Robinet's plain style uses simple sentences, words from everyday speech, and clear and direct statements. She narrates the story in chronological order through the protagonist's eyes. Her writing is realistic.

Robinet's similes, when taken from nature, effectively convey her themes. For example, her phrases, "wiggled like a wet worm on a dry fish hook," "felt like an electric wire in a lightning storm," and "Cicadas screeched in hot harmony like grease sizzling on the stove," evoke visual images to support the emotions of Robinet's characters.

Finally, Robinet employs the regional language of African Americans in the Mississippi Delta. This vernacular, combined with regional behavior and attitudes, adds local color to the novel. It facilitates young adults' understanding of racial inequity of the era.