The written word functions as a key motif in the novel, first seen in the letters Jacob and Briana exchange and then in Jacob’s journal. The written word allows them to communicate in a more honest and vulnerable way than they can in person and helps their relationship weather misunderstandings and conflict. When Briana and Jacob first meet, there is a misunderstanding that is complicated by Jacob’s anxiety disorder and inability to express his thoughts and emotions clearly. For this reason, Jacob writes a letter to Briana, not sure what to expect but needing to find a way to clearly explain himself without interruption or the chaos of a social interaction. When Briana responds by writing him a letter as well, they begin a letter exchange. These letters become their way of connecting, providing them with a safe, anxiety-free place to get to know each other.

As the novel continues, the letters are put aside, but they remain an important steppingstone in the development of this relationship. Therefore, it is appropriate that when Briana has a crisis of trust at the end of the novel and tries to push Jacob away, it is the written word—Jacob’s journal—that pulls them back together again, by convincing Briana to trust Jacob.