Game Changer

The novel is experienced in a range of formats, mainly through Teddy’s comatose viewpoint as friends and family visit him in the hospital. However, the story is expanded through several other means, including transcripts from Ethan’s visits with the school therapist, news articles from the local media, and threads from Camilla’s social media page dedicated to Teddy. Hospital progress reports provide additional insight into Teddy’s condition as the novel progresses. This fragmented point of view symbolizes the confusion felt by all characters as they discover what really happened to cause Teddy’s injury.

Since the text is composed of fragmented pieces of information that leave breadcrumbs of detail, the narration lacks a reassuring formal structure. Instead, the story is conveyed by a whirlwind of voices. This enhances the feeling of confusion and builds the sense of mystery surrounding the incident that left a 13-year-old boy with brain damage. The reader becomes like Teddy, suspended in a state of unconsciousness. This structural format plunges the reader into what it is truly like to be Teddy as he emerges from his coma.

More broadly, the fragmented narrative reflects how events unfold in real time, including the confusion that arises in moments of controversy.