Point of View

Most of the novel is told from Jacaranda Leven’s Point of View. She describes nearly every situation, and the logic used to piece together people and events is Jacaranda’s. The logic in Jacaranda’s life is not always at the foreground. Instead, Jacaranda is emotional and regularly in her head, which can disorient the novel’s sequence of events or cause-and-effect. For example, Jacaranda invites Sunrise to Mexico after she feels like she caused Sunrise’s beating.

Much of what Jacaranda observes is transmitted to the reader through her veil of anxiety. Jacaranda is particularly anxious about her relationship with Shelby. She interprets many of his actions – which he seems to view as innocuous – as signaling his waning interest in her. For example, when Jacaranda cannot find Shelby before she leaves for New York, she thinks he is not interested in her anymore...