All her life Fern has been told she is blind to reality—but, what if she is the only one who can truly see?
Fern Johnson is crazy. At least, that's what the doctors have claimed since her childhood. Now nineteen, and one step away from a psych ward, Fern struggles to survive in bustling Los Angeles. Desperate to appear normal, she represses the young man flickering at the edge of her awareness—a blond warrior only she can see.
Tristan was Fern's childhood imaginary hero, saving her from monsters under her bed and outside her walls. As she grew up and his secret world continued to bleed into hers, however, it only caused catastrophe. But, when the city is rocked by the unexplainable, Fern is forced to consider the possibility that this young man is not a hallucination after all—and that the creature who decimated his world may be coming for hers.
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About the Author
As the daughter of missionaries, KARA SWANSON spent sixteen years of her young life in the jungles of Papua New Guinea. Able to relate with characters dropped suddenly into a unique new world, she quickly fell in love with the speculative genre and was soon penning stories herself. At seventeen, she independently published her debut fantasy novel, Pearl of Merlydia. Her short story is included in Kathy Ide’s 21 Days of Joy: Stories that Celebrate Mom. She has published many articles, including one in the Encounter magazine, and she received the Mount Hermon Most Promising Teen Writer award in 2015.Guest Post from Kara Swanson
Did you have an imaginary friend growing up? I did. And I think most of us probably understood what it was like to use our childhood imaginations to create friends and take us places.The Girl Who Could See follows Fern Johnson, a young woman who’s imaginary friend, Tristan, first appeared in her life when she was eight years old—and has never left. Now nineteen, Fern still sees Tristan, only he is no longer her friend. Now he is her curse. The source of her insanity. The reason Fern cannot keep a job and has been passed from one psychologist to another. The reason she is one step away from a psych ward. However, Tristan disagrees. He says that he’s not a figment of Fern’s imagination and is determined to prove it. But, if his existence is real, it has dangerous implications not only for Fern, but for her world. Because the creature that decimated Tristan’s planet is coming for Earth—and only the girl everyone says is crazy can stop it.
I wrote the novella as a way to explore the idea of what would happen if someone had an imaginary friend who never left. What would the psychological and daily implications be? And what if that imaginary friend wasn’t imaginary? The story that grew from those sparks of ideas became an adventure that I hope you’ll enjoy as much as I did.
I am not normally a science fiction girl. I usually steer clear of anything sci-fi, fantasy or speculative when I read. I have seen several movies from this genre but that's mainly because my husband likes them Ha! The description of this book is what drew me to it. I decided to give it a try and I'm sure glad I did. Kara is a very captivating writer. Read on to see what I thought.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this novella. It's not my normal genre but I fell in love with it rather quickly. It's different, it's sad, it's romantic, it's witty. It is a whole lot of things wrapped up into one. I could just see how this would play out in a movie (and I sure hope it becomes one). If I could always read speculative fiction as good as this I'd never put it down. I can't wait to let my 12 year old daughter read this. I think she is going to love it. Tristan was my favorite character. He was the perfect hero/love interest. I can't wait to read more by Kara. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, even if this genre isn't your favorite and to tweens and teens alike who enjoy hunger games or divergent. I received a copy of this book from the author and Celebrate Lit for free. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.
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I am not a big sci-fi fan either, and wondered what "The Girl Who Could See" was like. I'm glad to hear how much you liked it! My daughter loves dystopian and I am always on the look-out for Christian books of this genre for her. This is one I think we would both enjoy. Thanks for the GREAT review!!!
ReplyDeleteWonderful guest post and review! I really enjoyed reading them! Looking forward to checking out this book!
ReplyDeleteI've added this book to my to read pile. It sounds like one my teenage daughter would enjoy.
ReplyDeleteGreat review!
ReplyDeleteI so wanna read this. I am avid YA reader as an adult. I just wish I knew how interesting YA was back in my teens.
ReplyDelete