Maeve as a Daydream (Simile)
Because of her childhood leukemia, Maeve has always been fragile in appearance; a look she is struggling with difficulty to put behind her. Like a good older sister, however, Bronwyn is not so quick to let it go and silently muses to herself while Maeve stares through the window:
“She looks like a daydream herself: pale and ethereal, with dark-brown hair like mine but startling amber eyes.”
Addy as Trapped Animal (Simile)
Metaphors and similes are excellent literary devices to use for expressing extreme emotional states. A common category of simile is those which compare a human in a primal state to an animal, such as the moment when Addy come face to face with a harsh truth she’s been trying to avoid:
“`I know.’ It comes out as a moan, like I’m a trapped animal. If I could gnaw my own limb off to escape this situation, I would.”
This simile encapsulates her state while dating Jake.
The Case as a Leaky Vessel (Metaphor)
Cooper's lawyer warns the police not to disclose sensitive information.
“The thing is, though, it doesn’t matter. It’s getting out. This case has been full of leaks from the beginning.”
Indeed, the case against the teens if full of both "holes"—obvious gaps in the evidence—and "leaks." This relates to the theme of the criminal justice system. Rather than assuming innocence, the police's faulty handling of evidence causes the suspects further harm.
