61 pages • 2-hour read
The Missing Half
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Symbols & Motifs
“We Are Not Two, We Are One”
Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of substance use, addiction, and death.
This phrase is a motif that is repeated throughout the novel and emphasizes the theme of The Loyalty and Burden of Family. It is first introduced when Nic checks Kasey’s car for evidence, as it is written on her bumper sticker. Then, when Jenna sees it written on a CD in Kasey’s collection, it reminds her that she saw the bumper sticker on the night of Jules’s disappearance.
The line is a quote from the 1970 rock song “Strangers,” by the Kinks. The song was written by Dave Davies as a tribute to his friend, George Harris, who died of a drug overdose. He explains, “He was young. I always felt it was going to be me and him. [I] wrote it to him, ‘Strangers on this road we are on, we are not two we are one’. It was like, what might have been if he hadn’t died so tragically” (Ingate, Matthew. “The Sad Story Behind One of The Kinks’ Most Loved Songs.” Far Out, 14 Jan. 2025). The song reflects the events of the novel, as Nic loses her sister at a young age and is forced to grow up without her.
Additionally, because Kasey has the lines on a bumper sticker and records it on a CD, it also reflects the way that she feels about her sister. As the line reads, she felt that she and her sister were “one.” In this way, it reflects the loyalty that she feels for her sister; she feels so responsible for her that it is as if they are two parts of the same person. Both Kasey and Nic serve as the “missing half” of the other, as they are forced to live for seven years without each other.
Peanut M&M’s
Peanut M&Ms are a symbol in the novel, representing the growing relationship between Nic and Jenna. The first time that Nic and Jenna meet in Nic’s apartment to talk about the case, Nic is overwhelmed by the urge to drink wine to handle the emotions that she is feeling. However, when she struggles to find a bottle, she instead grabs a bag of peanut M&M’s, noting how “Ilana from AA recommended candy as a booze replacement” (20). Just as Jenna serves as a source of emotional healing for Nic, giving her the courage and support to talk about Kasey’s disappearance and begin to heal from it, the M&M’s serve as a source of healing from her addiction. When Nic and Jenna get together again, Jenna already has M&M’s ready for her in her car. Without acknowledging Nic’s addiction or her struggle, Jenna physically and emotionally supports her, even when Nic does not ask for it.
Banksy
Banksy is the cat that Nic plays with when she volunteers at the animal shelter. He is described by Nic as “a skinny calico with a crook in his tail and a missing eye” (33), with “mottled fur and skinny neck, his surly moods interrupted by surprising bursts of sweetness” (182). For much of the novel, Banksy goes unadopted, and Nic uses him as a source of comfort. After her confrontation with Steve, Jenna asks her to meet her somewhere “comfortable,” and Nic takes her to the animal shelter to sit with Banksy while they talk.
In this way, Banksy is a symbolic representation of Nic herself. They are both alone and neglected, having only each other as a source of comfort. Just as Banksy has physical injuries that make him seem unadoptable, Nic has emotional scars that prevent her from truly connecting with anyone.
Banksy’s adoption serves as both a psychologically damaging moment for Nic but also a catalyst for her change. When Pam calls to tell Nic that Banksy has been adopted, Nic has her worst night since her DWI, drinking multiple bottles of wine in one night. However, the next day, she decides to make a change, dumping the rest of her wine down the drain and not drinking again for the rest of the novel. Just as Banksy is adopted and finds a home, from that point forward Nic commits herself to solving her sister’s disappearance once and for all, earning her peace and closure—and happiness with her sister—at the novel’s end.
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