Point of View

The novel’s narration is written in the past tense and the limited third person. At any given moment, the narration is adhering to only one character’s perspective, meaning the reader has access to that character’s thoughts and experiences. The point-of-view characters include Annie, Buster, Caleb, and Bonnie. Annie and Buster’s perspectives are the most prominent. Caleb’s perspective is presented in two different chapters, and Bonnie’s is presented in just one. Camille is the only one of the four central characters whose perspective is never directly conveyed by the narration, but many of her thoughts become evident through her dialogue.

Annie and Buster’s perspectives are significant not only because they are arguably the two most important characters, but also because their perspectives serve to illustrate their personal traumas and growth. Annie and Buster were both scarred by the ways...