One of the most interesting aspects of this novel is its structure. Episodic chapters written from the omniscient perspective trace Davey's life from the time he is a little boy and are interrupted by occasional chapters written in the first-person voice of twelve-year-old Davey as he describes how he cares for his sister's baby. This intriguing structure serves several purposes. First, it gets the reader inside the mind and heart of the enigmatic protagonist and provides perspectives on both his external behavior and his internal thoughts. It also allows the reader to see the cycle of abuse across generations by comparing the way Lois treated Joanne and Davey to the way Joanne and Davey treat Dennis. The use of two different typefaces helps distinguish between the two narrative strands, but the writing of each is so distinctive that there would probably be little confusion for readers...