Point of View

The novel is told through the first-person perspective of the narrator, who does not reveal her own name. Likewise, she refers to none of the characters by name except for Eric, reflecting his catalytic role in her struggle to come to terms with her emotions and make choices about her future. The narrator's outlook on things such as past events and her future evolves from outright negative to generally positive over the course of the novel.

Language and Meaning

The language used to describe important characters and events in the novel is often nebulous, with the narrator eschewing the use of almost any proper names, and introducing events, such as Eric's proposal, in general terms -- "The boy asks the girl a question" -- before revisiting them later on to add more detail. On the other hand, scientific facts are interjected in precise detail: "Lonsdaleite...