Summary
This third –person
narrative alternates chapters by focusing on the thoughts and actions of four
characters: Margaret (a.k.a. the “Watcher”), Evan, Callie, and Chris. The
setting is a beach community. Margaret sits at the top of the steps by the
beach every day, mysteriously watching the others and writing in her journal.
Her observations focus on Evan’s family: despite their age difference, Evan
always good-naturedly plays with his sister Callie, and it appears to Margaret
that the parents are in love, making the family altogether “perfect” in her
mind. What Margaret does not know, however, is that Evan’s family has been
experiencing trouble of its own. With his sister’s recent bout of serious
illness came instability and insecurity – his family is no longer the solid
rock it always has been. In fact, he and his sister Callie are secretly
concerned that their parents are on the verge of divorce. Margaret also watches
lifeguard Chris Powell, who also seems to have it all together, but in
actuality Chris is struggling to overcome his own past. He left home to
lifeguard for the summer to get away from his disillusioned father. Chris’ father
blames himself for the drowning death of Chris’ brother before he was born, and
Chris must come to terms with the fact that he will never be able to take the
place of his dead brother in his father’s heart, no matter how hard he tries.
As Margaret sits day in and day out by the beach, she writes in her journal,
creating a make-believe family that saves a forgotten princess from the
“beast.” Because she craves being a part of the “perfect” family, Margaret
breaks into Evan’s home while they are away and steals a beloved family picture
from Callie’s room along with the kite she saw the family flying earlier. She
takes the kite and picture home, where she shoves the kite underneath the crawl
space of her front porch. She then glues a photo of herself into the family
portrait, trying to force herself into being accepted as one of their own. Evan
returns home to find that things have been stolen from their home and
determines to confront the teenage punk he thinks committed the crime. He
remembers his admiration for the lifeguard named Chris and decides to approach
Chris to get his advice on how to deal with the situation. On his way to where
he believes to be Chris’ home, Evan passes a house and notices his stolen kite
underneath the porch. He retrieves the kite and is compelled to look inside the
windows of the house that is blasting the saddest music he has ever heard. He
stumbles upon a horrific scene: the girl whom he dubbed as the “Watcher” has
her head held in a sink of water by a large man. Evan runs as fast as his legs
can carry him to get Chris. The two arrive at the house together just in time
to stop the “beast” from killing Margaret. With their moral support, Margaret
is finally able to tell the authorities the truth about her father hurting her.
Interest
Because of its
heavy thematic material, this book would be appeal to those readers in the late
adolescence stage. Girls will likely find the most satisfaction from this book
because of its focus on the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters. The
intricacy of plot and character will also appeal mainly to female readers who
are searching for deeper meaning in life circumstances.
Developing Well-Adjusted Readers
Progressive Independence and Separation
from Parents: Evan
is on the verge of adulthood. He has been forced to grow up quickly because of
his sister’s illness and his parents’ slow separation from each other.
Throughout the book, Evan struggles with making his own decisions, independent
of his parents’ influence. Evan is learning that his parents aren’t perfect;
their marriage seems to be in shambles, which has upset the entire structure of
the family unit. What kind of person will he be if his parents decide to divorce?
What is the story behind the girl who sits on the steps watching his family?
How should he respond to the horrific scene he witnesses in the girl’s house?
The adolescent reader will be able to relate to Evan’s struggles for
independent thinking and will applaud his ultimate choices in the end.
Changed Relationship with Peers: Both Chris and
Evan exhibit this principle clearly. Up until now, Evan has always submitted to
the will and needs of his family, namely his sister Callie. He spends his time
playing with her and bowing to the dictates of her childish whims. Evan hesitantly
agrees to spend time with his new friend Shane, demonstrating his ultimate desire
to identify himself with peers rather than his family. Chris, on the other
hand, does not have a family that is overly interested in his life. He has
tried over and over to obtain the approval of his emotionally broken father,
only to meet with obstinate resistance. Chris is drawn to Jenny, a fellow
lifeguard who seems to have no hang-ups and is able to communicate honestly and
transparently. Although he does not outwardly show it, Chris seeks Jenny’s
approval. When Chris’ awful family secret gets out, however, his embarrassment
gets the better of him, and he decides to skip town. Adolescents of all ages
will be able to relate to both spectrums of the boys’ relationships to their
peers. The author aptly portrays the positives and negatives of each of their
peer relationships, something that will be beneficial to the adolescents
reading it.
Coming to Terms with the Body: Although the
author never physically describes Evan, the reader gets the sense that Evan is
insecure with his body. He compares himself to a group of boys who spend their
time surfboarding and cruising the town together. They are all at “ease” with
one another and seem to be the perfect specimens of teenage boys in his mind.
Evan’s inward awkwardness with Shane’s unexpected friendship seems to indicate
his insecurity with himself. Evan spends some of his daily time on the beach admiring
the lifeguard Chris. He personally thinks that Chris is the “coolest lifeguard
on the beach” and secretly wishes that he himself could pull off wearing the
mirrored sunglasses and look “seriously cool.” These insecurities seem to melt
away as Evan’s character develops, however; in fact, when he bravely comes to
Margaret’s rescue at the end of the story, it seems that his personal
insecurities are a thing of the past.
Coming to Terms with One’s Sexuality: Shane brings up
a discussion about girls and sex, which makes Evan uncomfortable. Shane asks
Evan if he has ever done “that with a girl.” Evan evades the question and
answers it vaguely. Shane mocks him and assures him that “city boys grow up
faster than small-town boys.” Evan’s discomfort with this topic is very typical
for a budding adolescent and depicts his struggle with becoming independent and
forging his own values in the area of sexuality.
Achieving a Sense of Status: The entire
premise of the book is Margaret’s search to feel like she belongs somewhere.
Unbeknownst to the world around her, she is trapped by what she calls the
“Beast” in a dungeon of abuse and torment. She spends her days watching Evan’s
“perfect” family, wishing and dreaming to be a part of a family like that
herself. Margaret tries to force her mythical story to happen by stealing the
family’s photo and gluing herself into the picture. Evan stumbles upon her being
tormented by the “Beast” and, along with the help of the “angel” Chris, saves
her from certain death. Although Margaret does not receive the status she
thought she was looking for (acceptance into Evan’s immediate family), she does
come to acknowledge her personal value when she finally admits that her father
abuses her. I think many adolescents will be empathetic to Margaret’s situation
and will be encouraged to encourage even the underdogs to establish their own
sense of belonging and value.
Achieving an Integrated System of
Values: Chris’
behavior throughout the book seems to indicate that his value system is skewed.
He tries to drown away his insecurities from his disapproving father through
drinking and partying. Chris’ candid friendship with Jenny, however, seems to
indicate that there is more to him than he wants to let on. Jenny sees this in
Chris and encourages him to become the man that she knows him to be. Not
wanting to face the situation, Chris decides to run away back home – but not
before he is confronted with a choice: will he interfere on behalf of the
“Watcher,” or will he let her drown without trying to save her? Chris’ true character
comes to light when he bravely decides to step in to stop the “Beast.” Not only
does Chris save Margaret from her father’s torture, but he also stays until he
knows that Margaret is safe from any future abuses. It is with the strength of
Chris and Evan behind her that Margaret is able to stand up and speak the truth
about her father to the authorities. Chris’ choice to act on what he knows to
be true is an indication that he is beginning to act in such a way that is
consistent with the value system that he holds and is an example to other
adolescents to do likewise.
Work Experience: Chris exhibits
the value of holding a job in order to live independently of his parents.
Because he is not living at home, he must work in order to provide for his own
living expenses. Chris must face the daily demands of the job; and, when he
sleeps in or suffers a hangover from partying, he must decide on his own
whether or not he will exhibit responsible behavior and face the repercussions
either way. All adolescents must learn to adopt a similar work ethic, and
Chris’ example will encourage them in their ability to do that.
Making a
Vocational Choice: Although this topic is not addressed specifically in
this book, the author does seem to insinuate that Chris must get a hold of his
life (especially his partying tendencies) if he wishes to become anything
worthwhile. Chris declares to the world that his destiny is “California,” where
he can spend his days by the beach partying away. Although he outwardly
purports this image, he is inwardly discontent with the direction of his life
and seems to be searching for something more. Unbeknownst to Chris, part of his
destiny lies in the girl who sits on the beach watching him; it is his
interaction with her that will alter the path of his life forever.
Issues
Multiple issues
will need to be addressed when recommending this book for teaching or reading.
First of all, profanity is scattered throughout the book. The language does not
seem to be included for its shock value, but rather to depict a sense of
realism. Secondly, the teacher will want to address the issue of Chris’
partying habits. The author does not portray these habits in a positive light,
but the wise teacher will want to touch on this issue to direct her students
toward appropriate thinking in this area. Finally, the teacher will want to
focus on the issue of abuse. In our circles, the issue of abuse is often
brushed under the rug or ignored altogether. One of the contentions of this
book is that abuse is often sitting directly under our noses. The wise teacher
should take the opportunity to promote a healthy discussion on this topic,
addressing the need for appropriate intervention and awareness in sensitive
situations.
Recommendations
Because of the heavy psychological
nature of this book, I would recommend this book for reading only by those
teens who would be able to exhibit a mature response to what could be considered
offensive material. The author cleverly deals with very sensitive issues – and
brings to the forefront the idea that abuse is more prevalent than we care to
admit. The mythical sections inserted between each character do much to help
the reader understand the inner struggles of the victim of abuse. The
characters are realistic and develop meaningfully throughout the story. The
author takes an often unspoken topic and handles it beautifully and deftly.
Overall, this is a book I would recommend to a select group of adolescents for
its deep themes, intense plot, and strong literary value.
