The Watcher - Hardcover

Howe, James; Imershien, Betsy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0689801866 ISBN 13: 9780689801860

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1997

Synopsis

A mysterious girl sits on top of the steps overlooking the beach, occasionally recording her observations in a notebook, as she watches a boy and a lifeguard and makes up heroic stories about their lives.

About this title

Review:

What happens when one of the authors of the Bunnicula series (novels for young adolescents starring a vampire bunny) decides to write a book for older teens? The result is not what you'd expect. The Watcher is a serious story of a confused, broken, abused girl who observes the world instead of participating in it. By alternating four points of view, author James Howe explores the watcher and the watched--revealing how fantasy can drown us and how expressing our needs out loud can save us. This is a beautifully written meditation on how we perceive others and ourselves. Howe abandons vampires, yet still leaves us with a haunted feeling.

From the Back Cover:

PERFECT STRANGERS

Every day, she sits at the top of the stairs leading to the beach.

Always writing in her little notebook.

Always watching.

Watching the loving big brother, so caring and attentive to his little sister.

Watching the handsome lifeguard with his golden tan.

But no matter how closely she watches, she can't begin to know the secrets behind the perfect facades of their lives.

And they can't begin to know the truth about the strange, sad girl who each day sits alone -- and watches.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0689801866
• ISBN 13: 9780689801860
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 184