Genre
Fictional novel
Setting and Context
The action takes place over the course of 1 year in a small town in America, during present time.
Narrator and Point of View
The action is told from the perspective of a third-person objective point of view.
Tone and Mood
The tone and mood is a depressing one.
Protagonist and Antagonist
The protagonist is Ezra and the antagonists are his so-called friends.
Major Conflict
The main conflict is between reality and perception.
Climax
The story reaches its climax when Ezra and Cassidy become a couple.
Foreshadowing
The relationship which will eventually develop between Ezra and Cassidy is foreshadowed during their first encounter when Ezra vocalizes the idea that he thinks that Cassidy is different and special.
Understatement
After his accident, Ezra believed none of his old friends still cared about him. This is proven to be an understatement when they stand up for him when other people in school make fun of him and call him a cripple.
Allusions
One of the main allusions we find here is the idea that at times, pain and suffering can lead to a better understanding of life in general.
Imagery
N/A
Paradox
One of the most paradoxical ideas presented here is the fact that Ezra felt a lot happier after the accident, even though he suffered a lot of pain than he did before it.
Parallelism
A parallel is drawn between Ezra's old group of friends and his new group of friends. This parallel is used to convey the true meaning of friendship and camaraderie.
Metonymy and Synecdoche
The injured knee becomes used here as a general term to make reference to the idea that truth is often extremely painful.
Personification
We have a personification in the line "the car's tires screamed in the dead of the night."
