Growing up is the central motif in Silent to the Bone, as best friends Connor and Branwell are both 13 years old and in the midst of experiencing new emotions, experiencing changes in behavior and thought, and maturing both physically and mentally. Because the story is told from Connor’s perspective, much is left unknown until he finds out through communicating with Branwell; an unspoken conflict was developing between the two friends before Branwell was taken away. Branwell stopped hanging out with Connor after school, always wanting to rush home instead, and Connor assumed that it was because Branwell wanted to spend time with Vivian. He remembers how Branwell started talking about Vivian constantly but then suddenly stopped; Connor always believed that it was because Branwell wanted to keep Vivian to himself. He was completely unaware that Branwell stopped talking to Vivian because of her disturbing behavior and also because of a deep sense of shame that he felt about what happened between them. When Connor meets Vivian and gets to light her cigarettes, he finally feels like he has something over Branwell and develops an instant crush on Vivian. As Connor learns more about her, he realizes that she is an abusive and toxic person and loses interest almost immediately.