Point of View

The novel is told from the point of view of Soot and the narrator in alternating chapters. The chapters focused on Soot are written in the third-person with a narrow focus on the perspective of Soot. The narration follows only his perceptions and interpretations, without offering access to the inner lives of those around him. The reader never learns what Mia is thinking during their games or what Tasha feels in the difficult years after their daughter’s death. Minor characters also remain opaque, such as the woman in the elevator who panics when Soot drops his gun. The third person environment therefore creates a combination of closeness and distance. The reader remains inside Soot’s emotional weather, but the narration does not provide Soot’s thoughts in the first-person, keeping some degree of distance from him. This selective approach underscores his isolation. His world...