Doll Bones

The novel shows how the transition from childhood to adolescence comes with significant changes in physical appearance, personal relationships, and self-perception. At the age of 12, Zach, Poppy, and Alice are all experiencing these changes in differing ways. Since the age of 10, Alice has “gotten curves, and started looking a lot older than she was” (8-9). Boys hassle and make fun of her; even Zach has begun seeing her differently. Alice has also recently developed a crush on Zach, which she is reluctant to voice. Her strange behavior confuses him; he believes that a year ago, boys and girls spoke “the same language” (36). Now it seems like “girls [speak] a different language” (36).

Zach feels that his external appearance no longer matches how he feels on the inside. His growth spurt has garnered respect from male peers and the giggling attention of his female classmates. His height has also given him an advantage on the basketball court, which has fostered more acceptance from his teammates. When he’s approached for a secret handshake shared by the basketball team, he “[feels] the warm buzz of belonging” every time (18). However, he sometimes wishes he can revert back to the comfortable familiarity of what used to be. Alice’s new, strange behavior around him forces him to walk home from school alone some days, “feeling a bit lonely” (20). This illustrates the way relationships shift and evolve in adolescence and the loneliness that spawns from it.

The book shows how parental figures can help or hurt the transition from childhood to adolescence. Unlike Alice and Zach, Poppy doesn’t have a parental figure guiding or pushing her to grow up fast or in a specific way. This makes Poppy more vulnerable and insecure. She fears that her friends will leave her behind, especially when Alice and Zach hint at feelings for one another and Zach becomes better friends with his basketball teammates, while she is left out. Poppy’s fear of being forgotten makes her desperately cling to the quest and lash out at her friends. When Zach and Alice play their roles together while breaking into the library, Poppy “look[s] crushed, like she [is] on the outside of a glass looking in at something she want[s] desperately” (132). With such an unstable home life, Poppy is frightened of losing the only thing that provides her with stability: her friendships.

The tension increases between Zach, Poppy, and Alice as the quest draws on. Zach fears Poppy’s reaction when she discovers he’s lied about the questions game. Alice fears Poppy will tell her secret to Zach and that Poppy’s impulsive nature will get her in trouble with her grandmother. This illustrates the fragile transition period that friendships weather as people grow older.