Point of View

Check & Mate is told through first-person perspective, from Mallory’s point of view. This is especially useful given Mallory’s tendency to suppress her emotions and appear strong. Having Mal narrate the story—instead of the secondary protagonist, Nolan—also builds suspense in the novel as we are unsure of Nolan’s motivations.

Mal is a somewhat unreliable narrator as she filters everyone’s actions through her personal biases. Mainly, Mal assumes that others have poor intentions towards her. This is especially true regarding her attitudes towards Easton, Nolan, and Sabrina. In Easton’s case, Mal interprets her friend’s silence as an indication of her disinterestedness in Mal’s life. She often laments Easton’s departure to Colarado through narration. What Mal fails to realize is the effect her own secrecy has on Easton, as Easton imagines that Mal is unwilling to confide in...