Point of View

Tell the Machine Goodnight is told through multiple points of view. The majority of the novel is in first person, yet it is told through the eyes of Pearl, Rhett, Carter, Elliot and Val. The end result reads as a series of short stories in different perspectives, though each of the characters is linked through personal or work relationships; Pearl and Elliot were once married, now Val is married to Elliot, and Carter is Pearl’s boss. This move allows readers to see events from both sides. For example, when readers encounter Elliot’s frustration over Val’s inability to divulge a hidden past, we may question Val’s motive for secrecy. However, in Val’s viewpoint, readers understand Val’s dilemma—she is accused of her setting her mother on fire.

The other unifying feature, of course, is how they all are involved with...