The Name of the Star Quotes

“Fear can’t hurt you,” she said. “When it washes over you, give it no power. It’s a snake with no venom. Remember that. That knowledge can save you.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“I decided to deflect her attitude by giving a long, Southern answer. I come from people who know how to draw things out. Annoy a Southerner, and we will drain away the moments of your life with our slow, detailed replies until you are nothing but a husk of your former self and that much closer to death.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“And if we get caught, I will claim I made you go. At gunpoint. I am American. People will assume I'm armed.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Keep calm and carry on.
Also, stay in and hide because the Ripper is coming.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Welsh is an actual, currently used language and our next-door neighbors Angela and Gaenor spoke it. It sounds like Wizard.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Tell me what you want, what you really, really want," he said.
"Braiiinnnnssss," we said in unison.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“It was like the entire world was colluding to make me feel insane, and it was doing a really good job.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“And what else is she?" Jerome asked. Jazza didn't offer any reply so I chimed in with, "A bitchweasel?"
"A bitchweasel!" Jazza's face lit up. "She's a bitchweasel! I love my new roommate.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“It was clearly one of those mornings when I was particularly American.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Walk really, really carefully. It's not complicated, but if you mess up, you'll die, so pay attention.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Braiiinnnnssss," we said in unison.
"It's both sad and incredibly impressive that you were all ready with that one.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Kissing is something that makes up for a lot of other crap you have to put up with...It can be confusing and weird and awkward, but sometimes it just makes you melt and forget everything that is going on.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“I had one class in the morning, the mysteriously named "Further Maths". It was two hours long and so deeply frightening that I think I went into a trance.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“I looked at the stained-glass image of the lamb in the window above me, but that only reminded me that lambs are famous for being led to slaughter, or sometimes hanging out with lions in ill-advised relationships.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Boo: "Go talk to her."

Callum: "About what?"

Boo: "Anything."

Callum: "You want me to walk up to her and say, 'Are you a ghost?'"

Boo: "I do that."

Callum: "I love it when you get it wrong.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“I'm the last of the mad ones.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“I had always assumed the weekend was a holy tradition, respected by good people everywhere. Not so at Wexford.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“It was almost funny. Life seemed downright accidental in its brevity, and death a punch line to a lousy joke.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“We Deveauxs preferred to talk you to death, rather than face you in physical combat.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Some other facts I picked up:
Welsh is an actual, currently used language and our next-door neighbours Angela and Gaenor spoke it. It sounds like Wizard.
Baked beans are very popular in England. For breakfast. On toast. On baked potatoes. They can't get enough.
"American History" is not a subject everywhere.
England and Britain and the United Kingdom are not the same thing. England is the country. Britain is the island containing England, Scotland, and Wales. The United Kingdom is the formal designation of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as a political entity.
If you mess this up, you will be corrected. Repeatedly.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“She introduced herself to my parents with one of her mighty, bunny-crushing handshakes. (I'd never seen Claudia crush a bunny, to be fair, but that's the approximate level of pressure.)”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Hey! Jack the Wanker! Over here! I want your autograph!”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“One question," I said. "Did you tell me all that because you think I'm going to die?"
"No," he said. "It's because you're doing something brave, and I felt I should too."
"I'll take that as a yes," I said.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Rory: "People are being serious."

Jazza: "There's a serial killer out there. Of course people are being serious."

Rory: "Yeah, but what are the chances?"

Jazza: "I bet all of the victims thought that."

Rory: "But still, what are the chances?"

Jazza: "Well, I imagine they are several million to one."

Jerome: "Not that high. You're only dealing with a small part of London. And while there might be a million or more people in that area, the Ripper is probably focusing on women, because all of the original victims were women. So halve that--"

Jazza: "You really need another hobby.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“It was as if the news itself wanted to reassure me. Even Jack the Ripper himself had reappeared as part of the greeting committee.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“Something about her suggested that her leisure activities included wrestling large woodland animals and banging bricks together.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“You don't know me yet," I said.
"Rory was telling me she lives in a swamp," Charlotte said.
"That's right," I said, turning up my accent a little. "These are the very first shoes I've ever owned. They sure do pinch my feet."
Jerome gave a little snort.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“What are you?" I asked.
"I'm the Ghost of the Night Before Exams."
"And how long did it take you to come up with that?" Jazza asked.
"I'm a busy man," he replied.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“People were freaked out, but they showed it in weird ways. Back home, people would have been weeping and doing a lot of very public group hugs. At Wexford people just aggressively pretended nothing had happened.”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star

“One of them hung a pink bra from our lighting fixture. I left it there. It was a nice bra”
― Maureen Johnson, The Name of the Star