Warwick, Rhode Island

The book opens and closes in Warwick, a mid-sized city on the coast of Rhode Island. Warwick is now the home of the lead character, Lela Santos, who has also lived in other parts of Rhode Island. Specific locations in which scenes take place are Warwick High School, the modest home in which Lela lives with Diane, the upscale home in which Lela's friend Nadia lives, and Cliff Walk, a rocky path on a cliff overlooking Narragansett Bay.

The Shadowlands/The Dark City

Called the Shadowlands, the Dark City and simply the City, this is the area of hell reserved for people who commit suicide. A dark, dreary and frightening place, the city includes apartment buildings that enlarge as residents want places to live, food that is plentiful and free but unappetizing, and unlimited supplies of drugs, alcohol and anything else that residents focus their attention...