Point of View

The author uses a first-person omniscient perspective in narrative, offered mainly by Almost Soup. The only change in narrator is in Chapters 6 and 8, which are narrated by Klaus. Although there is one primary narrator, the perspective lens of the narrative switches chapter to chapter and sometimes within chapters to focus on the actions and feelings of specific characters. Almost Soup begins the novel as the narrator, although his identity is not revealed until Part 2. Because the events of Part 1 took place before his birth, Almost Soup opts to narrate this section as though he is a third-person narrator, switching to first-person narration for the rest of the novel which is set during his lifetime.

Almost Soup is a reliable narrator, offering deep insight into each character, though he does offer his own opinions as well. As both a narrator and an active participant in the...