Perspective

The book is written entirely in first person from the perspective of Carolina Maria de Jesus. The book is a diary so is told through daily entries. While Carolina notes that she is truthful about life in the favela, it seems possible that she writes about herself in the best possible light.

In some cases, the reader is left to fill in gaps or gets only pieces of stories. For example, Carolina tells of her son being accused of trying to rape a two-year-old girl. Months pass with no other mention of the incident except Carolina saying that she keeps a close eye on him so that he can't get into more trouble. Then she writes that he is summoned to court but the outcome is not reported. The boy is apparently released but there's no indication of a trial or any sort of punishment.

It's likely that...