Hunting November Quotes

“And you, November, are stunning. I don't just mean that you're beautiful, which you certainly are. I mean that you radiate kindness and laughter at the same time that you're besting everyone with your knife skills. You trust people and believe in their goodness, even when everyone around you attacks and betrays you. I've never met anyone like you in my life and I would have to be the most foolish person alive not to tell you so.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“It’s not enough to know you love someone, it’s important to let them know it.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“You will enjoy every piece of wonderful as it comes along, because you can’t go back, not for all the money or effort in the world—sometimes, when something is over, it’s over for good.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“But being bad at something and losing aren’t awful the way you think they are and they don’t mean what you think they mean. They’re human. They’re how you learn. And most importantly, they give you freedom from always being a perfect winner.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“Aarya looks increasingly flustered. "Ines, that's private-"
"Wow, Aarya, who knew you had such a big heart?" Ash says, now wearing a smile as well.
Aarya's mouth opens. "I have no such thing. Don't you dare even suggest it."
"No sense in hiding it," Ines says. "Might as well just come out and admit the truth."
Aarya's face turns bright red. "I can't wait until Jag kills us all. Then I won't have to listen to this crap for a second longer."
Even though it's a morbid joke, we all laugh at her absurdity.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“When I found out I was Strategia, I hated it. The last thing I wanted was to be part of this power-hungry, murderous secret society. But then there was something else, something about Strategia that made me reconsider - that they do everything in their power to stop history from repeating itself and to avoid the types of tragedies they know can happen. And so here I am looking for my dad, when I realize something... I can't go back. I can't ever have the life I used to have before I knew I was a Strategia. But I do get to make a choice, a choice about what kind of Strategia I want to be. And even though I don't know much, and even if I'm 'base' like you say, I know that Jag is a tragedy worth stopping. And despite what sentiments some Strategia preach, no one is actively opposing him. But I am.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“I was a little peeved, you know, that you and Ash would go to London to take on Jag in a fit of epic stupidity and not even thing to invite me." She gives me a look. "So I invited myself.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“I shake my head. My nightmare was her amusement. "You have to be the only person in the world who thinks chaos is an ideal state of being," I say.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“You're perrrrfect. Do you really think that's fair to the rest of us? I'm pretty sure I'm going to marry you. Not now. Don't be crazy. But you should just tell your Family that whatever ideas they have about you marrying someone fancy are moot.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“You lean into life. Even now, even when you're being hunted by the Lions, you gape at the streets of Edinburgh, light up over the sight of a Christmas tree in a hotel lobby, ask five thousand questions about the Scottish countryside, and plan movie nights with enthusiasm. It's not just about the end goal for you; you look at the everyday world like it's something special, and you make me see it that way, too.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“It’s a form of power to be able to embrace yourself in all the ways you are and all the ways you’re not.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“At Academy Absconditi they don’t provide you with safety goggles to protect you from an explosive poisons accident, but they will extinguish you if you set yourself on fire. So that’s nice.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“If Conner's actions remained hidden, the Lions would have succeeded in systematically killing the best students from noncompliant Families, and the surviving young Strategia would have been forever tilted in the Lions' favor. Either because they were fearful or because they were loyal, the remaining Strategia would have grown up pledged to Jag. Change the young, change the world. My father knew this, hence beginning his attack at the Academy. What you did in that school is every bit as important as what we accomplished out here.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“But his response makes it easier; I'm calmed by the thought that I'm not trapped here, that my dad is listening, and that he cares how I feel.
I've never seen such utter shock in my friends, though, who like all Strategia tend to mute their expressions but are not doing so presently. They just keep glancing from my dad to me and back again, like we're a puzzle they can't solve.
Aarya looks like she might faint. "If my parents loved me that much, I'd never leave home," she says. "Not for the Academy or any reason.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“Ask yourselves this: Are you comfortable letting someone who would murder children rise to be the head of all Strategia? Strategia have rules; we have order. Jag breaks all those rules and yet he still runs this Family. How can this be? How can he be allowed to kill off the most talented students at the Academy, of all places, a time-honored institution where the child of every Family is an equal?" When I stop speaking, my dad is staring at me, proud.
There are a couple of gasps in the crowd. I can tell Jag wants to muzzle me, too, but is too prideful to let it look like the only way he can control the situation is by gagging everyone.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“Don't spoil my fun," Aarya says. "I'm enjoying watching her grovel because she's had one very obvious vision that told her we would be in danger and now feels like she's psychic."
Ines laughs and for a moment I just stare at her. But then Aarya laughs, too.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“He nods, examining each one of us and pausing when he gets to me and the branch I'm clutching. He tilts his head, unsure, like he might tell me to leave it behind. My heart pounds against my ribs and I do the only thing I can think of in that moment. I lick it. I lick the branch from bottom to top, because even children know that no one wants to touch something someone else licked.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November

“When we're three blocks away without any obvious pursuers, Aarya looks at me and her serious expression melts into a smirk.
"You're absolutely mental, you know that? The way you licked that branch..." She laughs. "I always thought you had some quirk, but that was brilliant."
"You didn't see her make the pinecone kiss the man at the table... I'll never forget his look of utter shock and horror," Ash says with a grin.
And now that we're on the sidewalk hailing a taxi with the branch in my hand and no Hawk staring us down, I allow myself a laugh, too.”
― Adriana Mather, Hunting November