Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?
First Person (Central)
This is Vahan's story, so it makes sense that he's telling it to us—directly. This means we get to know him really well, plus we experience all the ups and downs (okay—mostly downs) right alongside him, which helps us appreciate just how terrible things are. From the very beginning, we're sucked in, all the more so since Vahan's pretty much just a kid, telling us his story as though we're chatting over milkshakes and fries.
Having a front row seat to Vahan's innocence—and watching him uncover his eyes and take a good hard look at the terrors that surround him—heightens our appreciation for just how senseless the violence of the Armenian genocide was, and also how much was lost, even by survivors.