A Confession to a Small-Town Priest
“It’ll be easier for me to tell you if we pretend we don’t know each other, like this is a confession to a small-town priest.” - Olivia (Ch. 1)
This sentence, in the second paragraph of the novel, reveals Olivia's process in telling the story of everything that happened to her. It's a story that resembles a confession: she's confessing to the reader everything that happened to her in the terrible series of events without hiding anything. The simile of the confession also reveals that Olivia believes that she had a part in the tragedy, not merely seeing herself as a victim.
The Screaming Hand
“His brow was furrowed and he was writing furiously, like the words were screaming from his hand." (Ch. 1)
In this scene, Olivia is watching Jamie write in his journal, where he keeps his private thoughts. This dramatic simile highlights Jamie's habit of keeping his thoughts and emotions inside, only allowing them expression by writing them down. This bottling up of his rage will eventually find its climax in his killing of his father, the problem of which will be exacerbated by the rage he confined to his journals, which become key evidence in his prosecution.
The Mr. Benton Suit
“His skin hung loose, like he was wearing an ill-fitting Mr. Benton suit.” (Ch. 4)
At this point in the novel, Mr. Benton has come home from work early and drunk, and he is tormenting Jamie, his mother, and Olivia in his rage. He's acting horribly, and this simile emphasizes it: this isn't just a temporary rage, it's his true nature. The kind persona of Mr. Benton is just a suit he wears to disguise himself.
The House of Fallen Cards
“Like the house of fallen cards we’d become, Maggie dropped her body down to cover mine, leaving Max as the only one of the four of us still sitting up.” (Ch. 13)
After Jamie's death, Olivia, Maggie, and Max have been apprehended by the police, and are dealing with their emotions in the back of the police cruiser. The four of them had been a strong, loyal unit, but Jamie's death caused it all to crumble down. This metaphor, likening them to a house of fallen cards, emphasizes their fragility and the terrible violence of the last few hours.
A Sinking Stone
“Sometimes, in the night, Max snuck back home to me, even though I was a sinking stone and it might not be safe to be near me.” (Ch. 16)
In the wake of Jamie's death, Olivia draws into herself, shutting out the world and feeling like a stone sinking to the bottom of a lake. This metaphor is intentional: it reflects Olivia's deteriorating mental state in the terminology of her mother's drowning and her own obsession with water. Even though Olivia is sinking, Max is standing by her, revealing the depth of his love and commitment to her.
