It is, of course, traditional in children’s literature to get rid of the parents.
My father was aloof, very strange and very distant.
Once you get into the world of dystopia, it’s hard to avoid plagiarism, because other people have had such powerful visions.
My favorite part of writing a book is thinking up the ideas, and that can start a long time before I actually sit down at my desk.
Smiling back at her, it occurs to me that I’ve never met a mean librarian.
He had followed the trail left by a dead man. It was only now that he realized it might lead only to a grave.
You’re nothing if you’re not special.
A German philosopher once wrote that he who fights monsters must take care that he doesn’t become one himself.
McCain might have suffered hardships in his life, but what had happened to him had nothing to do with his background or his color; they were convenient excuses now. He had been a psychopath from the start.
When you are rich, people treat you with respect.
You’re trying to tell me that everything you’ve done is for a good cause. You think that all this killing is worth it because of the results. I’m not sure I agree. Lots of people work for charity; lots of people want to change the world. But they don’t have to behave like you.
My greatest fear is disappointing the reader, so each book has to be better than the one before.
Until he lost all his money, my father was a successful north London Jewish businessman. He was unusual among his immediate family in that he was enormously cultured and had an incredible library.
Oh-do be careful with that! That’s my Buddha hand grenade. Twist the head twice and throw it and anyone within ten yards can say their prayers.
There’s a dream world that we visit sometimes and that’s how we found out who we are.
He died fighting for what he believed in.
You cannot defeat your enemies until you know who they are.
You weren’t in any real danger. We knew exactly where you were all the time.
Sometimes it’s the tiniest things that can mean the difference between life and death.
I don’t know what I’d do without you. There’s no one else to look after me. And it’s not just that. I sometimes think you’re the only person who really knows me. I only feel normal when I’m with you.