Point of View

This novel is written from the first person perspective. The protagonist and narrator is Maryse Boudreaux. Because it is written in the first person, the reader only knows what it is that Maryse knows.

By using the first person, Clark is able to set up the tension in the novel. This tension is between Maryse and the forces that are working against her. It also allows him to present the question she needs to answer while bringing the reader along, not knowing any more than Maryse does.

The reader becomes invested in Maryse and her fate because of this first person telling. She has experienced trauma in her life, and because the reader has access to her thoughts, the reader can sympathize and empathize with her. The reader can also sympathize with her frustration over not knowing what is being asked of her and not...