Point of View

Kwame Alexander tells his novel “The Crossover” from the first-person, limited-omniscient point of view of main character and narrator, Josh Bell. The novel is told from Josh’s perspective because it is Josh’s story, and Josh’s journey of coming of age. All of the events of the novel are experienced by Josh personally, and related personally, in the first person, by Josh. This allows the reader an intimate look at the thoughts and feelings that Josh has, and which no one else in the novel knows or has access to. The limited-omniscient aspect of the novel provides a sense of suspense and realism, for no 12-year-old boy will know everything going on in the world – from the true extent of Chuck’s heart disease to the inner workings of JB’s mind. As such, the reader learns things only as Josh learns them...