Point of View

Rebecca Donovan tells her novel, “Barely Breathing” in the first person limited-omniscient narrative, from the point of view of her main character, Emma Thomas. This is done for two very important reasons, at least. The first is that the novel revolves around the experiences and trials of Emma, and so there is no one better than Emma to tell her own story. This is also done because the things which happen to Emma are so intimately personal, that a firsthand relation of the experiences causes the reader to personally relate and connect to Emma.

Language and Meaning

Rebecca Donovan tells her novel, “Barely Breathing” in language that is simple, straightforward, yet slightly poetic. This is done for at least two reasons. The first is that the novel is narrated in the first person by Emma, who is a senior in high school. The word choice...