Point of View

The novel is written in the first-person from the point of view of an unnamed child narrator, whose perspective is based on Justin Torres’ own childhood experiences. This means that the novel often straddles the line between fiction and autobiography. This blurring is purposeful, as it forces the reader to look beyond the surface level details of major events and plot points in the narrator’s life, allowing them to see the emotional truth of the family’s relationship. By framing the novel as fiction rather than memoir, Torres also gains greater poetic license. The narrator’s point of view is marked by elaborate metaphors and creative, often alliterative style, and he often jumps quickly from one loosely connected image to another over the course of a vignette. While this would be jarring in a typical autobiography, it effectively portrays the inner mind of the...