The Afterlife of Holly Chase Quotes

“Stories let us see and hear and feel what someone else does,” she explained. “They build bridges to the other islands. That’s why stories are so important. They create true empathy.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“But love doesn’t always have to be about the happy ending. Love can be about beginnings, too.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Without stories, we’re all just lonely islands.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of it for anyone else’?”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“You can try to keep the worst things down inside you. You can shove them away, not think about them, not deal. But they bubble up to the surface. They always do.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“My fortune read, It’s never too late to become what one could have been.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Anything’s possible, I suppose. It’s a wonderful fact to reflect upon, that every human creature is constituted to be that profound secret and mystery to every other.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“A loving heart is the truest wisdom.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“it's about family," I said to answer his question. "It's about how, even when we know it's a mistake or that things are going to end badly, we still choose to fight for the people we love.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Without stories, we're all just lonely islands...stories let us see and hear and feel what someone else does...they build bridges to the other islands. That's why stories are so important. They create true empathy.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“A day wasted on others is not wasted on one's self.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Well, you know, vices are sometimes only virtues carried to excess.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“There are two ways to respond when life hands you something unpleasant,” the grandmother said, smiling down at the infant in her lap. “You can get soft or you can get tough. Our Ethan has just decided to get tough, it seems. But he’ll come around eventually, I think. He’s got a good heart under there somewhere. And he has time—God knows, he’s, what, seventeen now? He has time to get himself on the right path again.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“It's never too late to become what one could have been.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Everyone started sniffling at that point. Everyone, that is, except me. I never did the crying thing. It would have ruined my makeup.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“There is nothing so strong or safe in an emergency of life as the simple truth.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“I just think, we don't get promised anything good in this life. Bad things happen all the time. They're happening right now, somewhere out there. They'll keep happening. Who knows? Maybe this moment, right here, is as good as I'm every going to be.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Even though he knew the Shadow King would trap them both, he couldn't just leave her to her fate. There's such a beauty in that. Choosing love, no matter what it costs.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Because that’s what it’s all about, right? Connection. Togetherness. Love.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Sometimes all a person needs to turn themselves around is one good friend.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“All you need is love.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“You can try to keep the worst things down inside you. You can show them away, not think about them, not deal. But they bubble up to surface. They always do.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“But love doesn't always have to be about the happy ending. Love can be about beginnings, too.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Because I'm like the opposite of Cinderella. My ball only starts after midnight.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“It’s never too late to become what one could have been.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“You're the best person, Ro. You're awesome. You're so smart. I love the way you love books. And you're funny and you're honest and you're kind. I'm not saying you don't have flaws, because you do. You're too sarcastic sometimes, and you have a short temper, and questionable fashion sense, and you don't like Indian food. But you are like the best person ever. I'd be crazy to not want to be your friend. I've missed you so much. I love you. I know that sounds weird coming from a friend, maybe, but it shouldn't, really. You're like the best friend version of the love of my life.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Love can be an excellent motivator for change.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Just put a big fat F in the middle of my forehead. Right then I could have punched Boz for bringing up Elena and Nika. And Dave for smiling at me so sympathetically. And Stephanie just because.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“Because Ethan’s not like the other Scrooges,”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase

“He said, Without stories, we’re all just lonely islands.”
― Cynthia Hand, The Afterlife of Holly Chase