Point of View

Doll Bones by Holly Black is a fictional account told from the third person omniscient perspectives of the main characters, Zachary Barlow, Alice Magnaye and Poppy Bell. The narrative is reliable and consistent throughout as the three young friends set out on a real life quest to find the final resting place of Eleanor Kerchner. The perspective switches from one friend to another, often revealing insights or fears that are not shared with the other two. A good example of this stems from a series of secrets that they are keeping from each other.

Poppy and Alice have a discussion about Zach during which Alice reveals she has feelings that extend beyond friendship for him, but this is something Zach isn't told until Poppy becomes angry with Alice for throwing the Queen into the river. Zach keeps a major secret almost from the start in...