Strong characterization provides the underlying framework for The Girl of His Dreams. The author effectively shows the inner workings of two ordinary young people who, on the surface, seem very different from one another, but yet on another level, share the same yearnings and the same dreams.

The author conveys realistically the inner feelings of both characters by varying the perspective from which the relationship is viewed. Although the author uses a third-person narrator throughout, some chapters are written solely from Willis's perspective, while others are written from Sophie's. This technique better enables the reader to understand the flaws and vulnerabilities of each character as they stumble toward each other in establishing a tenuous relationship.

Another technique, which Mazer has implemented in other novels, is the open-ended conclusion. Sophie and Willis are together at the end of the novel, but whether they will remain that way...