Idea
Evident in novel
Techniques/quote
Genre: Written in the crime fiction genre

Haddon has challenged the traditional crime-fiction genre and its conventions by having an autistic fifteen-year-old boy narrator.
“This is a murder mystery novel”
Unreliable narrator: Haddon is subjective in how Christopher is perceived

Therefor he is unreliable, despite the fact that he says “I do not tell lies” and “everything I have written here is true”
Subjective language
“I did not know Mrs Alexander”  he did know here just not in close terms showing close evidence that he is an unreliable author
Structure:
Alternating chapters:
One chapter is about his own self
Other is about the murder mystery

Structure:
Prime numbers
Non-linear narrative
Graphic organiser

He believes that life is very random

His view of life is evident from the prime numbers

He needs patterns and structures for a sense of security.

Haddon uses the patterns of the prime number to structure his novel, which enhances the readers understanding of the way Christopher sees his world.
“Prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules”

Example of graphic organiser:
“ A. Not talking to people for a long time
B. Not eating or drinking anything for a long time
C. Not liking being touched”

Language features:
Language of novel is that it is sparse, simple and unambiguous
Factual, objective language
Telling more than showing
Bittersweet humour
Similes
Simple and truncated sentences
Stream-of-consciousness writing
Letters: reveal insight into the mothers life