Point of View

The point of view of this novel is first person. The novel is written completely from the point of view of Toby Wilson, a thirteen-year-old boy attempting to survive summertime in a small Texas time in the early seventies. By writing the novel in this point of view, the writer opens up the world and the emotions of a typical teenage boy who is just beginning to figure out who he is and what life means to him. The point of view also lends intimacy to a story that might have been more difficult to achieve if written from another viewpoint.

Although the novel, from its title, appears to be about Zachary Beaver, the story is told from the point of view of Toby Wilson. This not only allows the reader to feel a more intimate connection with the town of Antler and the people who...