Point of View

The novel is narrated in the first-person, always from the perspective of Julie, a young high school senior processing her grief after the tragic death of her boyfriend in a car accident. Dustin Thao does not place any limitations on the access to Julie’s inner thoughts, allowing the reader to understand her true motivations, fears, and conflicts. Julie is often an unflattering character because her selfishness and discomfort is plainly seen. Thao does not hold back even in the interest of making Julie a more sympathetic narrator. The novel is intensely realistic in showcasing the multitude of paths grieving can take, especially in young people dealing with tragedy for perhaps the first time.

Although still a teenager, Julie is saddled with an outsize responsibility to grieve and be in the spotlight as Sam’s girlfriend. She tries desperately to be more mature than her...