You'll Be the Death of Me

“It’s not that I never get sick. It’s just that I’ve always had to work so hard to stay on top of classes that I live in constant fear of falling behind.”

McManus illustrates Ivy’s anxiety and impostor syndrome, two of her defining characteristics, through her near constant worry that she is falling short of expectations. Although Ivy has been class president for three years, she feels insecure compared to her high-achieving brother and worries that she must keep up in school to be happy, which McManus establishes as the starting point of her character arc.

“Every single day, it’s like getting slammed in the head with a two-by-four to see my mother, who used to run 5Ks and play softball every weekend, strain to make it from the living room to the kitchen.”

Mateo’s defining characteristic is his devotion to his family, especially his mother. His mother’s disability forces Mateo to mature faster than his peers by getting a job and taking on financial responsibility for his household.

“I tamp down disappointment, because that’s how it is with Lara. Something comes up a lot. I knew when I got into my car that there was a fifty-fifty chance I’d end up eating alone.”

From the beginning of the novel, McManus uses her multiple-perspective structure to cloak Cal’s relationship with Lara in mystery. This passage highlights both Lara’s inaccessibility—Cal has to travel to meet her—and her unreliability.