All Cole Matthews, All the Time
Touching Spirit Bear sticks like glue to Cole's perspective, which means that the writing follows his thoughts and movements. The writing style is perfectly easy to follow, but since Cole's an emotional wreck on a journey of emotional healing, it's also heavy on the, well, emotions. This gives readers insight into how Cole is feeling at any given moment, like when he's left alone on the island and burns down the shelter:
With Cole's laughter, hot tears escaped his reddened and angry eyes and flooded his cheeks. This banishment was the ultimate hurt—worse than his father's fists and belt, worse than his mother's never caring. This was the hurt of being alone and unwanted. (3.41)
We know Cole's a hot mess right here—he's laughing and crying at once—and by sticking so close by him, we also understand why. This experience of being left alone on the island for the first time is devastating to him. By infusing the telling of Cole's story with so much, er, Cole, we get a real sense of his experiences and how he struggles to change.