Point of View

Love on the Brain is written from the first person point of view of the main character Bee Königswasser. Because the novel is written from Bee’s first person vantage point, the reader has immediate access to Bee’s most private thoughts and most vulnerable feelings. The author establishes this intimacy between the reader and the narrator within the opening pages of Chapter 1, “The Habenula: Disappointment.” While explaining her reasons for loving Marie Curie, Bee starts to confess intimate truths about the way she sees the world. She not only remarks that “trusting people to stick around is a bad idea,” but identifies loss, grief, and love as the primary villains in her story (2). These revelations allow the reader to see Bee’s humanity and vulnerability. The reader therefore perceives her to be a sympathetic character, and feels drawn to her in turn. Such...