Goodbye Stranger

Goodbye Stranger follows a group of teenagers who undergo profound physical and emotional changes in the span of a few months and explores the ways children develop at different speeds and in different ways from one another. Through their unique journeys, Stead’s characters seek to define who they are amidst the shifting social dynamics and complexities of physical attraction. Puberty may dictate the physical changes, but the reasons for the psychological transformations they are undergoing are harder for Bridge and her friends to grasp. The novel’s title establishes the theme of change and how it can be disorienting and sometimes heartbreaking; each character grapples with his or her own changing identity and the changes taking place in those around them. At various moments, old friends feel unfamiliar, and they even feel like strangers to themselves. Bridge’s cat ears are a physical marker of this change as is Em’s changing body and hormones. Since Bridge has not experienced similar changes, Em’s behavior is difficult for her to understand: “It was still a little unreal that Em had kissed anyone. It was as if she’d been to the moon. But here she was, still Em (171). Celeste drifts through the city trying to remember what it was like to be a carefree kid but fails: “The girls you can see looking back at you are gone” (12). Each character in some way must say goodbye to the innocence of the past and embrace an uncertain future in which life is not always fair and they must make tough decisions on their own. These experiences, though emotionally taxing, help Bridge and her friends develop resilience and push them to embark on a journey of self-discovery that leads them to new adventures and new relationships.

Aside from saying farewell to their former selves, the characters learn that coming of age is about making choices. Saying yes to one thing is saying no to something else and, possibly, closing a door to an entirely different life trajectory. Stead establishes the theme of change through choice in the door riddle metaphor that scaffolds the narrative. Bridge first poses the riddle to Sherm on their first date, and the riddle recurs throughout the story as Bridge and Sherm come to understand the gravity behind making choices. Sherm finally realizes the truth of the riddle in his cathartic letter to Nonno after he shows the photo to Mr. Ramos. “You told me once that every time a decision is made, the universe splits into two. So now there’s a universe in which I kept my mouth shut. But I can’t see what it looks like” (155). Celeste realizes she must choose to make peace with the loss of Vinny’s friendship, and the choice changes her. By the end of the narrative, the characters learn to be content with uncertainty knowing it’s okay to simply make a life where they feel loved and happy. “Bridge knew why she was here. It’s why we’re all here […]” (269). As Bridge watches Em take the stage, she realizes the most important thing in life is to like the person you are and help others feel the same sense of self-worth.

Perhaps the most painful part of finding one’s identity is releasing the innocence of childhood. Bridge does not feel ready to plunge into adolescence like Em, yet life circumstances will not allow her to remain a kid. Once Bridge becomes entangled in Em’s photo debacle, she enters a world in which decision-making stakes are far higher than those of her youth. Additionally, Bridge learns that defining her new identity comes at a cost. Stepping into her full self and admitting she has feelings for Sherm makes her vulnerable, and making relationship choices always comes with the risk that someone could get hurt. Fortunately, Bridge learns she is not alone in her quest to enter a new stage of her life. Jamie reassures her that everyone goes through this: When Jamie gives away his Hermey figurine, he acknowledges they are closing the door on a part of their childhood: “It was time” (254), he says. Bridge and her friends learn that their lives can be defined by one moment—colliding with a car, sending a text message, losing a friend, and saying goodbye to a former self, but the true definition of identity is in the daily moments of joy one finds in the comfort of those they love and trust.