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Korman uses several subtle literary devices when he writes. Unlike some authors who write for children, Korman does not write over the heads of his intended audience. He does not make observations that adults will perceive on a different level than young readers. As will be discussed later, Korman particularly opens doors for his readers’ contemplation by what he leaves out and posits questions for his readers through the use of these devices. For instance, he poses a series of questions through Chase’s amnesia: Are people innately good? Is misbehavior learned or is it a part of our nature? Can we change our nature?

Korman also is adept at giving readers enough information to deduce important truths about his characters. For instance, Chase makes poor first impression from his introduction in the hospital, where he is needlessly rude to everyone around him. Korman then lets the reader sleuth out who Chase is without saying it directly: He is an athlete and a smart aleck who is sarcastic and snide. The other important aspect of Chase’s introduction is that Korman portrays him as a virtual newborn, coming into the world indignant, angry, and confused. Like a newborn baby, Chase must learn everything new. Nothing is familiar.

Chase’s life is complicated from the moment he arrives home and encounters his father, who is full of expectations for him. Chase quickly realizes that he has to reclaim his own past and recover his father’s glorious past as well. These double pasts threaten to determine his future. It is also clear that the grownups in his life are watching him anxiously to see what sort of person will emerge from the blank slate that is the new Chase. His parents are each hoping for something different, while Chase just wishes he could remember who he was.

Another of Korman’s devices is multifaceted characterization, as he allows all the characters to express their prejudices. While the athletes’ bullying is the behavior most clearly reviled and condemned by all the characters (except the bullies), Korman makes it clear that the other students have their own prejudices too. For instance, Brendan makes fun of the cheerleaders and a clumsy kid in a video he intends to post on YouTube. When Chase behaves unlike his typical bully self, it defeats Brendan's expectations and amazes him. In fact, Chase’s amnesia positions him as the only unprejudiced character in the book.

Still another of Korman’s devices is foreshadowing. For instance, the unexpected audio recording of the bullying and Chase’s apology to Brendan in Chapter 4 foreshadow the music room incident, which features another by Chase and another unexpected recording that proves Chase’s kind deeds.

To express the development in each character, Korman employs another narrative device: multiple first-person narrators. Most novels are written from the viewpoint of an omniscient narrator who knows everything about the story and can describe event and detail, a third-person narrator who tells the story from one character’s point of view, or a single first-person narrator who tells the story strictly from their perspective. Korman allows each kid to share their story without impeding their personalities or obscuring their prejudices. This is another example of relaying the story without passing judgment on the characters, their decisions, or their story arcs. In doing so, Korman encourages readers to draw their own conclusions about the story’s overarching themes and philosophical questions.