Point of View

The point of view is a limited omniscient third-person narrative usually, but not always, with Alex as the focus. One of the main surprises at the end of the story is that Ash had been working for Major Yu all along, and he is responsible for the deaths of Alex's parents. Limiting the point of view to Alex is necessary to build up to the surprise. A broad omniscient point of view would have exposed Ash as an enemy right away.

The focus on Alex switches from an overview to being right inside his head. Examples of this are the fight scene in the old warehouse and when Alex drops into the polluted water afterward. This change in focus lets the reader see a big picture and close-ups, as is commonly done in movies. During the climax the focus moves from the oil rig to the...