Point of View

The story is written in first person from the limited perspective of Patrick Kenzie. The limited perspective if necessary for the author to keep the reader guessing about the details of the mystery that unfolds in pieces throughout the book. For example, Jenna knows all the information. In the photos, Jenna's son is the rape victim and her son's father is helping hold the boy down during the rape. She is also the person who hid the photos, so she knows where the others are located. The reader doesn't see anything from her perspective other than the conversations she has with Patrick during their brief time together. That means the reader doesn't know anything other than the few pieces of information Jenna gives Patrick.

As a rule, the reader learns everything that Patrick knows, in the time he knows it. An exception to this is...