Quotes from UnWholly

Neal Shusterman ·  416 pages

Rating: (40.2K votes)


“Words don't hurt you." Which is one of the hugest criminal lies perpetrated by adults against children in this world. Because words hurt more than any physical pain.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“The sad truth about humanity...is that people believe what they're told. Maybe not the first time, but by the hundredth time, the craziest of ideas just becomes a given.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“The measure of a man is not how much he suffers in the test, but how he comes out at the end.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Anger is only our friend when we know its caliber and how to aim it.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Either things happen for a reason, or they happen for no reason at all. Either one's life is a thread in a glorious tapestry or humanity is just a hopelessly tangled knot.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly



“How do you judge the brightness of a light when you’re the source? A spotlight can never see the shadows it casts.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“How many kids are in the Graveyard?"
"A bunch."
"Who sends your supplies?"
"George Washington. Or is it Abraham Lincoln? I forget."
"How often do you receive new arrivals?"
"About as often as you beat your wife.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“There's ordinary people out there doing extraordinary things.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“All this time, Lev ever realized what he needed. He did not need to be adored or pitied. He needed to be forgiven. Not by God, who is all forgiving. Not by people like Marcus and Pastor Dan, who would always stand by his side. He needed to be forgiven by an unforgiving world.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Whether consciousness is implanted in us by something divine, or whether it is created by the efforts of our brains, the end result is the same. We are.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly



“When you live a life without questions, you're unprepared for the questions when they come.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“She plays music to heal herself, but nothing can heal her brokenness.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“They signed the unwind order just to spite each other,but laugh,laugh,laugh,Hayden, because if you ever stop laughing,it might just tear you apart worse than a Chop Shop.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“You have robbed me, and everyone here, of their purpose. That's not salvation, that's damnation.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Sure, when you're in the midst of your own suffering, it's easy to convince yourself that you're no good—but we are all tested in this life...The measure of a man is not how much he suffers in the test, but how he comes out at the end.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly



“Respect doesn't come without a little resentment.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“We'll never be ready. So I guess that means we're as ready as we'll ever be.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“History is written by the victors--and when there is no victors, it all winds up in the corporate shredders.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Suddenly it was obvious to Connor why they don't teach it. Once education was restructured and corporatized, they didn't want kids knowing how close they came to toppling the government. They didn't want kids to know how much power they really had.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“So," says Lev, as casually as he can, "you wanna dance?" "Do you believe in the end of the world?" she responds. Lev shrugs. "I don't know. Why?" "Because the day after that is when I'll dance with you.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly



“Lord, if what I'm doing is wrong, then by all means strike me down. Otherwise set me free.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“The eternally sleeping princess, thinks Cam. But I shall free you from those poisoned brambles that surround your heart. And then you will have no choice but to love me.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Truth is truth. Implications are subjective. People will hear your words and draw their own conclusion.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Then she offers him a slim but sincere smile, and he reluctantly returns it. It doesn't bridge the gap between them, but at least it marks the spot where the bridge might be built.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Well...you're a martyr and I'm a patron saint-I can't think of anyone better!”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly



“Tranq'd by your own gun,"Lev says."How pathetic.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“You're going to pee in someone's suitcase?"
"Do you have any other ideas?"
And suddenly Miracolina begins to snicker, then giggle, then giggle, then cackle uncontrollably. "He's going to pee in someone's suitcase!"
"Quiet! Do you want people on the bus to hear you?"
But Miracolina is beyond help. She's entered into a fullfledged laughter fit-the kind that leaves your stomach hurting. "They're gonna open their suitcase," she blurts between bursts of glee, "And their clothes’ll be full of pee!”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“Milestone! This is a momentous occasion," he tells her cheerily. "It should be witnessed by a friend."
She throws him an icy gaze, and he does a verbal back pedal.
"Aaaand since no friends are present, I'll have to do.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“There's a quickening of her heart when she sees him. She tells herself it's anger.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly


“We want what you no longer want.”
― Neal Shusterman, quote from UnWholly



About the author

Neal Shusterman
Born place: in Brooklyn, New York, The United States
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“They're all gone, my tribe is gone. Those blankets they gave us, infected with smallpox, have killed us. I'm the last, the very last, and I'm sick, too. So very sick. Hot. My fever burning so hot.
I have to take off my clothes, feel the cold air, splash water across my bare skin. And dance. I'll dance a Ghost Dance. I'll bring them back. Can you hear the drums? I can hear them, and it's my grandfather and grandmother singing. Can you hear them?
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