Point of View

The story is written in first person from Alex's perspective. This point of view is reasonable and acceptable for the story. Alex is at the heart of all the action and his perspective is all the reader needs. The author uses this perspective several times to build suspense. For example, Alex doesn't know why Richard Moody is shot and killed in front of Alex's house. He also doesn't know who the murderer is until much later in the book. The reader is also kept in suspense until Alex learns the truth of the situation, a fact that keeps the suspense alive for the reader until the appropriate time for revealing this information. On another point, the reader is kept in the dark long after Alex learns a fact. At the Swopes' house, Alex reads the journals kept by Mr. Swopes and discovers the truth about a...