Point of View

Wintergirls is told in the first-person and limited omniscience point of view of Lia Overbrook. Although the narration of the novel is completely reliable, it takes the reader through the seemingly endless twists and turns of Lia's fragile emotional state as she comes to grips with Cassie's death and her own eating disorder. Through this point of view, the reader is given access into Lia's thoughts, fears, insecurities, and eventually, hope. Because the novel is told in present-tense narration, all emotional and physical action has a strong sense of urgency as Lia does not take the time to reflect on past events before moving onto the next. This propelling narration also mimics Lia's emotional state, particularly when she is in the act of self-mutilation. During these times, Lia only considers the exact moment, not the past and not the future. She is completely in the moment...