Point of View

The novel is written in first person from the sole perspective of Lafayette, who is 12 years old at the time of the main story line. Lafayette is young and has some immature attitudes, but those are acceptable to his perspective. Lafayette, as a youngster, is self-involved and unable to really understand his brothers' motives and attitudes unless they spell those out for him. He knows that Charlie is angry, but he cannot understand that Charlie is lashing out partly out of grief over his own choices. When Charlie finally reveals that to Lafayette, Lafayette can finally understand why Charlie said such unforgivable things. Ty'ree, as the older of the three, has at least a basic understanding of why Charlie is acting out. Ty'ree briefly tries to explain it to Lafayette, who does not understand until Charlie is gives more explicit details. Some readers may be...