Point of View

The novel is written in first person from the limited perspective of Marc, a 10-year-old boy who is struggling with several areas of his life. The perspective is completely limited, and the reader knows only what Marc knows. In some cases, Marc is able to discern what someone else is thinking, such as when Jake is disappointed in him. In that case, Marc senses a change in Jake's mood, and he reveals that to the reader. The reader does not know why Jake feels that way until Jake tells Marc the details.

Marc is only somewhat reliable as a narrator. He lacks confidence until very late in the novel, and that lack shows up in what he says and how he says it. He is self-deprecating, and the reader may feel that he is sometimes overly so. For example, Marc refers to himself as a...