Point of View

The novel is told from the perspectives of many different characters. While Sunny is technically the in-fiction author of the book, most of the book’s content is comprised of quotes from her interview subjects. The primary point-of-view characters are Opal, Nev, Sunny, Howie, Bob, Virgil, and Chet, with other characters adding their own perspectives and memories when appropriate. The novel uses this multiplicity of perspectives in various ways, such as when it compares two characters’ memories of the same event. Characters often have differing memories of events, which can be attributed to differences in personality, differences in how exactly they experienced the event, and even just to the fallibility of memory. However, these contrasts are not common, and when they do occur, the explanations are fairly evident, thereby keeping the overall story generally clear and consistent.

The differences in perspective also help the novel...