Point of View

The novel in verse is written from the sole perspective of Reha, a 13-year-old girl. Her parents immigrated to America from India before Reha was born. She has never lived anywhere except America, but she feels divided by the differences between the Indian culture and American culture. That feeling is one of the factors that affects her perspective. Reha's age is another factor. She does not realize that many people have feelings of being pulled in multiple directions until she becomes friends with a boy named Pete who feels torn by the weekends he has to spend with his father. That realization – and several other epiphanies she experiences – have an effect on her perspective.

The limited perspective means the reader knows only what Reha knows. For example, Reha struggles with her relationship with her mother, feeling that Amma does not understand Reha's life. Because Reha...