Point of View

Dark Places is told from two different perspectives. The chapters in the present are told from the first person point of view of the main character, Libby Day. The first person perspective allows the reader to see exactly what Libby is thinking. Libby’s emotions and true thoughts come across, which is important because Libby frequently lies to other characters or just chooses to remain very quiet.

The chapters that are set in 1985 are told in the third person. Each of these chapters switches between the perspective of either Patty or Ben, with one chapter near the end also being told from Calvin’s perspective. This gives the reader insight into what the other characters were going through and the events that led up to the Day murders.

Language and Meaning

The language used differs based on which character is focused on in the chapter...