Family Quotes in If I Stay

How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)

Quote #4

I look nothing like the rest of my family. They are all blond and fair and I'm like their negative image, brown hair and dark eyes. […] Sometimes I did feel like I came from a different tribe. (3.19)

We are often told how different Mia is from the rest of her family. If she feels like she never fit in, why would she want to die with them? And why exactly does she feel so different from her family? Is this a real problem, or is this just flimsy teenage angst? (As opposed to legit teenage angst, naturally.)

Quote #5

Maybe it was the blond wig, but this was the first time I ever thought I actually looked like any of my immediate family. (9.60)

One reason Mia feels so different is that she looks different from the rest of her family. Not all the differences are superficial in this way, but it's enough to make Mia feel like an outsider. Seriously, though, this girl is actually freaking out because she looks a little different from Mom and Pop. Perspective, Mia. Get some.

Quote #6

Mom always said that it was because Teddy saw me first, and because I cut his cord, that somewhere deep down he thought I was is mother. (12.110)

Mia cares about Teddy more than her parents because he is like a son more than a little brother. This is why the book draws out his fate. We're told that there's nothing worse than a parent burying their child, and Mia losing Teddy is like losing a child.