Growing Up

The pain and struggles that accompany adolescence are illustrated by Julia's fear of adulthood, and by Cassie's inability to handle growing up at all. While Julia comes to term with growing up by the end of the novel, Cassie is nearly destroyed by it.

For most of the novel, Julia is struggling with the transition from childhood to adolescence. She is nostalgic for the days when she had no worries, when she spent cozy evenings at home with her parents, and when she could play pretend with Julia in the forest. The new knowledge of the world that she has been picking up as she has aged as made her anxious and afraid; movies, books, and news reports have made her aware of the threats she faces as a woman. She feels as if this knowledge is making her a worse person at first, she...