Point of View

The novel is narrated in the first-person, always from the perspective of Eliana, a young overweight girl from Texas who lives with her parents and older brother and sister. Eliana is a frequent target of bullies at school and she struggles to make friends after her best friend moves away.

Eliana has a distinctive inner voice throughout the narrative, and she is deeply reflective and introspective. Lisa Fipps does not place any limitations on the access to Eliana’s inner thoughts and therapy sessions, allowing the reader to understand her true motivations, fears, and conflicts as well as how her self-esteem evolves. Despite still being a child, Eliana is often guarded with the people in her life, including her family members, because she has been bullied since childhood and frequently found herself on her own without anybody to support her or show compassion.

Eliana’s...