1. Opening Hook: The story opens with a captivating scene that immediately grabs the reader's attention. It begins with a tense moment, drawing readers into the conflict between the main characters, Juli Baker and Bryce Loski, setting a fast pace right from the start.
2. Alternating Perspectives: The novel alternates between Juli and Bryce's perspectives, allowing readers to understand the inner thoughts and emotions of both characters. This technique helps in pacing by alternating between different events, thoughts, and feelings, creating a multidimensional narrative.
3. Short Chapters and Flashbacks: The book utilizes short chapters that quickly move through specific moments in time, preventing the story from becoming stagnant. Within these chapters, the author seamlessly incorporates flashbacks to provide readers with additional context and backstory, further enhancing the pacing.
4. Figurative Language: Van Draanen employs figurative language, similes, and metaphors to bring depth and vibrancy to the story. These literary devices create vivid imagery and add a poetic touch to the narrative.
5. Dialogue and Action: The story is filled with lively and engaging dialogue between the characters, creating moments of tension, humor, and intimacy. Additionally, the author incorporates physical actions and movements of the characters to add dynamics to the storytelling.
6. Passage of Time Indicators: The author includes specific time markers, such as years and seasons, to signal the progression of time in the story. This helps readers keep track of the characters' growth and the development of their relationships.
7. Climax and Resolution: The novel builds toward a climatic moment that brings together multiple storylines and character arcs. The resolution of the conflict is emotionally satisfying, tying everything together in a cohesive manner.
Here are some specific words or phrases the author uses as transitions:
- "Meanwhile..."
- "At the same time..."
- "Later that day..."
- "A few weeks later..."
- "Back then..."
- "In the present..."
- "After that..."
- "Moving on..."
- "The next morning..."
- "Before long..."