One major theme is how challenging it can be to find one’s place when you are thrust into a new environment. Sometimes, a person will find their niche in surprising ways if they stay curious and open-minded. At first, Hopper does not adjust well to her new school. She is angry at her mom for moving them there. She misses her father and doesn’t have any friends. The adults at her school are creepy at best and openly hostile at worst—including her own mother, the principal, and the custodian, Mr. Bee.

Hopper feels a glimmer of hope when she sees Eni holding a basketball and tries to start a conversation with him. Josh is with Eni, though, and he rejects Hopper while Eni unfortunately accidentally flings pudding on her. Hopper feels that her one chance at making a friend is gone. She tried to connect over an obvious common interest, and it didn’t work, so she gave up.

She ends up finding her real place within the school and as Eni’s friend in a completely unexpected way. When she is sitting alone at lunch, Eni comes to talk to her and that is when they discover the secret about the birds’ binary code eyes.