Point of View

The novel is narrated in first-person present by the protagonist of the novel, Tori. Tori is a 16-year-old teenage girl who attends Harvey Greene Grammar School for Girls. Tori is smart, sardonic, and has a self-deprecating wit. She is always judgmental of those around her, and she is obsessed with films. She hates school, hates to read books, and hates most people in the world. She is also incredibly depressed and isolated, and this makes her a unique and singular narrator. The plot of the novel is rather slow and stagnant because of Tori’s mental health issues.

She is a very passive person when the novel begins. Although Lucas, Michael, and Becky strive to get her to come out of her shell and invite her to do things like go to parties, dance, or hang out on the weekend—Tori frequently rejects their invitations...