Point of View

Kelley's novel is written in the third person, closely following the perspectives of the three sisters, Mandy, Emma, and Jill. An intimate presentation of the inner thoughts and feelings and outer actions of all three girls is given to readers in a straightforward and sympathetic tone. By employing a third person narration over a first, readers are better able to understand the impulses of the characters even when the characters do not understand those impulses themselves. For example, even though Emma is profoundly unaware of her affection for Paul, readers see clearly that she prefers spending time with him over time with anyone else. Kelley presents Emma's innermost thoughts to readers objectively when she writes, "she just wasn't ready to date anyone. But she loved spending time with Paul as a friend. Hopefully, for now at least, that would be enough for him" (246). But the...