Cracks, Personalities, and Two-faced People

Nadira seems to be cracking. She can't take Aisha bossing her around anymore. In some ways, I wish Aisha would just stop bossing Nadira around, but it makes a great story! I found it interesting that Aisha is two-sided. One-side is for adults and for her friends, and one is for Nadira. I think true Aisha is going to be revealed later in the book.

"After she's crawled under the covers, she keeps talking in the dark, rehersing who she wants to be the next day." Page 24
This sentence stood out to me becuase it occured to me that Aisha has no personality of her own. She's simply trying on other people's personalities. Let me explain it; do you lay in bed and practice what you're going to say to you'r friends tomorrow? Didn't think so(if you said yes, you're one of a kind). Everybody I know has their own voice, their own style, their own personality. No one I know changes who they are every day. The only reason, I see, for changing yourself every day is that you don't know who you truly are.

"Who says you're in charge?" Page 27
Nadira said this. I was like, "YEAH! fight back for once." I was sort of proud of her, resisting what her sister said. I know it's not much of a fight, but I was happy that she said something. She is still cracking, but slower than I thought.

The First Chapter

"Every night Abba brought home wads of dollars that Ma collected in a silk bag she bought in Chinatown." Page 8
This sentence was interesting to me because Nadira and her family are Indian, yet Ma went in to Chinatown and bought a silk bag. That just stood out because it shows how much of a melting pot our nation is.

"She looks gratefully at Aisha, and my stomach twists with jealousy." Page 7
After I read this, I felt sorry for Nadira. She seems to always come second to Aisha, and this is just the first chapter! Maybe this foreshadowing of something happening to Aisha later in the book? To tell you the truth I wouldn't be very sad if something happened to Aisha. To me, she's the snobby older sister and Nadira is hiding behind her shadow.