Slob

An unreliable narrator is a narrator who misleads readers either directly or indirectly. Owen is an example of an unreliable narrator. Owen is forthright, discussing difficult topics such as weight, gender, and other physical disabilities with a candor typical of a young, intelligent character who is confident in his opinion. Additionally, the first-person narrative and direct address create a conversational tone that develops a relationship between narrator and reader. Owen alludes to this relationship at times throughout the novel, deciding if the relationship is developed enough to share certain information or not. This allusion to secrets further develops Owen’s playful, humorous style of narration; it also suggests that Owen withholds some information purposefully, making him unreliable as a narrator.

In addition to overt examples of unreliability, Owen demonstrates certain inabilities to share information that result from personal biases or symptoms of his trauma. As a self-identified genius, he is sometimes overconfident that he is right when he is missing information or has misjudged a situation. His assumption that Izzy has stolen his Oreos later in the novel is an example of this thought process. It also contributes to an ironic inability to recognize his personal biases.