Abandoned House (Simile)
"Trees burst forth from broken windows and skins of scabrous vine gnawed at the walls like antibodies attacking a virus." (55)
This simile creates an air of hostility around the abandoned house. This is unexpected for Jacob, who believed he would find someone living in the house to give him answers. Instead, though, he finds a monstrous, decrepit building with more secrets than he thinks he can ever uncover.
Sound of Rain (Simile)
"For a long moment there was only the sound of rain banking off the roof, like a thousand fingers tapping way off somewhere." (80)
This simile heightens the suspense that Jacob feels after he hears the children who are watching him sift through the trunk full of photographs. This is a tense moment because Jacob had previously believed that no one was living in this house and it is extremely strange for him to see the people in the photographs come to life before him.
Emma Carrying Fire (Simile)
"She held it before her like a waiter carrying a tray, lighting the path and casting our twin shadows across the trees." (116)
Jacob compares Emma carrying fire in her hands to a waiter carrying a tray in order to emphasize how effortlessly she does this seemingly impossible action. It also highlights Emma's calm, self-assured nature, something that Jacob admires about her.
Miss Avocet's Hands (Simile)
"Miss Avocet looked helplessly at her hands, trembling in her lap like a broken-winged bird." (169)
This simile compares Miss Avocet's trembling hands to a feeble, frail bird, a fitting comparison because she is an ymbryne, who can shapeshift into a bird. These birdlike qualities are a part of an ymbryne's identity even when she is in her human form.
The Cairn (Simile)
"When we reached the cairn, Olive patted the stones like a beloved old pet." (228)
This moment marks the end of the peculiar children's time in the loop and on the island. This loop has been such an important source of protection for them, and the cairn was the entrance to this sanctuary. Naturally it is difficult for the children to say goodbye to this part of their lives, and this simile emphasizes the sadness they feel at their departure.
