Vande Valde, Vivian. (2005). Now you see it…. New York: Harcourt, Inc. ISBN: 0-15-205311-5. p. 275
Genre: Fantasy
Interest Age: 12+
Curriculum: NA
Reader’s Annotation
Wendy is your average 15 year old girl who hates wearing her glasses, especially when they allow her to see the dead and into worlds beyond her imagination.
Plot Summary
Now You See It… tells the story of Wendy, an average girl who hates wearing her glasses. Then one day she finds a new pair of sunglasses which do more than improve her eyesight; they allow her to see and communicate with dead. Then she notices that some of her classmates appear differently through the lenses of her new glasses. The beautiful popular girl appears as an old hag. The new boy appears even more beautiful and somewhat more than human. Are they monsters? Ghosts? Aliens? All Wendy knows is that they know she can see them for what they truly are.
In an attempt to escape, Wendy finds herself transported to the land of Kazaran Dahaani. It is a land full of elves, dragons, talking dogs, and magic; magic that allows Wendy to meet Eleni, a young girl who will grow up to become Wendy’s grandmother. Together, Wendy and Eleni must stop an evil elf named Berrech who seeks to control not only the world of Kazaraan Dahaani, but the human world as well.
Critical Review
Vande Valde keeps the action at a brisk pace throughout the story which blends together elements of fantasy, horror, and a hatred for eyewear. There is also a delightful sense of sarcastic humor which flows through several characters including Wendy and the mischievous little “spreenie” (something akin to a tiny leprechaun) Larry. The quick pace and humor in the writing is sure to draw in even a reluctant young adult leader.
Where the story is weakest is in the consistency of the world which Vande Valde creates. Certain elements in the story, like the glasses’ ability to reveal the dead, appear to have no real significance and are never explained or mentioned in the later stages of the story. The magical glasses themselves become somewhat irrelevant about half way through the story and then are completely disregarded by the end. It seems these items and events have no real meaning in and of themselves and only serve to move the narrative foreword; they are ignored as soon as their purpose has been served. A younger, less critical reader may not give the absence of explanations a second thought, but to more experienced readers, these omissions leave several loose ends which are never adequately resolved.
There is also a time travel element which seems to be very out of place. Even in a world of fantasy, the elements in the story (i.e. characters, events, etc…) need to make sense together. To all of the sudden introduce time travel and all of the issues associated with time travel stories (e.g. the altering of the space-time continuum), is jarring and makes it hard for the reader to suspend disbelief enough to fully embrace this new and fantastic world which they have just been introduced.
These few criticisms aside, Vande Valde crafts a fun story which moves quickly, is filled with action, has fantastic creatures, and has a likable lead character with whom young readers can relate.
Author Info
Vivian Vande Valde is an award winning author of over 30 books for teens. She writes primarily in the horror and dark fantasy genres but her works generally include an element of humor and fun as well. Born in 1951, she currently resides in Rochester, NY. Her first book, A Hidden Magic, is a fairy tale inspired by Disney movies like Cinderella, Snow White, and Sleeping Beauty.
Vande Valde’s books have been honored by the American Library Association (ALA) Best Books for Young Adults, ALA Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, and ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers. Her novel Never Trust a Dead Man, won the Edgar Award for Best Young Adult Mystery of 2000. Vande Valde offers author appearances and workshops for both students and teachers through her website: http://vivianvandevelde.com/index.cfm.
Book Talking Ideas
1. How does Wendy respond to the powers which the glasses give her?
2. How do the events in the story affect Wendy’s feelings towards her grandmother? How has their relationship changed by the end of the book?
Challenges
There is profanity and sexuality in the book. There is some mild violence towards the end and some mildly graphic descriptions of some ghosts early in the book. I would not imagine any of these elements being grounds for a challenge.
Why I choose this title
I originally thought this was more of a horror novel and was a little surprised when the fantasy elements became dominant. It is a good example of Vande Valde’s blend of horror, fantasy, and humor.
No comments:
Post a Comment