Central to the novel is the theme that appearances often mask very different realities. As a first-person narrator, Anna is constantly misinterpreting situations, primarily because she is obsessed with her own concerns, not those of others. Thus, she is initially upset with her brother because the move to Maine interrupts her senior year and a romantic relationship. That her brother is experiencing all sorts of problems arising from his short stature is insignificant. In Maine she becomes infatuated with Kirk Cunningham despite warning signals that he may be exploiting her. She also abandons her old boyfriend Tony Nardone who nonetheless remains concerned for her well being when he realizes she may be in trouble.

After the murder Anna begins to observe people more carefully and slowly realizes that her own certainties about parents, siblings, and peers are often inaccurate. Eventually her sleuthing leads to...