Point of View

The novel has a single first person narrator - Yoli. Using the first person creates a personal connection between the reader and the narrator as the reader becomes the “I” in the novel. This makes it a useful perspective for an emotional work as it increases reader’s empathy. Yet, first person narration is incredibly limiting. The reader only knows what Yoli thinks, feels and sees. We have no insight into Elf’s thoughts except as they are filtered through Yoli’s observations. The author may have chosen this viewpoint rather than tell the story from Elf’s point of view or from a variety of viewpoints as a way to reflect her own experiences. The author, after all, notes that this novel was inspired by the suicide of the author’s sister. She may wish to place the reader in a position similar to...