Point of View

Behind Closed Doors is written from a first-person point of view, which lends itself well to a novel with this sort of plot. Because all of the tension is happening to Grace, the reader more acutely experiences it with her because it is told first-person. The reader cannot know what is going on in Jack's brain, which adds to the element of surprise and suspense for this narrative. Being completely inside Grace's brain also dovetails with the author's strong theme of isolation. For the reader, this is Grace's story. All of her fears, emotions, highs, and lows are only for the reader to see. This creates an intimate atmosphere, perfect for a story that is so riddled with suspense and terror.

Language and Meaning

The language in this novel is more straightforward, because the plot is driven by the action rather than the author's words...