Point of View

If You Come Softly alternates between a third-person narrative which closely follows Miah's life and consciousness, and a first-person narrative told from Ellie's point of view. By moving back and forth between Miah and Ellie's points of view, the author is able to parallel the two teenagers' lives both before and after they get to know one another.

When Miah and Ellie first meet, they only share a brief moment in the hall, yet are convinced they feel something much deeper pass between them. While the reader is initially unsure about the truth of this connection, the author illustrates the depth of their similarities by showing them in their separate lives. Just as Miah's early chapters are consumed by both thoughts of Ellie, struggles to understand himself in the context of his family, and work to relate to his parents, so Ellie's chapters move through...