Review: Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer

Book Description:

ARC, 384

April 5, 2011, Harper Teen

Every ghost has a story to tell.

The last place Tansy Piper wants to be is stuck in Cedar Canyon, Texas, in the middle of nowhere, with a bunch of small-town kids. But when her mother decides to move to the desolate West Texas town, Tansy has no choice but to go along. Once there, Tansy is immediately drawn to the turret of their rickety old house, a place she soon learns has a disturbing history. But it's the strange artifacts she finds in the cellar—a pocket watch, a journal of poetry, and a tiny crystal—that have the most chilling impact on her.

Tansy soon finds that through the lens of her camera, she can become part of a surreal black-and-white world where her life is intertwined with that of mysterious, troubled Henry, who lived in the same house and died decades earlier. It seems their lives are linked by fate and the artifacts she found, but as Tansy begins spending more and more time in the past, her present world starts to fade away. Tansy must untangle herself from Henry's dangerous reality—before she loses touch with her own life forever.

Source: Jennifer Archer (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

Being the new girl for the nth time, Tansy was not pleased to be stuck in Cedar Canyon. With a school that only had two hall ways, filled with people who have known each other their whole lives, Tansy was finding it hard to fit in. No one really cared about the new girl. That was until she met Bethyl Ann aka Stinky, a genius thirteen year old who kept spewing Shakespearean quotes. I liked how every character had a story to tell.

Through the lens of her camera, she not only saw a different side of Cedar Canyon and its people but she also a black-and-white world – Henry’s world. There was a bird that relentlessly sings to her, a journal filled with strong and emotional poetry, a teardrop-shaped crystal and a golden watch stuck at 12:22. Through these things, Henry Peterson connected with Tansy. It was strange, freaky and frightening. As Tansy tried to make sense of what message Henry was trying to tell her, her grandfather’s situation got worse and so did her life in school.

The time-travel through the photographs was very vivid and intriguing. I found myself looking forward to them through the photographs. But Through Her Eyes was not only about the paranormal. It was also a novel about adjusting, making friends, opening up to people, seeing the good in them and accepting who they were. Opening up to complete strangers was difficult but in the end she learned to do that and to forget about her preconceived notions about people. I loved how Tansy learned to see who she was and discovered where she belonged through her paranormal experiences.

Through Her Eyes is a great debut filled with strangeness, creepiness and sad and tragic stories. I loved how Archer built the tension between Tate and Tansy and how she stirred them to a fragile friendship. It was very realistic for me. The ending was very peaceful and satisfying – a perfect end to a troublesome and disturbing experience.

Rating: