Holt's settings are essential to the overall themes of the novel. By their very confines, Antler, Texas, and Zachary's trailer prepare the reader to accept the seemingly inevitable sameness of the character's lives. Gossimer Lake, with all its forbidding signs, further contributes to the idea that life and its possibilities are not readily available to those living in Antler. In contrast, the rooftop of the Bowl-a-Rama offers a broader look at small-town life and the world beyond. But Toby and Cal must learn that it is not so much the view but how a thing is viewed that makes the difference.

In the first chapters, Toby, the main character, takes the reader on a tour of the town and introduces its inhabitants. From the rooftop of the Bowl-a-Rama, Toby and his friend Cal can see all of Antler, Texas. The vacant businesses and the bordering railroad tracks and...