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r/writing • … • u/returnvector

Can you think of any case where a switch from third to first person would be justified in the same book?

I'm curious about any books that do this. My thoughts are that it would obviously be jarring. I know first to third gets done a lot. I feel like third to first would feel like pulling a rug out from under a reader, though; they get used to reading a passage in third person, then switch into first. Especially if they—like many people seem to—prefer third person.

On the other hand, though, I'm thinking of prologues (which I know are divisive) that might be told from another character's perspective, before switching into the main characters. Or multiple storylines, like *The Martian,* which is the only one I can think of off the top of my head, and I think it was done very well.

I even remember when I was a kid reading the *Percy Jackson* series, the transition from being first person with Percy to seeing his name in third person in the *Lost Hero* series onward tripped me up. I almost couldn't finish reading. I can't imagine if it was the other way. And that was even in separate books.

Have you seen third to first done well? How did you feel about it?

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