Research Ralph Waldo Emerson and the Transcendentalist movement. What does the novel’s setting in a school named after Emerson reveal about the themes of belonging and change?

How do Shayla’s interactions with Tyler parallel her interactions with Jace? What do the similarities reveal about relationships and about the characters?

How does the quote on Emerson’s statue—“OUR GREATEST GLORY IS NOT IN NEVER FAILING, BUT IN RISING UP EVERY TIME WE FAIL” (130)—reflect how Shayla resolves her fear of getting in trouble? Consider what the resolution reveals about the themes of the novel.