It's a stroke of serendipity that pushed Valentino Deng into the company of Dave Eggers. Had a creative relationship been formed between Deng and another, more traditional biographer, the result would have been far different than What is the What. Eggers, a notably experimental novelist, uses literary techniques and styles that fall far beyond the bounds of the standard biographer.
Admittedly, What is the What is sensationalized. The book discusses the sensationalizing that takes place around the stories the Lost Boys tell in America; boys being eaten by lions, drinking their own urine. This happened, Deng says, but probably not as often as the stories would have people believe. In addition to the discussion of sensationalism, What is the What does a little sensationalizing of its own. Not that these stories aren't true, but some of the things Valentino experiences are extremely harrowing and traumatic. The graphic and emotional descriptions Eggers uses are included for a significant reason: To make the reader care.
Apathy is another significant device in What is the What. Throughout the novel, Deng mentions the apathy he sees around him in America. People don't seem to care about their fellow citizens in this country, and the stark contrast between the apathetic, me-first culture of America and the unified collectivism of Dinka life troubles him greatly. Obviously, Eggers uses this discussion of apathy for a reason. In this case, the reader is obliged to consider their own apathy. Reading about the blatant disregard for our fellow man in What is the What is enough to get any reader to consider what they've been apathetic about and what they can do about it. Clearly, Deng and Eggers use this self-evaluation for one reason: To make the reader act.
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