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35. Upside Down; Skin
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Everything, Everything, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Coming of Age
Trust and Lies
Family, Abuse, and Bravery
The Value of Experience
Summary
Analysis
Around 8:00 that evening, Maddy logs onto the instant messenger and tells Olly that she told Mom she has lots of homework. She says that she’s not sick, but she admits that she’s a little worried. Olly apologizes for touching her, but Maddy insists that she wouldn’t trade the touch for anything. She says she feels brand new, and Olly wonders what a kiss might do. Maddy points out that friends don’t kiss, but Olly insists that they can if they’re really good friends.
Maddy’s insistence that she wouldn’t trade holding hands, even though she’s afraid she might be ill, suggests that going forward, Maddy is gradually coming to the conclusion that meaningful experiences like these are worth the risk to her health. She’s already learning that they open her world up to new possibilities, and that what she can experience firsthand is far more fulfilling than reading about it.
Themes
