Michael Cadnum is widely recognized as the one of the foremost stylists writing fiction for young adults. In his books, HOW the story is told is just as important as WHAT story is told. His style contains three primary elements: a gift for language and detail, the conscious decision to withhold or delay information to readers, and a tone which reflects the emotional life of his teen characters. Together, these three elements make the reader work, make decisions, go forward without knowing everything, and sometimes fight through a maze of details and incomplete information. In essence, the reader takes on the same role as the main character: trying to figure it all out. At one point, Zachary states "details were all that mattered." Because of this, Cadnum creates, as Patty Campbell noted, "young adult novels that are not for sissies—or for lazy readers."

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