Identify the setting and explain how the setting of impacted the story, including the conflict, characters, and plot . Share if this is a setting worth exploring. Why or why not
The novel is set in Indianapolis, Indiana's capital city located roughly in the center of the state. The principal characters live in the suburbs just outside of the city. It is a typical Midwestern suburban area, featuring a plethora of chain restaurants. The girls socialize at Applebee's, and Daisy works at Chuck E. Cheese. The White River separates Aza's middle class neighborhood from Davis Pickett's much more affluent one. Daisy explains that Indianapolis was founded on the White River because the waterway was believed to be useful as a shipping route. That was before the founders discovered that it was much too shallow for this purpose. The girls attend the fictional public White River High School, whereas Davis attends private school. Aza and Daisy attend White River High School, and Aza's mother teaches there. White River's cafeteria is the site of Aza's terrible thought spiral that begins the novel, as she panics about the potential microbes in her stomach and the cleanliness of her Band-Aid. Aza also laments the fact that her days are ruled by the chiming of a bell at arbitrary times, forcing her to move from class to class. She describes the ambiance in less than glowing terms, "In each room, the soul-sucking fluorescent light coated everything in a film of sickness, and the day droned on until the final bell released me at last" (213). When Noah gets in trouble at the Picketts' private school for drug possession, Davis explains that his school does not involve the police in such matters, whereas Aza notes, "the police sure as hell get involved with stuff like that at White River High School" (178).
