Mr. Terupt Falls Again

Lexie is one of the characters who suffers the most on her way to self-discovery. Her primary goal is to grow up, and she seeks this primarily in terms of attracting boys. This sets up her primary conflict as being an internal one, but it also manifests itself in external conflicts. She starts out the novel seeking attention in problematic ways and places, but eventually she grows more confident in herself and finds her validation through relationships with her mother and with caring peers. Lexie learns that her mother works because she does not receive child support. This negates Lexie’s fear that her mother works long hours to get away from her, as she previously supposed.

One of her internal conflicts is with her own body. She wants her body to mature more quickly than it will. She wants her breasts to grow, and she wants to get her period. She cannot make either of these happen more quickly than nature will allow, and she causes problems for herself when she tries to rush things. The primary way this happens is when she stuffs her bra, opening her up to the judgment and ridicule of others. She also allows Reena and Brandon to pressure her into making decisions that she would not otherwise make.