Point of View

The novel is told in the third person present. Each chapter focuses on either Danny or Uno as the central character. Even when the boys are together, the narrator focuses on the inner thoughts and feelings of just one boy per chapter. The novel’s decision to keep the focus centered on the boys, rather than branching out, keeps the scope of the novel small. Although we are offered two perspectives, the boys are the same age and face many of the same issues. We never see how their parents might think or feel, or the girls in their lives, or the other baseball players who they hustle for money. This devotion to a single perspective is limiting, but it also greatly enhances the novel’s ability to delve deep into the boys’ lives, minds, and hearts.

Since all the chapters are dedicated to the...