How easy is murder when one calls it by a different name? How much easier is it for the conscience to condone “reaping” than “killing”—and when one knows that death isn’t the end, does it stop the killing hand for fear of retribution, or does it simply make it easier to kill, because, if life continues, how can murder be murder at all?

— Neal Shusterman

How many kids are in the Graveyard?"" A bunch."" Who sends your supplies?"" George Washington. Or is it Abraham Lincoln? I forget."" How often do you receive new arrivals?"" About as often as you beat your wife.

— Neal Shusterman

I almost told her everything right then. I wanted to tell her about the Wolves, and how I was supposed to hate them, but when you spend your days with evil, some of it is bound to soak into your clothes, like cigar smoke in a closed room.

— Neal Shusterman

I always hear people talk about 'dysfunctional families.' It annoys me, because it makes you think that somewhere there's this magical family where everyone gets along, and no one ever screams things they don't mean, and there's never a time when sharp objects should be hidden. Well, I'm sorry, but that family doesn't exist. And if you find some neighbors that seem to be the grinning model of 'function,' trust me - that's the family that will get arrested for smuggling arms in their SUV between soccer games. The best you can really hope for is a family where everyone's problems, big and small, work together. Kind of like an orchestra where every instrument is out of tune, in exactly the same way, so you don't really notice.

— Neal Shusterman

I always take credit for my acts of cruelty. To do otherwise is cowardice.

— Neal Shusterman

I begin to wonder if David was like me. Seeing monsters everywhere and realizing there aren't enough slingshots in the world to get rid of them.

— Neal Shusterman

I came running down the stairs that morning, like it was Christmas. My parents were already up. In my family, presents never waited; they were there upon waking. Our family has a problem with what they called delayed gratification. We want what we want when we want it, and we always want it now.

— Neal Shusterman

I can't destroy things so beautiful."" Time will destroy them if you don't. Time destroys everything. But if you destroy them, it will mean something.

— Neal Shusterman

I can't help what I have any more than you can help what you don't

— Neal Shusterman

I'd rather be partly great than entirely useless.

— Neal Shusterman