comment on style/language

The novel’s prose highlights the characters’ emotional struggles, while also foregrounding their personal goals and, when relevant, facts relevant to the novel’s central mystery. For example, Sylvie’s emotional decline is central to the novel’s story, as Sylvie’s suicide is the key to resolving the story’s central mystery. Sylvie’s personal decline begins with the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. This discovery is followed by Sylvie’s separation from Jim, her loss of her job, her loss of her grandmother, and the loss of her growing romantic relationship with Lukas. One example of Sylvie’s emotional pain is after Grandma’s death: “My grief and disappointment overwhelmed my system. I was listless with despair” (283).