Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer

Through Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer

Release: April 5, 2011

Pages: 384 (hardcover)

Publisher: HarperTeen

Source: The Teen {Book} Scene

Summary: 

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.

Review: Through Her Eyes is a successful  mysterious and realistic novel - with a supernatural twist!

Tansy Piper is once again the new girl, thanks to her authoress mother's need to live wherever she's setting her latest novel. Tansy's a bit (understandably) moody in the beginning, but her determination to be who she is amazed me. She sees the world through a lens, and in this new town, she's seeing a whole lot more than usual - and the more she looks into the past, the more real it becomes to her. Secondary characters like Bethyl Ann almost stole the show, especially with her quirky and Shakespearean personality. Henry himself flirts with madness and sanity, making him by far the most intriguing character. 

Lyrical and compelling poetry flits it's way into the plot, as well as a focus on other types of art. The setting is vibrant and the writing easily got my imagination working. By the time you reach the end, you genuinely feel like you got to know this town and a majority of the people in it. Glimpses of the past also weave their way into the story, and it's easy to get caught up in the mystery of Henry's chaotic life and death - and just what he wants from Tansy. The story twists and turns, leading up to a surprising ending that I enjoyed very much. 

A beautiful and haunting tale of friendship, love and mistakes from the past, Through Her Eyes is a unique and wonderful YA debut. 

  

Highlights: This story was shockingly realistic, despite the ghostly undertones to the plot. It's very different than I expected. Archer does something different than other ghost stories do, and it was intriguing. Archer also provides a slightly fractured yet loving family base for our heroine, with a caring mom and a sweet grandfather who broke my heart - I connected so easily with these characters and their struggles. The romance angle is sweet and budding for Tansy, a definite plus considering how much YA stories feature instant-love romances. 

Lowlights: I wish some of the "past" characters had been delved into a bit more. There were also a few plot points that felt like a bit too much considering everything that was happening. The ending seemed a bit too quick, so it would have been nice to see it fleshed out and explained just a bit more.

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