Chicago

Simon, Baz, and Penny land at an airport in Chicago and go immediately to the home of the man Penny believes she is going to marry. There are a few specific settings in Chicago, including the very ordinary subdivision where Micah lives with his parents and where he finally makes it clear that he and Penny are no longer involved. Penny, Simon, and Baz have dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, which Simon identifies as a typically American chain restaurant.

The American Midwest

Simon, Baz, and Penny travel across the Midwesetern United States toward California. There are a few specific settings in the novel, such as a tourist attraction called Carhenge located in Nebraska. They make discoveries about these settings, including that there are so few people in that part of Nebraska that their type of magic does not work. That area is also inhabited by other creatures that...