New York

Many of the scenes of the novel are set in New York City, and several specific settings are described. These include the apartment where Simon lives, Central Park where Simon first sees Paige in this novel, the apartment building Cornelius owns, the abandoned basement where Rocco sells drugs, and the hospital where Ingrid recovers from her gunshot wound. The overall setting is real, as are some of the specific settings, such as the park and Columbia University. Other specific settings, such as the building Cornelius owns, are clearly fiction but seem realistic.

Central Park

The opening scene of the novel is set in Central Park, in a specific area where Simon watches a young woman playing guitar and reveals that the woman is his daughter, Paige. The park is also where Simon is arrested for assaulting Aaron. Simon also has memories of time in the park with...