Cicadas are an important symbol throughout the novel. In the beginning, Amanda hears cicadas outside and thinks about how they “lived underground for most of their lives, only emerging as adults to live out their final days” (25). She wonders if she’ll be like a cicada, living in secret for most of her life. When she first moves to Lambertville, she feels like she must hide herself from her peers for fear of rejection or violence. It’s only after her newfound friendships and relationship deepens that she feels safe enough to come out of her shell to be herself. 

The lake tree house is an important symbol of vulnerability and growth for Amanda. When she first goes to the tree house with Grant, she starts to let her guard down with him. Every time they go to the tree house together, she becomes more vulnerable with him. This culminates physically when she gets naked in front of him before homecoming, and emotionally at the end of the novel when he invites her to tell him the truth about her past.