Wersba uses the first person narrative to allow Harvey to tell the tale entirely from his biased perspective. The reader cannot know how much of the way things are being described is true; all the reader can do is accept that this is one true version of the story, and that it is valid because Harvey sees his life in this manner.

Wersba employs sophisticated language throughout the The Carnival in My Mind. It is clear that she loves language, and she is adept at using more difficult words within contexts to help explain the words' meanings. Although some teens might find the language rather intimidating, the author is commendable for her efforts to increase her readers' vocabulary. For example, Chandler is explaining the messy state of her apartment: Chandler sank down onto one of the large pillows that were on thefloor. "People say that I'm...