Friendship

Throughout the novel, the author uses Nina's and Oli's closest relationships in order to explore the importance and possibilities of friendship. At the start of the narrative, both Nina and Oli live solitary lives. In "Cottonmouth is Cast From Home," Oli must leave his home and family in order to start an independent life. Because he knows little about the world beyond his home, Oli is often afraid, lonely, and unsure of himself. When he gets lost shortly after his mother sends him away, he says, "I searched my surroundings for anyone who could help. Although there were crickets in the grass . . . they weren't animal people like me" (10). It is not until Oli settles near the bottomless lake and meets Ami, that he starts to feel more comfortable in his new life. His later connections with Risk, Reign, and Brightest further aid his venture into proverbial...