You're Next

“‘Don’t!’ she snapped, her eyes locking on mine with startling clarity as she clutched the book to her chest. ‘They’ll kill you.’”

This sudden, lucid warning shatters the mundane atmosphere of the hospital garden. The situational irony lies in the character presumed to be the most disconnected from reality delivering its most urgent truth. This moment confirms Ashley’s fears are not delusions and establishes the life-or-death stakes of her confinement.

“‘If we had more time, I really think we could achieve our end goal in this round of experiments,’ she murmured, as if Abigail were actually engaging in conversation with her. ‘Sadly, it looks like our time with the little bitch is already running out. It’s fine, though. We achieved our intended result in holding her this long.’”

Overhearing this confession, Ashley learns the true nature of her imprisonment. Jocelyn’s clinical diction, using terms like “experiments,” reveals a detached mindset that dehumanizes her victims. The jarring shift from scientific jargon to the derogatory phrase “little bitch” exposes the personal animosity fueling her plot, while the reference to an “intended result” introduces a new layer of mystery.

“This wasn’t real. There was no way this was real. I had to be imagining things or still trapped in a sedative-induced hallucination. […] Anticipation shivered up my spine. So there was no harm in seeing where it went, right?”

This internal monologue illustrates the story’s motif of dreams versus reality, as Ashley grapples with the aftermath of psychological manipulation. The sedatives provide a psychological loophole, allowing her to rationalize an attraction to Nate without confronting the emotional consequences. The ambiguity of the situation allows for an exploration of the intersection of trauma, consent, and suppressed desire.

“‘We had very briefly discussed the idea of having you sent away for your own safety,’ Nate said in clipped tones, his fist clenched on the arm of the chair. ‘Not there. And certainly not like that. But I can understand why Carina might think I was involved.’”

Nate’s admission reveals a critical secret that fractures trust between the characters and exemplifies The Corrosive Power of Secrets in Relationships. His “clipped tones” and clenched fist are physical manifestations of his guilt, showing the conflict between his protective intentions and his deceptive methods. The dialogue exposes how a well-meaning plan, shrouded in secrecy, can become indistinguishable from a malicious plot.

“She is un-fucking-hinged. And is utterly obsessed with hurting you, Mom. I was just collateral damage.”

Having recently escaped a psychiatric hospital, Ashley articulates the nature of the antagonist’s motives. The blunt, profane diction (“un-fucking-hinged”) demonstrates her attempt to reclaim her own sanity by starkly defining Jocelyn’s obvious mental instability. Her conclusion that she was merely “collateral damage” reveals a crucial psychological insight: Jocelyn’s primary motivation is a long-standing vendetta against Ashley’s mother, which reframes Ashley’s ordeal and assigns a rational, albeit pathological, motive to the abuse she endured.

“All I could do was hold on to his hips and rock between them as they fucked all the fear out of me.”

The coarse diction portrays a raw connection between physical intimacy and psychological healing. The phrase “fucked all the fear out of me” functions as a metaphor, suggesting that intense physical sensation serves to overwrite a fixation on recent trauma. This moment shows the polyamorous relationship providing a unique form of therapeutic comfort that is both physical and emotional.

“[I]f something did happen between you two…Then it’d be okay with us. […] But to be perfectly clear […] If he hurts you, I’ll gut him myself and feel no remorse.”

This dialogue creates a stark juxtaposition between acceptance and violent protection, defining the core ethos of the group’s bond. The first part of the statement verbalizes a key tenet of their polyamorous dynamic—that the happiness of the individual is paramount, but that this happiness can be achieved through a complex and dynamic relationship with numerous people. The subsequent threat, however, reveals the fierce, primal protectiveness that underpins this unconventional structure, illustrating that their love is characterized as much by its capacity for violence as it is by its emotional openness.

“Just try to stay out of trouble and let us adults handle things, okay? Go to class, pass your exams, don’t do anything stupid or reckless.”

Colonel Mike D’Arenberg, a high-ranking military figure, dismisses the group’s concerns. His paternalistic and condescending tone (“let us adults handle things”) serves to infantilize the protagonists and disregard the reality of their experiences, highlighting the failure of established authority figures to provide protection. His instructions to focus on mundane student life create dramatic irony, as the audience knows that “stupid or reckless” actions are precisely what survival will require.

“I was wrong, and I apologize for hurting you. I let my selfishness try to dictate the way this would play out between us, and that wasn’t fair to anyone involved.”

Nate’s stilted apology marks the climax of his character arc. The admission of “selfishness” directly addresses the motif of secrets and lies, as his refusal to be honest created the vulnerability Jocelyn exploited. This confession, delivered under duress, functions as the price of admission into the polyamorous relationship, requiring complete emotional honesty and the abandonment of his previous principles.

“That was the point where I had to accept the fact that Jocelyn was far from done with us, and she was more unpredictable than ever before. I wore the evidence of that realization all over me in the form of atomized human.”

This quote marks a moment of stark realization for the narrator, Ashley. The visceral imagery—specifically the phrase “atomized human”—represents the horrifying evidence of Jocelyn’s murderous intent. For Ashley, this moment moves the conflict from one of manipulation to one of life and death, where the physical remains of victims serve as a grisly testament to the new stakes.

“I can’t believe it took a bomb and six dead people to make me find the courage to tell you that I love you, because I really love you, Heathcliff. Like, so much that the idea of losing you again is enough to break me.”

In the aftermath of the explosion, Ashley’s confession to Heath demonstrates how extreme trauma can act as a catalyst for emotional honesty. The juxtaposition of a declaration of love with “a bomb and six dead people” highlights the high-stakes environment that forces the characters to abandon pretense. This moment advances Ashley’s character arc by showing her embrace vulnerability, a key component in sustaining the novel’s central polyamorous relationship.

“Colonel Mike drew a deep breath, his nostrils flaring as he glanced between Nate and myself. ‘I regret to inform you both, the aircraft your parents were traveling on last night suffered a critical fault on landing. […] Your parents are both deceased.’”

This passage employs dramatic irony, as the reader is aware that the plane crash is a fabrication. Colonel Mike’s formal, clinical diction—“suffered a critical fault” and “parents are both deceased”—contrasts with the profound grief such news should elicit, emphasizing the performative nature of the scene. The moment functions as a key plot point, turning the characters’ own use of the motif of secrets and lies into a strategic weapon against their antagonist.

“What did they expect? They’d taken the one person, the one woman, who owned all four of our hearts. They’d taken her, bound and gagged her, and tried to stab her in front of us? No. No one would be leaving this chamber alive, and I knew my friends were on the same page.”

Narrated from Heath’s perspective, this quote provides the justification for the group’s massacre of the Devil’s Backbone Society elders. The rhetorical question “What did they expect?” frames their violent retribution as an inevitable consequence of the threat against Ashley. By stating that she “owned all four of our hearts,” the text explicitly defines their romantic bond as the source of their unified, lethal power. This posits love not only as a source of healing and security, but as a motivation for otherwise unethical behavior in defense of a loved one.

“Nate…here’s the thing. I don’t really know what this thing is with us, with any of us, and I definitely don’t know whether it will last. […] I don’t know where we even stand, considering how adamant you were that this isn’t what you wanted.”

Ashley’s direct confrontation with Nate addresses the central ambiguity within their evolving relationship. Her articulation of uncertainty—repeating “I don’t know”—highlights the lack of established rules for their unconventional dynamic and forces Nate to reconcile his past rejection with his present actions. This dialogue is a crucial turning point, demanding the honesty needed to overcome past deceptions and solidify Nate’s place within the group.

“She has nothing to lose right now. If they arrest her, she’s facing multiple life sentences. Based on everything I’m hearing, she’s also trying to erase any proof that might be held against her in a court case, which includes her test subjects.”

This dialogue serves as a moment of exposition that elevates the narrative’s stakes, framing Jocelyn not just as a manipulative antagonist but as a cornered and desperate figure. This characterization intensifies the central conflict by suggesting her future actions will be driven by self-preservation, directly foreshadowing more violent and reckless attempts on the protagonists’ lives.

“‘I thought I’d lost you,’ he confessed in a husky, pain-filled voice. ‘Fuck, Ashley, I thought I’d lost you.’”

Heath says this to Ashley after she accidentally screams during a call and drops her phone, leading him to believe she has been abducted. The repetition and the raw, pain-filled tone of his confession illustrate the profound psychological strain the characters endure under constant threat. This moment reveals how the external danger has conditioned them to expect the worst, transforming a minor incident into a source of significant emotional trauma.

“‘The brakes don’t work,’ I informed him from between gritted teeth. ‘Like, at all. Someone’s cut the line.’”

During a Devil’s Backbone Society ice race, Ashley discovers her car has been sabotaged. This line of dialogue marks the moment wherein Ashley realizes that nowhere is beyond Jocelyn’s reach, not even a remote Society event in Alaska. It transform a competitive game—a symbol of the Society’s power—into a literal death trap. This suspenseful turn demonstrates that no environment is safe and that Jocelyn can weaponize the group’s own traditions against them, escalating the physical danger Ashley faces.

“I keep having these awful feelings of second-guessing everything. Like maybe this is all…fake. What if I’m still at Mallard and this is all in my head?”

Ashley’s conversation with Carter articulates her anxieties about her perception of reality, directly engaging the motif of dreams versus reality and highlighting the theme of The Impact of Abuse on Mental Health. Her internal questioning reveals the lasting psychological trauma of Jocelyn’s gaslighting, showing that her most significant battle is not just physical survival but the struggle to trust her own mind.

“Some people said I love you, but Nate gave me a sledgehammer and asked me to demolish his mom’s home. Same thing.”

This internal monologue reframes a violent act as a profound expression of love, using situational irony to define the unconventional nature of the characters’ relationship. The sledgehammer becomes a symbol of shared catharsis and allegiance against a common enemy, illustrating that their bond is forged through mutual trauma and a desire for retribution rather than through traditional romantic gestures.

“‘No,’ I replied with a small, frustrated sigh. ‘Until we stop jumping at every shadow. Until we stop overthinking every single interaction and seeing possible death in every situation.’”

Following Jocelyn’s arrest, Ashley’s dialogue establishes the lasting psychological trauma inflicted upon the group. The use of anaphora in the repetition of “Until we stop” emphasizes the pervasive nature of their hypervigilance. Her words illustrate that even with the physical threat removed, their mental and emotional recovery presents a separate, significant challenge.

“‘Boo,’ Jocelyn said in a quiet voice, and I flinched so fucking hard, I tripped over my own feet and fell butt-first into a bush.”

This moment reasserts Jocelyn’s power over Ashley’s mental health, as Ashley’s paranoia manifests in a terrifying vision of her tormentor. The childish, simple word “Boo” creates a chilling juxtaposition against the profound psychological horror Ashley is experiencing, demonstrating the effectiveness of Jocelyn’s mental conditioning. Though Ashley can be driven to violence, her extreme reaction shows that the psychological abuse and subsequent mental health troubles she’s experienced have left her ill-equipped to respond to moments of fear.

 “Royce just grinned and lowered his mask over his face. ‘Who will they see?’”

This question, posed just before a group sexual encounter, briefly highlights the function of the mask as a symbol of anonymity and liberation. Though Ashley’s sexual and romantic dynamics reject traditional expectations for relationships, she and her partners find space to pursue their desires without shame. Royce’s words suggest that behind the masks, the group can engage in a dynamic that defies conventional relationship structures. The masks thus function as a tool that facilitates a unique and private form of intimacy.

“‘It’s okay, Duckling,’ I choked out, resigned to my fate. […] ‘I love you, Layne. You’re my everything.’”

In the novel’s climax, Nate’s use of Ashley’s real last name and a vulnerable declaration of love serves as the catalyst that breaks Ashley’s hypnotic conditioning. His complete surrender and honesty mark the culmination of his character arc, resolving the internal conflict driven by the motif of secrets and lies. He’s no longer avoiding his true feelings or holding anything back from Ashley. This moment posits that a genuine emotional connection is a more powerful force than psychological manipulation.