Point of View

The book is told from the point of view of a first person narrator, Calpurnia Tate, the novel's main character. This style is appropriate because it gives the reader the advantage of knowing exactly what Callie is thinking and feeling about the events that happen to her throughout the book. It also provides valuable insights into Callie's sense of humor and her growth and development as the book progresses.

The narrator is not omniscient. While the reader knows all of Callie's thoughts, we know only what she is able to observe about the other characters.

The story is told through exposition interspersed with generous amounts of dialogue. This enables the reader to get occasional glimpses into the minds of the book's other characters and a sense of their personalities aside from Callie's descriptions.

Setting

The book is set in Fentress, Texas, a small rural town on...