Point of View

The novel is narrated in third-person past with a close focalization on Ellie for the majority of the novel. However, in Chapter 31, the narrator focuses on Ellie’s mother, Vivian, instead. In addition to this, Ellie and Vivian tell countless stories throughout the story about their ancestors. They tell stories of battles against monsters, trips to the underworld, and epic love. Because of this, the novel presents stories from a larger variety of women throughout time. The novel gains a wider and more timeless perspective because of this.

Ellie is a young girl entering into her senior year in high school, and her perspective is rather innocent and hopeful. She has an excellent relationship with her family, and, unlike many teens in other popular novels, she takes the advice that her mother and father give her seriously. When her mother tells her not to meddle...