Point of View

This novel is told from the point of view of a third-person narrator with a focus on Olive. Consider the opening sentence: “Frankly, Olive was a bit on the fence about this whole grad school thing” (1). The narrator knows Olive intimately and is able to narrate on her behalf, but he is not omniscient. He knows only what Olive knows, thinks, or experiences. He does not have any insight into the thoughts, feelings, or emotions of other characters other than what they share through their conversations. Olive is a bit blinded to Adam’s attraction to her, but the narrator is not. He lets the reader know that Adam likes Olive when he describes the way Adam treats Olive when they are together and the things other characters notice about Olive and Adam’s relationship.

This third-person point of view is a good choice for...