Point of View

This novel is told from the first person point of view of three different narrators — Piper, Hannah, and Christopher. Though these characters' stories are all told in the past tense, Piper’s portions of the novel are most present as she is questioned by detectives about Allison and Becky’s deaths. Although their parts of the novel are interspersed with Piper’s portions, Hannah and Christopher’s portions tell the story of their time with Janie beginning when they were first aware of her abuse.

All three voices are integral to the story because it could not be fully understood without the viewpoints of all three of these characters. Piper is able to tell the story from the angle of a caseworker with child protective services who believed that she had found the perfect couple to raise a child who had known nothing but abuse...