This was a normal life. Really normal, like other people’s lives. No one was trying to kill him, or eat him. He didn’t have a principal who thought he was the biggest loser on the planet. Half the football team wasn’t turning into zombies or werewolves…You know, this has possibilities. It might not be bad to be normal for a while. Weird and poor hadn’t worked out that well for him. Rich and well dressed might be another story.
-- Nick (Chapter 1)

Importance: Nick contemplates the bright side of being exiled from his own dimension into an unfamiliar world where he is powerless. The advantages and disadvantages of being normal are a major theme of the novel, which ultimately seems to argue that Nick should embrace what makes him special, and use his uniqueness for the greater good.

One life touched thousands. For the first time, Nick truly saw...
-- Nick (Chapter 2)