Archer, Jennifer. (2011). Through her eyes. HarperTeen: New York. ISBN 9780061834585
Plot Summary
Tansy Piper is definitely not thrilled to be transplanted across the country, yet again, to the setting of her horror novelist mother’s new book. She is not bored for long, however; the deserted west Texas town of Cedar Canyon and the rickety old house her mother chooses to rent soon prove to hold more history than Tansy could have imagined. A box of objects she finds in the cellar belonging to Henry, former resident of the house who, legend has it, committed suicide by jumping from a nearby bridge, seem to draw her into a haunted past that shows itself through her camera lens, the photographs she takes, and the rapidly disintegrating real world around her. Her struggle to unravel Henry’s message and its connection to her ailing grandfather, who seems to be fading further away every day, becomes a race against time as Tansy questions both her sanity and her willingness to remain in the present day world instead of Henry’s.
Critical Evaluation
This novel seamlessly weaves together the elements of a love story, a ghost story, and a mystery. There are notes of aching grief and loneliness, of the familiar pain that comes with never fitting in, amid sparks of hope and humor. Archer’s characters are real, fallible, and complex, and they bring her story to life. Tansy displays elements of a typical teenager, frustrated by her mother and longing to be included in the social scene at her high school, as well as a tenderness with her grandfather that goes beyond her years. Tansy’s struggle as she finds herself pulled farther and farther away from the present day world is compelling, sucking the reader into the story. The place Archer creates, both the real present-day world of the house, the school, the town of Cedar Canyon and its residents, and the eerie past dominated by Henry and Tansy’s experiences through the eyes of helpless Bell, are rich in sensory elements so that the reader is always fully in touch with the character’s experiences. Her motion back and forth through time and between places is complex but never difficult to understand. The reader anticipates Tansy’s skips back to the past just as Tansy herself does, adding to the dramatic tension of past versus present. Archer keeps both her cast of characters and her audience on the edge of their seats through one plot turn and revelation after another. This novel will keep the reader engaged, involved, and ultimately satisfied with the payoff of an intriguing conclusion.
Reader's Annotation
Tansy, new in town and frequently alone in the ramshackle old house her mother has rented, finds herself pulled into the past by some mysterious items she finds in the basement. These trips into another world, dominated by the strong presence of a boy who used to live in Tansy's house decades ago, begin to pull Tansy under and she finds herself increasing disconnected from her real life.
About the Author
Jennifer Archer, author of one young adult novel and eleven adult novels, spent the first ten years of her childhood moving from one place to another as a result of her father's job. Originally from Texas, she also lived in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Kansas and California, which exposed her to a variety of diverse environments and fed her creative developing-writer mind. She discovered her love of writing early and began writing poetry, short stories, and essays. She won an essay contest in fifth grade, which gave her a taste of success and attention that she enjoyed.
Her writing took a backseat, however, to college, a business degree, her social life, and ultimately falling in love. After several dissatisfying career changes and the birth of two babies, Archer decided to stay home and raise her children. It was then that her love of writing came back to life and, with the help of a creative writing night class at a community college, she dove into writing headfirst and created a career for herself. Honors include being a finalist for the Rita Award and the Romance Writer's of Amerca Golden Heart Award, among others. Through Her Eyes is her first young adult novel.
Genre
Paranormal/Horror - ghosts
Challenge Issues
Possible challenge issues in this book include underage drinking, suicide, violence, and self-mutilation. In the event of a challenge, I would consult the challenge defense file prepared for this book. The challenge defense file would include: positive reviews from credible sources for the purpose of proving merit to the challenger; negative reviews in order to inform me on what might be challenged; a written explanation of my own rationale for including the book in the collection as well as a summary of the plot; the American Library Association Bill of Rights; a review of my branch’s selection policy; and, as a last resort, an explanation of the reconsideration policy for my library and an official reconsideration form.
Curriculum Ties
English and Writing: point of view, unreliable narrator, and place.
Booktalk
Have you ever felt like you don't fit in, like you're alone in a crowd? Have you ever wanted to escape your day to day life at all costs? Tansy does, to the extreme; experience the feeling of being caught in a tug of war between the real world and a ghost pulling her back into a past that has come to life.
Reading Level/Interest Level
Grades 8-12.
Why I Included This Book
Originally I picked up this book because it has cover appeal. The close-up of a girl's face, green eyes, white skin, black eye shadow, is lovely and striking. The blurb in the front cover pulled me in, a sucker for ghost stories, and the story proved to be absorbing, thought-provoking, and unique.
Archer, J. (2011). About Jenny: everything you wanted to know and more! Retrieved from http://www.jenniferarcher.net/about_jenny.html.
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