The narrative asserts that personal differences are a source of power and strength. When the novel begins, Cass and Max-Ernest, are presented as misfits who are isolated from the rest of their peers yet find a like-mindedness and friendship within each other, as fellow misfits. Cass and Max-Ernest both have certain qualities that single them out from their peers. Max-Ernest’s in particular is treated as a “condition” that needs to be resolved, and yet it defies diagnosis:

The first expert said he had attention deficit disorder. The second expert said the first was out of order. One expert said he was autistic, another that he was artistic. One said he had Tourette’s syndrome. One said he had Asperger’s syndrome. And one said that the problem was that his parents had Munchausen syndrome (28).

Max-Ernest’s “condition” is treated negatively, as an inconvenience or a problem to be solved, but the fact that it cannot be defined marks it as either a nebulous problem or just a defining facet of his personality.

Meanwhile, Cass is fixated on avoiding calamity. She develops obsessive rituals around this anxiety, such as keeping her backpack well-stocked with all the gear she might need for survival, and keeping this backpack with her at all times.