Smoke and MirrorsSixteen-year-old Simon has always been considered odd. Three years ago, a skateboarding accident caused some minor brain damage and made him a little stranger. His career-driven parents mostly leave him alone, and he spends much of his time living in his imagination. When Andrea, whom no one else can see, appears to Simon in class, he is fascinated by her and strikes up a friendship, even though he knows she may be pure hallucination - he's had imaginary friends before. Andrea says she is there to "help" him, but before the story ends, Simon discovers that it is he who needs to help Andrea, not the other way around. |
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Page 4
... means , electronic , mechanical , photocopying , recording , or otherwise ( except for brief passages for purposes of review ) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press . Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access ...
... means , electronic , mechanical , photocopying , recording , or otherwise ( except for brief passages for purposes of review ) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press . Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access ...
Page 10
... mean . " I studied her face , and she didn't seem to mind . She was prettier than I'd first thought . But I also saw some- thing sad about her . In her eyes . " What do you see ? " " I see you . " " Do you think I'm attractive ? " " I ...
... mean . " I studied her face , and she didn't seem to mind . She was prettier than I'd first thought . But I also saw some- thing sad about her . In her eyes . " What do you see ? " " I see you . " " Do you think I'm attractive ? " " I ...
Page 17
... mean it . I'm not ... ? " Andrea tugged at my arm again . Her smile was dif- ferent this time softer , sadder . " No , you're not . You are here in high school . You really are . " I've always had a hard time distinguishing between ...
... mean it . I'm not ... ? " Andrea tugged at my arm again . Her smile was dif- ferent this time softer , sadder . " No , you're not . You are here in high school . You really are . " I've always had a hard time distinguishing between ...
Page 21
... mean they weren't real ; they just weren't here . Oz showed me videos of young , fearless kids not much older than us doing death - defying feats , and I knew I could do those things . I wanted to 21 SMOKE AND MIRRORS.
... mean they weren't real ; they just weren't here . Oz showed me videos of young , fearless kids not much older than us doing death - defying feats , and I knew I could do those things . I wanted to 21 SMOKE AND MIRRORS.
Page 30
... mean , almost anyone at Stockton High could tell you I was not normal . Normal and me just didn't go hand in hand . It wasn't the first time I'd cried . I'd done it before . And it's not just a sudden downpour of tears . ' It's not like ...
... mean , almost anyone at Stockton High could tell you I was not normal . Normal and me just didn't go hand in hand . It wasn't the first time I'd cried . I'd done it before . And it's not just a sudden downpour of tears . ' It's not like ...
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Common terms and phrases
accident Andrea asked astral projection ball bearings beach began better brain called coma crazy Dalway deep breath doctors door dream Druids eyes face father feel felt front girl gone guess hallway hand happened head hospital hurt Julian Jaynes kind knew laughed left hemisphere LESLEY CHOYCE looked Lydia marijuana meat loaf Mel Gibson mind mistletoe Montague mother moved never Occam's razor okay once Ozzie parents pills planet problems remember Ridgefield Roger Sperry satori seemed Shinar Simon sitting skateboard smiled someone sometimes sorry Star Trek stay stopped stuff Sumerians sure surfer talk tell things thought told took a deep touched tree tried Trina trying turned voice walked wanted watching waved weird window witch wondered words
Popular passages
Page 19 - Fillet of a fenny snake, In the cauldron boil and bake ; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog...
Page 9 - ... stool while he rolls about on the ground a large jar which serves as a churn and is placed on its side in order that it may more easily be rolled about to produce the agitation of the cream which results in butter. (Courtesy of the University Museum of Philadelphia) 175. Agriculture and cattle-breeding produced most of the wealth which formed the basis of Sumerian life, but there were other important sources of wealth.
Page 203 - I could tell from the look in her eyes that she did not know where she was. And she did not know who I was.
Page 124 - One source of evidence was trial by water. The unfortunate woman would be put in a pond. If she floated she was a witch. If she sank she was not. This event, the outcome of the experiment, was, by consensus, the information-as-thing needed for the identification of a witch. Nowadays it would be denied, by consensus, that the exact same event constituted the information that it had previously been accepted, by consensus, as being.
Page 67 - I would have to keep my wits about me. I would have to be more careful.
Page 128 - I did not want to go home. I couldn't bring myself to go back to school. I thought I heard someone call my name again, a nickname I hadn't heard for a long while. "Slime-on.
Page 34 - I wasn't going to be the one to break it up. I had my own problems with my right brain probably not even knowing what my left brain was doing.
Page 87 - Whatever was going on, I didn't want to be part of it. They looked very sullen. "Simon, we need to talk to you," my mother said, her voice sounding shaky.
Page 114 - She was the first girl I had ever kissed. She was the first for a lot of things, and maybe I should have apologized to Lydia and followed her.