True Believer is written as a long free verse (unrhymed and unmetered) poem, even though it is written in full sentences. The shortened, sometimes enjambed lines may reflect LaVaughn's broken, scattered life, or it may reflect her educational level at the novel's opening: LaVaughn struggled with many subjects in school, including English. The broken, almost Pidgin language may reflect urban discourse and the use of Ebonics, although LaVaughn's race and culture is never explicitly stated.