Point of View

The narration in this novel is split between nine of the main characters in the novel. The title of each chapter is the name of a character, and that character proceeds to narrate the chapter. Virtually all of the main characters who play vital roles in the plot receive at least one chapter to narrate in the novel, with the exception of Bryan Fierro, who does not narrate any chapters in the novel despite playing a crucial role in the lives of Jeremy and Nora.

The multitude of different perspectives regarding the same events challenges the reader to feel empathy towards each character as they live through the alienating events of the novel. With perhaps only two exceptions -- Driss living in Morocco prior to the political strife, and Nora at the very conclusion of the novel -- each character feels tremendously alienated by the...