"Make no mistake, adolescence is a war. No one gets out unscathed."

"The readers are the ones who let us live our dreams. I try to write books which are really compelling - that you'd take on vacation and rather than going out, you'd read in your hotel room because you had to find out what happened. Hopefully that's what readers are responding to."

"The state of New Jersey is really two places - terrible cities and wonderful suburbs. I live in the suburbs, the final battleground of the American dream, where people get married and have kids and try to scratch out a happy life for themselves. It's very romantic in that way, but a bit naive. I like to play with that in my work."

"Frankly I'm fairly boring or fairly busy. Between writing and family, I have little time for anything else."

"I don't feel old. I don't feel anything till noon. That's when it's time for my nap."

"No woman in my time will be prime minister or chancellor or foreign secretary - not the top jobs. Anyway, I wouldn't want to be prime minister you have to give yourself 100 percent."

"I'm scared of the unknown future."

"My parents have a wonderful marriage, for many years. But I can't commit myself for such a long time."