Who is the narrator, can she or he read minds, and, more importantly, can we trust her or him?
First Person (Central)
One of the cool things about reading Shorty's story is that we feel like we're right there with him. Okay, okay, we don't actually want to be stuck under a pile of debris after an earthquake—we just mean we're there in spirit. A major way In Darkness accomplishes this is by telling the story in first person. Check out what Shorty says to open the book:
I am the voice in the dark, calling out for your help. I am the quiet voice that you hope will not turn to silence, the voice you want to keep hearing cos it means someone is still alive. (1.1)
Not only does the guy tell it like it is, he talks directly to us. Notice that "you"in there. Hint: That's supposed to be us.
Just because Shorty is part of the story, doesn't mean he can't talk to us as if we're really in the same room together. He tells us what he's going through, minute by minute, so we get what it's really like. You know, minus the dead bodies all around us after the earth shattered.