Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?
First Person (Central)
In the prologue, we start with Wisty's point of view, as she tells us about her family's impending execution. Through her eyes, we see her family as only she can see them:
I see my brother, Whit, handsome and brave, looking down at the platform mechanism […]. I see my mother crying quietly. Not for herself, of course, but for Whit and me. I see my father, his tall frame stooped with resignation, smiling at me and my brother […]. (Prologue.16-Prologue.18)
But then the author pulls a neat switcheroo: When Chapter 1 begins, suddenly we're looking at the world through the eyes of Wisty's seventeen-year-old brother, Whit. Say what?
Throughout the rest of the book, we alternate between Whit's and Wisty's perspectives. Their voices sound similar—let's just chalk it up to familial resemblance—because they're both so sarcastic. But flitting from one voice to another does have one pronounced effect: It makes the action feel like it's moving extra fast. It also builds in more suspense toward the end of the book, especially during the prison raid when the brother-and-sister team is forced to split up.