Point of View

The book is divided into four different points of view that rotate throughout: Sonya, Ranee, Trisha, and Marin. The novel is written in present tense, although the perspectives differ between the four narrators. Marin's and Ranee's sections are third-person, while Sonya's and Trisha's are first-person. There is no indication of why this distinction is made, though perhaps it has something to do with the nature of secrets. Ranee and Marin both keep the most secrets from the people around them; so, their narrations are one step removed. Trisha also keeps secrets, but her main secret is the one she keeps from herself. Sonya is shaped by the secrets that are kept from her, namely by her mother, which is why the reader is allowed directly inside her head.

Language and Meaning

The language of the novel is fairly sophisticated, including some words that may be...