Gennifer Choldenko · 225 pages
Rating: (35.9K votes)
“Nobody knows how things will turn out, that's why they go ahead and play the game...You give it your all and sometimes amazing things happen, but it's hardly ever what you expect.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“Now I understand. When you love someone, you have to try things even if they don't make sense to anyone else.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“Life is amazing, isn't it? You can't ever tell what will happen. Nobody knows until they go ahead and play the game.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you're me. I came here because my mother said I had to.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“I haven’t seen you for three whole months,” I say. “Two months, twenty-two days, twenty-two days,” Natalie calls out.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“What they say about females being the weaker sex is the biggest lie in the world.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“It doesn’t matter that I weigh more than both of them put together. I know when I’m beat. I let Natalie open the door.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“I’m big as a linebacker, and a seven-year-old girl treats me like her errand boy. Does she smell weakness on me?”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“Sure. I’ve been to hundreds of morgues. Thousands of them, in fact.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“She ignores me. Clearly there’s no stopping her until she’s read every last word.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“Oh, we have everyone who is bad. Except Bonnie and Clyde on account of their being dead,” she says.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“What is this guy . . . nuts?”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“My face turns red just seeing her. She’s a looker. If Pete were here, he’d whistle.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“What else can she do?” she asks. “She’s not a trick monkey.” “She’d never make it as a trick monkey. She only has one trick,” Piper says. “487 times 6,421 is 3,127,027,” Nat says.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“When’s your birthday, Piper?” I ask. “November sixteenth.” “1922?” “Yep.” “Natalie, what day of the week was Piper born?” “Thursday,” Nat says without looking up. “That right?” I ask Piper. Piper doesn’t answer, but her eyes open wider.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“He’s the one ought to have his head examined.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“We are all born with the ability to make our own choices. But once you make the wrong choice, other people make your decisions for you. 18.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“This is the right thing to do, I tell myself. But I don’t believe it. This is another one of my mother’s crazy ideas. I feel sick to my stomach. I want to pull my hand away, but I don’t. I keep walking. Good Moose. Obedient Moose. I always do what I’m supposed to do.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“I feel like marching into my parents’ room and shaking my mom. How could you send her to that place without her blanket?”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“Change is hard. It’s hard for you, it’s hard for me, it’s murder on your sister.” His voice breaks.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“The convicts wash my shirts, as in murderer convicts and kidnapper convicts, and then I’m supposed to wear them?”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“They darn socks too?” “Yes, as a matter of fact. Do a better job than your mom too. Though don’t you dare tell her I said that.” “Murderers outsew my mother?” “Apparently so.” My dad laughs.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“Sometimes it seems easier to be Natalie. People force her to do stuff. I have to force myself.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“It’s like a prison. Okay, it is a prison. There’s the problem right there.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“voice comes out high like a girl’s. I never know whether I’m going to sound like Mickey Mouse or the giant on top of the beanstalk.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“I’m not the only kid who lives here. There’s my sister, Natalie, except she doesn’t count.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
“You get to Alcatraz by being the worst of the worst. Unless you’re me. I came here because my mother said I had to.”
― Gennifer Choldenko, quote from Al Capone Does My Shirts
Gennifer Choldenko
Born place: Santa Monica, CA, The United States
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“And he was introduced to Loki, the family’s hairless cat.
“The kids wanted another pet,” Becky explained as Felix stared in horror at the creature beside him. “But with Polly’s allergies . . .”
“You are lying to me. You borrowed this creature from a zoo to play a prank on me. This isn’t even really a cat, is it? This is some sort of rat and opossum hybrid. This is a lifelike Japanese robot that can dance to disco music.”
“Funny. They’re called sphinx cats. Come on, feel her skin. Like peach fuzz, right? Isn’t she sweet? Give her a good rub. She’s very affectionate.”
“Ah-ha, yes, isn’t that just . . . er, what is coating my hands?”
“It’s . . . it’s like a body wax. I should’ve bathed her before you came. The hairless cats, they ooze this waxy stuff to protect their skin. ’Cause they don’t have hair. To protect them. So the waxy ooze helps. You see.”
Felix stared at her for several seconds, his hands held up like a doctor about to perform surgery.
“I’m going to wash my hands now. And I’m going to try very hard not to run out of this house screaming.”
― Shannon Hale, quote from The Actor and the Housewife
“Oh dear," said Sarah anxiously, "I do wish he wouldn't do these silly things."
I'm sure we all wish that, Sarah," said Marcia sternly. "But unfortunately he has progressed rather further than the silly stage. Evil-minded-scheming stage is more what I would call it.”
― Angie Sage, quote from Flyte
“We live on the same Earth, Beatrice. The world has not changed, only your perception of it.”
― Elizabeth Hunter, quote from This Same Earth
“Anyone who thinks of Satan as evil should consider all the men, women, children, and animals who have died because it was "God's will." Certainly a person grieving the untimely loss of a loved one would much rather have their loved one with them than in God's hands!”
― Anton Szandor LaVey, quote from The Satanic Bible
“Did I ever tell you what came between your mother's heart and mine?"
"I don't think this is the time--"
"Your friend would disagree," she said, almost playfully, her attention darting to Tybalt. Focusing in me again, she said, "He all but burns with what he doesn't say to you, and my time is mine to spend.”
― Seanan McGuire, quote from Late Eclipses
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