Point of View

Twenty-four Seconds from Now is written from the protagonist Neon Benton’s first-person point of view. Because Neon is narrating his story in his own words, the narrative action, conflict, and stakes all originate from his personal experience. At 17 years old, Neon is straddling the proverbial threshold between his childhood and adulthood. He is at a pivotal stage in his coming of age and therefore worried about who he is, how he should behave, and what his relationships mean to him. The way that he tells his story is reflective of these facets of his internal experience.

Neon’s first-person narration is open, honest, and questioning. He is trying to make sense of the world, which is why he often drifts into bouts of self-reflection and why he frequently asks himself about what he feels and what he has experienced. The reader can refer to...