your chest” (145). Why is it important to ask questions about the world? How does Juliet’s questioning in the novel impact her life?

“Fresh-faced, I stared hard into the static of the bathroom mirror, trying to imagine her wanting to kiss me. I looked again and saw myself and it was okay. I’d kiss me” (160). How does this quote show Juliet’s feelings about her own identity and her self-worth? How does Juliet’s perspective of herself change throughout the novel?

Why is Lil’ Melvin’s confession in Chapter 14 important to Juliet and to the novel?

“All of the women in my life were telling me the same thing. My story, my truth, my life, my voice, all of that had to be protected and put out into the world by me” (285). How is Juliet’s story important to the world? Why is telling your own story important?

How does setting play a part in Juliet’s journey?

What is love from Juliet’s perspective? What does it mean to be loved and who are the people in Juliet’s life who show her love, and in what ways?