Point of View

"Three Times Lucky" is told from a first-person point of view. The narrator is Mo, an 11 year old who floated into the town of Tupelo Landing on a makeshift raft when she was just an infant. The only pieces of the other characters that are explained are what Mo can see: outward appearance, facial expressions, reactions, and actions. Even though the main narrative of "Three Times Lucky" centers on a murder investigation, the story is really about Mo's search for identity and family. For the reader, having the story told from Mo's point of view ensures that all feelings and experiences related to Mo's process are known.

The tone of the novel suggests the author wants readers to immediately like Mo like a little sister. She is spunky, opinionated, smart, observant, and persistent. The title puts a positive spin on Mo's life, which is something...