Point of View

The novel is told almost entirely in the first-person voice from the viewpoint of Lieutenant Jack Porter. As a reader we experience the story through his eyes, learning only what he learns and knowing only what he knows. This influences the narrative structure as well. Since much of the story is an investigation into the disappearance of Rios, the audience learns facts alongside Jack and therefore becomes involved in the investigation as well.

Because Jack is not omniscient, he can also be considered a somewhat unreliable narrator. Rather than being told in a series of concrete, objective facts, the story unfolds through a subjective interpretation of facts and events layered with Jack’s own perceptions and opinions, which sometimes skew the narrative. For example, many of his interactions with Chambers are colored by the obvious rivalry between the two characters, which casts Chambers as a...