Point of View

Marisha Pessl tells her novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics in the first person narrative, from the perspective of main character and protagonist Blue Van Meer. This is done because the novel revolves around a year in her life, when everything she thought she knew - from the identity of her father and the stability he meant, to the death of several others, including Hannah Schneider's mother - is a deceptive facade. Because Blue comes of age, and because the experiences she has are new and life-shattering, the novel is told from her perspective in order to allow the reader to follow her thoughts and actions as they evolve, and in order for the reader to relate with Blue on a personal, as well as an intellectual level.

Setting

The setting of Marisha Pessl's novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics is that of Stockton, North Carolina...