Jason as a Narrator

I find it difficult to post on several chapters at once. I'd rather spend time talking about the themes I've noticed that tie between the chapters (otherwise, I end up summarizing the chapters instead of analyzing them).

I've noticed that after finishing nearly 3/4 of the book (I'm writing this from notes I had taken up until p. 217), I still question Jason as a narrator. (Full disclosure, I question him even after finishing the novel). I cannot tell if Jason is reliable or not. I wrote about this previously, but there is still cause for me to question. One quote that I think leads me further from trusting Jason is found on page 181: "Dad's norey skonks and flobberblobbers're impossible to sleep through. No wonder my parents don't sleep in the same bedroom." Here will see all of Jason's naïveté on display. There is a part of me that doesn't want to believe that Jason really believes this. In fact, he may not; however, he reports to us that that is what he believes. What other lies is Jason telling us?

I begin to think that much of what Jason reports to us is embellished. Perhaps the bullies aren't as bad as he says they are. Perhaps he exaggerates what they're doing to him. I find it difficult to take Jason's word about anything.

However, there are those other times when Jason seems very adult for his age and as a reader I'm pushed in the direction of believing what he's saying. It's all rather confusing, honestly.

I suspect that most of you have the same reaction, but I'd love to hear what you think (especially since our digital projects are coming up soon).