Point of View

The novel is narrated in the first-person, always from the perspective of Lucas, a young man who lives alone in an apartment in an unnamed, major city. He prefers to spend time by himself, ordering takeout meals and playing video games, ignoring the other residents of his building whenever possible. Lucas is a frequent complainer about the communal style of living and dislikes hearing any noises or greetings from his neighbors. He does not see the utility of interacting with people beyond the necessary.

Lucas has a distinctive inner voice throughout the narrative, and he grows in his ability to be reflective and introspective and understand the areas where he could grow and improve himself rather than blaming all his problems on the people around him and subsequently avoiding them. He begins to realize that avoiding people to minimize his problems is also minimizing the...