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The Things She's Seen
Nothing's been the same for Beth Teller since the day she died.
Her dad is drowning in grief. He's also the only one who has been able to see and hear her since the accident. But now she's got a mystery to solve, a mystery that will hopefully remind her detective father that he is still alive, that there is a life after Beth that is still worth living.
Who is Isobel Catching, and why is she able to see Beth, too? What is her connection to the crime Beth's father has been sent to investigate--a gruesome fire at a home for troubled youth that left an unidentifiable body behind? What happened to the people who haven't been seen since the fire?
As Beth and her father unravel the mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another...
Her dad is drowning in grief. He's also the only one who has been able to see and hear her since the accident. But now she's got a mystery to solve, a mystery that will hopefully remind her detective father that he is still alive, that there is a life after Beth that is still worth living.
Who is Isobel Catching, and why is she able to see Beth, too? What is her connection to the crime Beth's father has been sent to investigate--a gruesome fire at a home for troubled youth that left an unidentifiable body behind? What happened to the people who haven't been seen since the fire?
As Beth and her father unravel the mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town, and a friendship that lasts beyond one life and into another...
208 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2018
181 people are currently reading
8246 people want to read
About the author
Ambelin Kwaymullina
47 books359 followersAmbelin Kwaymullina belongs to the Palyku people of the eastern Pilbara region of Western Australia. She is a writer, illustrator and law academic who works across a range of genres including YA, science fiction, verse and non-fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,081 reviews
February 13, 2019
At first glance, The Things She's Seen looks like a morsel, just a slim bite of a book about an Aboriginal ghost, a heartbroken father who works as a detective, and a strange girl who speaks in riddles. But upon closer inspection, it's a substantial meal, with meaty themes and a satiating mystery. What begins as the story of an unexplained fire unfolds into a layered, harrowing tale of tragedy and triumph with elements of magical realism in the vein of Life of Pi.
Easily consumed, but not quickly forgotten, The Thing's She's Seen is a keening cry for justice with enduring characters and a remarkable conclusion.
-
*Note: Quote taken from an Advanced Reader's Copy.
Easily consumed, but not quickly forgotten, The Thing's She's Seen is a keening cry for justice with enduring characters and a remarkable conclusion.
I am not glass thrown against a rock.
I am the rock.
I can endure.
As long as I remember where I come from.
Who I come from.*
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*Note: Quote taken from an Advanced Reader's Copy.
December 1, 2022
CW:
Well that was an emotional and slightly traumatic reading experience.
This short, powerful novel touches upon a shameful history in which First Nations People were treated horrifically during times of colonisation. The story is told in a contemporary setting through alternating POVs of two Australian Aboriginal teenagers. Beth was killed in a car accident and has not crossed over to the 'place with colours' because she feels she can't leave her grieving father who can see and talk to her. They are in a small Australian town to investigate a deadly fire. There they meet Isobel Catching who has a dark, seemingly magical, story that she needs Beth's father, a police detective, to hear. The two main characters are so vivid. Beth is quite naive and sheltered which contrasts well with a hardened, world wary Catching. The writing is absolutely wonderful with Catching's POV written in captivating verse. I don't want to say anything that will potentially spoil the story but I loved the use of allegory as a vehicle for the horrible truth.
The content is quite heavy so I recommend this for NZ Year 11 and above. I will definitely be looking to read more from these ownvoice authors.
Well that was an emotional and slightly traumatic reading experience.
This short, powerful novel touches upon a shameful history in which First Nations People were treated horrifically during times of colonisation. The story is told in a contemporary setting through alternating POVs of two Australian Aboriginal teenagers. Beth was killed in a car accident and has not crossed over to the 'place with colours' because she feels she can't leave her grieving father who can see and talk to her. They are in a small Australian town to investigate a deadly fire. There they meet Isobel Catching who has a dark, seemingly magical, story that she needs Beth's father, a police detective, to hear. The two main characters are so vivid. Beth is quite naive and sheltered which contrasts well with a hardened, world wary Catching. The writing is absolutely wonderful with Catching's POV written in captivating verse. I don't want to say anything that will potentially spoil the story but I loved the use of allegory as a vehicle for the horrible truth.
The content is quite heavy so I recommend this for NZ Year 11 and above. I will definitely be looking to read more from these ownvoice authors.
January 26, 2020
An unusual read, which lightly skims over some dark atrocities.
Beth is dead, and trying to help her grieving dad solve a mystery. The mystery leads them to Isobel Catching, who has a rather strange story to impart ...
This was an easy read, taking a mere handful of hours from my day. On the surface, it's a light story about death and moving on, but it also references the horrific treatment of Aboriginal people in days gone by and gives a voice to people who should have been heard.
It's told by both Beth and Isobel, but while Beth's story is coherent and linear, Isobel's is more like a dream, told in scarce prose and fanciful images. It's a little hard to unravel, but that's a huge part of this story's charm.
There's a mystery to solve, but the storytelling itself is the main focus, as well as the nature of grief. I found it quite beautiful, if a little confusing.
For a story that was consumed so quickly, there's a lot of thoughts leftover. It's a soft glimpse of Australia's dark, racist past but there's kindness, love and support flowing through the story, easing the pain and hopefully encouraging a more positive step forward from anyone this story touches.
Beth is dead, and trying to help her grieving dad solve a mystery. The mystery leads them to Isobel Catching, who has a rather strange story to impart ...
This was an easy read, taking a mere handful of hours from my day. On the surface, it's a light story about death and moving on, but it also references the horrific treatment of Aboriginal people in days gone by and gives a voice to people who should have been heard.
It's told by both Beth and Isobel, but while Beth's story is coherent and linear, Isobel's is more like a dream, told in scarce prose and fanciful images. It's a little hard to unravel, but that's a huge part of this story's charm.
There's a mystery to solve, but the storytelling itself is the main focus, as well as the nature of grief. I found it quite beautiful, if a little confusing.
For a story that was consumed so quickly, there's a lot of thoughts leftover. It's a soft glimpse of Australia's dark, racist past but there's kindness, love and support flowing through the story, easing the pain and hopefully encouraging a more positive step forward from anyone this story touches.
June 19, 2019
It took me days to finish this book despite the fact that it’s incredibly short. It should have been a one-sitting read.
At first, the story reminded me of The Lovely Bones — a young girl dies unexpectedly and her spirit stays behind to help her grieving family — but then I realized The Things She’s Seen lacks the emotional depth that I loved in the Alice Sebold novel.
Beth was killed in a car accident. Her detective father can both see and hear her. She helps him with his investigations, because she knows he’s depressed over her death and she can’t move on to what’s next until she knows he’s okay.
The story alternates POVs, Beth’s is in prose and Catching’s is in verse. I really disliked the POV in verse, mainly because I didn’t get it. It was confusing (my brain struggles with poetry) and for me, it slowed down the story. The last 25% of the book had a better pace and it has a nice tidy ending.
If you’re thinking about reading this, I suggest borrowing it from the library, but it’s not one that I’d rush to read.
At first, the story reminded me of The Lovely Bones — a young girl dies unexpectedly and her spirit stays behind to help her grieving family — but then I realized The Things She’s Seen lacks the emotional depth that I loved in the Alice Sebold novel.
Beth was killed in a car accident. Her detective father can both see and hear her. She helps him with his investigations, because she knows he’s depressed over her death and she can’t move on to what’s next until she knows he’s okay.
The story alternates POVs, Beth’s is in prose and Catching’s is in verse. I really disliked the POV in verse, mainly because I didn’t get it. It was confusing (my brain struggles with poetry) and for me, it slowed down the story. The last 25% of the book had a better pace and it has a nice tidy ending.
If you’re thinking about reading this, I suggest borrowing it from the library, but it’s not one that I’d rush to read.
August 29, 2019
4.5 stars. A story of family, grief, and dead and missing young women. Part of this story felt familiar to the situations in Canada:
1) the taking of indigenous youth from their families and the deep and long-lasting psychological trauma to the children and their families.
2) missing and dead aboriginal women, and the lack of substantial, societal interest.
This was a deeply emotional story, and had me in tears by the end.
1) the taking of indigenous youth from their families and the deep and long-lasting psychological trauma to the children and their families.
2) missing and dead aboriginal women, and the lack of substantial, societal interest.
This was a deeply emotional story, and had me in tears by the end.
February 9, 2020
People can time travel inside their heads.
Remember into the past.
Imagine into the future.
But sometimes you can’t escape the now.
This book was a very interesting experience for me. I’m someone that normally reads loads of heavy hitting fantasies, that when I read a book like this, which has the most beautiful prose and lyricism to its writing, it happens to be an entirely different reading experience for me. I actually wished that it was longer so that we could have gotten more of that wonderful prose, since I do love myself some good prose. It was honestly just a great book to take in and savour every moment of it due to its short length.
It’s short and takes place over the place of just a few short days and that does mean that certain aspects where omitted and that there is always lots of things going on, it’s always event after event, yet that sort of writing and pacing worked wonders with this hidden gem of a book. From just the small number of pages we received, the character development was surprisingly well done, the mystery was suspenseful and exciting, the poetry was amazing. Honestly, why can’t these be the sort of books or poems kids study at Australian school’s instead of some old text or another from the 1900’s. It’s meaningful, follows characters of colour, deals with grief and emotional trauma, covers poetry and verse and has a mystery. I mean, come on! Enough with these bland books with only white characters written by white people(there’s nothing wrong with this, I’m merely just trying to say that there are more authors than one type of person).
I don’t actually have too much to say about this book since it was quite short, but I would highly recommend this to people out there looking for books with aboriginal characters written by aboriginal authors. It deals with racism and the Stolen Generation, a devastating time for aboriginals, yet people turned a blind eye simply because of their skin colour, which is still something that happens today and is truly disturbing to put it lightly.
I’m quite glad that this book seems to be fairly popular in Australia at the moment as the YA genre needs more of this sort of stuff, which is being published more and more often which is such a delight to see since these books contain the most unique and wonderful stories. It’s whimsical, magical and packs quite a punch. It’s not only that but deals with real world problems in a way that may not seem overly obvious is one doesn’t understand the context of the book and what it is dealing with.
Needless to say, I adored this short little novel and hope that more of these kind of books become popular around the world since they are definitely worth a read. 9/10
Remember into the past.
Imagine into the future.
But sometimes you can’t escape the now.
This book was a very interesting experience for me. I’m someone that normally reads loads of heavy hitting fantasies, that when I read a book like this, which has the most beautiful prose and lyricism to its writing, it happens to be an entirely different reading experience for me. I actually wished that it was longer so that we could have gotten more of that wonderful prose, since I do love myself some good prose. It was honestly just a great book to take in and savour every moment of it due to its short length.
It’s short and takes place over the place of just a few short days and that does mean that certain aspects where omitted and that there is always lots of things going on, it’s always event after event, yet that sort of writing and pacing worked wonders with this hidden gem of a book. From just the small number of pages we received, the character development was surprisingly well done, the mystery was suspenseful and exciting, the poetry was amazing. Honestly, why can’t these be the sort of books or poems kids study at Australian school’s instead of some old text or another from the 1900’s. It’s meaningful, follows characters of colour, deals with grief and emotional trauma, covers poetry and verse and has a mystery. I mean, come on! Enough with these bland books with only white characters written by white people(there’s nothing wrong with this, I’m merely just trying to say that there are more authors than one type of person).
I don’t actually have too much to say about this book since it was quite short, but I would highly recommend this to people out there looking for books with aboriginal characters written by aboriginal authors. It deals with racism and the Stolen Generation, a devastating time for aboriginals, yet people turned a blind eye simply because of their skin colour, which is still something that happens today and is truly disturbing to put it lightly.
I’m quite glad that this book seems to be fairly popular in Australia at the moment as the YA genre needs more of this sort of stuff, which is being published more and more often which is such a delight to see since these books contain the most unique and wonderful stories. It’s whimsical, magical and packs quite a punch. It’s not only that but deals with real world problems in a way that may not seem overly obvious is one doesn’t understand the context of the book and what it is dealing with.
Needless to say, I adored this short little novel and hope that more of these kind of books become popular around the world since they are definitely worth a read. 9/10
March 12, 2019
Trigger warnings: death, Stolen Generation, . I think that's all?
This is a very peculiar little book. I mean, it was amazing and fast paced and I flew through it. But at the same time, I definitely wasn't expecting the magical realism-y elements of Catching's story. There were so many reveals in this story and I was blown away by every single one of them, even though this is barely 200 pages long.
I loved the mixture of prose and poetry. I loved the characters. I loved the Aboriginal history woven through the story. Really, my only small gripe is that it was so short and I would have very much liked a longer story.
This is a very peculiar little book. I mean, it was amazing and fast paced and I flew through it. But at the same time, I definitely wasn't expecting the magical realism-y elements of Catching's story. There were so many reveals in this story and I was blown away by every single one of them, even though this is barely 200 pages long.
I loved the mixture of prose and poetry. I loved the characters. I loved the Aboriginal history woven through the story. Really, my only small gripe is that it was so short and I would have very much liked a longer story.
May 12, 2020
Catching Teller Crow is a very powerful book with lots of important comments on grief and moving on; the stolen generations in Australia; the treatment of women; and the racism and prejudices that those descended from white settlers can often direct at those or aboriginal descent, whether in an actively damaging role or as bystanders who don’t do anything to speak up against the injustice.
And all that in under 200 pages.
The story alternates between chapters from Beth Teller’s point of view, and Isobel Catching’s point of view.
Beth’s chapters are a little naive and do lots of telling and little showing, unfortunately, but there is a kind of logic to be found in this. Beth is the ghost of a detective’s daughter, sticking around to make sure he’s okay and help him with his latest case.
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
And all that in under 200 pages.
The story alternates between chapters from Beth Teller’s point of view, and Isobel Catching’s point of view.
Beth’s chapters are a little naive and do lots of telling and little showing, unfortunately, but there is a kind of logic to be found in this. Beth is the ghost of a detective’s daughter, sticking around to make sure he’s okay and help him with his latest case.
The rest of this review can be found HERE!
February 16, 2019
Once I started I literally could do nothing but continue without a break until I had finished. I read as an audio-book and it was stunningly narrated by Miranda Tapsell. The authors note at the end is a must must read.
The authors note actually gives you everything I would like to be able to say about the importance of encouraging every Australian to read this and similar stories.
Officially classed as Junior Fiction- it is actually a book any discerning adult reader will devour.
Amazing, enchanting dream story or fantasy writing ( however you want to categorise it) is woven around a storyline so horrific but at the same time full of strength and hope and power.
WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW.
The authors note actually gives you everything I would like to be able to say about the importance of encouraging every Australian to read this and similar stories.
Officially classed as Junior Fiction- it is actually a book any discerning adult reader will devour.
Amazing, enchanting dream story or fantasy writing ( however you want to categorise it) is woven around a storyline so horrific but at the same time full of strength and hope and power.
WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW. WOW.
June 3, 2019
Catching Teller Crow is a gorgeous, spooky read about a girl called Beth who died but now lives as a ghostly spirit and communicates with her father who is a detective. After some strange happenings, she and her father stumble on young Isabel Catching, who only tells her stories in verse and experiences strange ordeals of fantasy. This is told in a duel POV and written in both prose and verse. It was a beautiful, fast-paced read that was both thrilling and heartwarming. This does have aboriginal representation and would love to read more books featuring aboriginal characters!
Read for Simsathon, challenge square- Perfect the layout
Read for Simsathon, challenge square- Perfect the layout
March 18, 2019
This little book packs a punch. Two different narrators, aboriginal story telling, child abuse and exploitation, the Stolen Generation, death and grieving, and a murder mystery with a unique perpetrator. Just a brilliant book that makes reading so worthwhile.
Read
March 6, 2020Just what has Isobel Catching seen? What does it mean?
After dying in a car accident, Beth can't bear to leave her father behind. The more his survivor guilt causes him to pull away from his loved ones, the worse he gets. Beth convinces him to take on a case in hopes of helping him move on, and be a detective again. What was supposed to be an open and shut case about a fire at a troubled children's home leads them to a girl with a story that sounds like a fantasy. However, the tale she tells reveals truths that are far more unsettling then any of them foresaw.
A story of two girls unwraveling two distinct pains, tied together by the threads they can't yet see. A tale of bonds beyond the barriers of life and death.
Trigger warnings for death, survivor's guilt, grief, mention of drug use, and racism.
Protective and persistent, Beth was loyal to her father. Determined to help him move on, she couldn't bear to leave him behind, but yet she couldn't bear to see him not move on. Given her sympathetic and extremely impulsive nature, she was very reactionary as she helped figure out what in the world was going on with Catching and the small town. At fifteen years old her voice read so young and a little naively brave, but it made her chapters even harder to read.
Straightforward yet secretive, Isobel Catching was unlike anyone else. Strange but strong, this resilient girl was very much her own person. She held a lot back, but she was able to change Beth's entire future. Told in verse and prose, her dark tale made me all the more intrigued to this fascinating character.
From familial to a bond far beyond friendship, Beth and Catching both held dearly to those that mattered most to them close. Between Beth being there for her father, and Catching never forgetting hers, family was never far from either girls' mind. The girls developed a relationship that was uniquely magical to them, rooted in grief and understanding. While we knew what had happened to Beth, but not Catching, each of them had been/were going through something deeply painful. I really ended up loving the dynamic that formed between Beth, her father, and Catching.
Do the dead ever really leave us? A stunning blend of paranormal mystery and magical realism, this centered around Aboriginal teens. A story of trauma, grief, and moving on, it also brought to light Aboriginal culture, history, and the horrific treatment they faced at the hands of colonizers. It definitely made me aware of a people I know far too little about. Disturbing, not enough people are aware of the racism they face. Through gorgeous storytelling, Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina's emotionally devastating and healing tale came alive in vibrant color. Captivating from start to finish, this short book should be read over and over again in order to reveal every tenderly crafted layer.
This is a book that must be seen.
After dying in a car accident, Beth can't bear to leave her father behind. The more his survivor guilt causes him to pull away from his loved ones, the worse he gets. Beth convinces him to take on a case in hopes of helping him move on, and be a detective again. What was supposed to be an open and shut case about a fire at a troubled children's home leads them to a girl with a story that sounds like a fantasy. However, the tale she tells reveals truths that are far more unsettling then any of them foresaw.
A story of two girls unwraveling two distinct pains, tied together by the threads they can't yet see. A tale of bonds beyond the barriers of life and death.
Trigger warnings for death, survivor's guilt, grief, mention of drug use, and racism.
Protective and persistent, Beth was loyal to her father. Determined to help him move on, she couldn't bear to leave him behind, but yet she couldn't bear to see him not move on. Given her sympathetic and extremely impulsive nature, she was very reactionary as she helped figure out what in the world was going on with Catching and the small town. At fifteen years old her voice read so young and a little naively brave, but it made her chapters even harder to read.
Straightforward yet secretive, Isobel Catching was unlike anyone else. Strange but strong, this resilient girl was very much her own person. She held a lot back, but she was able to change Beth's entire future. Told in verse and prose, her dark tale made me all the more intrigued to this fascinating character.
From familial to a bond far beyond friendship, Beth and Catching both held dearly to those that mattered most to them close. Between Beth being there for her father, and Catching never forgetting hers, family was never far from either girls' mind. The girls developed a relationship that was uniquely magical to them, rooted in grief and understanding. While we knew what had happened to Beth, but not Catching, each of them had been/were going through something deeply painful. I really ended up loving the dynamic that formed between Beth, her father, and Catching.
Do the dead ever really leave us? A stunning blend of paranormal mystery and magical realism, this centered around Aboriginal teens. A story of trauma, grief, and moving on, it also brought to light Aboriginal culture, history, and the horrific treatment they faced at the hands of colonizers. It definitely made me aware of a people I know far too little about. Disturbing, not enough people are aware of the racism they face. Through gorgeous storytelling, Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina's emotionally devastating and healing tale came alive in vibrant color. Captivating from start to finish, this short book should be read over and over again in order to reveal every tenderly crafted layer.
This is a book that must be seen.
June 24, 2019
So, despite my posting name, I don't think poetry is for everyone and I think that a book that relies a lot on poetry to tell the tale should warn someone.
So, listen up! Much, much poetry and it's necessary for the plot so you can't skip it!
The poetic surprise notwithstanding, I did like this one. I thought the verse beautiful, our mystery compelling, and our characters interesting and engaging.
More than anything, though, I think I was intrigued mostly by this step into a culture that I've read little about. I learned a bit about both historical and modern Aboriginal culture and simply loved it.
The book was not what I expected it to be, nor really what I hoped it would be, but I ended up enjoying it all the same.
So, listen up! Much, much poetry and it's necessary for the plot so you can't skip it!
The poetic surprise notwithstanding, I did like this one. I thought the verse beautiful, our mystery compelling, and our characters interesting and engaging.
More than anything, though, I think I was intrigued mostly by this step into a culture that I've read little about. I learned a bit about both historical and modern Aboriginal culture and simply loved it.
The book was not what I expected it to be, nor really what I hoped it would be, but I ended up enjoying it all the same.
July 8, 2019
3.5 stars
August 8, 2025
A co-authored Young Adult Fiction tale, Catching Teller Crow (2018) is by brother/sister team of Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. Beth Teller died in a car accident and watches her police detective father aimlessly grieve. He is sent to a small rural town to oversee the investigation of an arson of a children’s care home. As Beth tries to help her father with the investigation, two more deaths are discovered. The amiable narrative with a supernatural element and indigenous storytelling aspect, is an exquisite gem of a crime fiction tale. Although a short and gentle novel, it’s a delightful reading experience and understated murder mystery with a do not miss five star plus read rating. As always, the opinions herein are totally my own, freely given and without any inducement.
September 16, 2023
The Things She’s Seen is the most unique book I’ve read in a long time and in my fantasy future where I run a school board, I’d make it assigned reading.
The Things She’s Seen is a short but powerful read. The story is under 200 pages and alternates between regular narrative and free verse and could honestly be finished in an hour (but emotionally I won’t be done with it ever). It’s a poignant story about grief, trauma, and how we deal with and cope with both and I don’t want to say much more because it’s the kind of book that’s best to experience blind.
The Things She’s Seen is a short but powerful read. The story is under 200 pages and alternates between regular narrative and free verse and could honestly be finished in an hour (but emotionally I won’t be done with it ever). It’s a poignant story about grief, trauma, and how we deal with and cope with both and I don’t want to say much more because it’s the kind of book that’s best to experience blind.
July 11, 2019
3.75 stars; buddy read with my mom and dad. 💖
RTC.
RTC.
October 9, 2018
I wasn’t sure about this book at the start, but the more I read, the hungrier I got to reach the end and solve the mystery. The parts narrated by “Catching” are so beautifully written and the way they tell the story is breathtaking. I want to go back and read all her parts again with the knowledge I have from having reached the end.
June 14, 2018
Well, that's a heart-breaker.
Lyrical, lovely, #ownvoices
Lyrical, lovely, #ownvoices
June 18, 2019
This story and the writing did not interest me.
September 30, 2019
You might see the slim size of this book, or that it's shelved in the children's section, and think it's lightweight. But it's one of the most complex, affecting and intense books I've read in a while. I wish it was many times the length – not because it needs it, but because I want to spend longer in this world and learn more about the history and present of aboriginal people in Australia.
September 25, 2019
Smart, mysterious and surprisingly weighty for a slim YA book.
April 1, 2019
Thank you, NOVATeen Book Festival, for this amazing ARC.
Beth is a young Aborigine teen who has died in an unfortunate car accident, leaving behind a grieving father who is pulling away from his in-laws due to his survivor's guilt. But he can see her ghost. In an attempt to help him find his footing in life again, she encourages him to take on a case that she hopes will help him come to terms with what has happened to her and bring him back to his senses. The case he takes on was supposed to be a simple one, something to whet his detective appetite and help him get back to a better place mentally and emotionally, and Beth is along for the ride and helping him piece together a mysterious fire, one that then leads to several murders. Meanwhile, there is a young woman who was found wandering nearby when the fire occurred, and the more she tells her fantastical tale, the more Beth and her father get pulled into a small town's dark secrets--secrets that have been festering for years, secrets that will show just how little the town's residents know about certain individuals.
This is one of those books that opened my eyes to a part of our world's history that I knew nothing about: the effect of colonization in Australia on the Aborigine people. I knew that the Aborigine people were the natives to Australia before colonizers came, and based on the history of colonizers with Native Americans and Africans and other native peoples, it was pretty easy to infer what most likely happened...but The Things She's Seen got me poking around the internet to better inform myself of the tragedies the Aborigine people suffered at the hands of colonizers. What I found helped me to better ground myself for the big reveal at the end of the novel. Knowing the Aboriginal belief of constant circular connectivity in time and with the natural world, that reveal just clicked--I was better able to see how the authors got us where the story went, because the Aborigines understand time and worldly connectivity differently than Western colonizers. Things are not straight, sequential, cause and effect--and neither are their stories, just like The Things She's Seen. Everything at beginning and end is connected, and everything in between is equally connected. And there is even an air of mysticism, almost magical realism to it all. You have to suspend your current understanding of the world and just let yourself be pulled along.
In my attempt to try new things this year, I grabbed this at the festival without know anything about it. YA fantasy is my go-to, so The Things She's Seen is very much outside the realm of my usual--but I loved it. This mystery, thriller, magical realism novel had me flipping through fast, even returning to different passages, because I questioned everything. The storytelling is phenomenal and I was constantly wondering where I would be taken next.
Beth is a young Aborigine teen who has died in an unfortunate car accident, leaving behind a grieving father who is pulling away from his in-laws due to his survivor's guilt. But he can see her ghost. In an attempt to help him find his footing in life again, she encourages him to take on a case that she hopes will help him come to terms with what has happened to her and bring him back to his senses. The case he takes on was supposed to be a simple one, something to whet his detective appetite and help him get back to a better place mentally and emotionally, and Beth is along for the ride and helping him piece together a mysterious fire, one that then leads to several murders. Meanwhile, there is a young woman who was found wandering nearby when the fire occurred, and the more she tells her fantastical tale, the more Beth and her father get pulled into a small town's dark secrets--secrets that have been festering for years, secrets that will show just how little the town's residents know about certain individuals.
This is one of those books that opened my eyes to a part of our world's history that I knew nothing about: the effect of colonization in Australia on the Aborigine people. I knew that the Aborigine people were the natives to Australia before colonizers came, and based on the history of colonizers with Native Americans and Africans and other native peoples, it was pretty easy to infer what most likely happened...but The Things She's Seen got me poking around the internet to better inform myself of the tragedies the Aborigine people suffered at the hands of colonizers. What I found helped me to better ground myself for the big reveal at the end of the novel. Knowing the Aboriginal belief of constant circular connectivity in time and with the natural world, that reveal just clicked--I was better able to see how the authors got us where the story went, because the Aborigines understand time and worldly connectivity differently than Western colonizers. Things are not straight, sequential, cause and effect--and neither are their stories, just like The Things She's Seen. Everything at beginning and end is connected, and everything in between is equally connected. And there is even an air of mysticism, almost magical realism to it all. You have to suspend your current understanding of the world and just let yourself be pulled along.
In my attempt to try new things this year, I grabbed this at the festival without know anything about it. YA fantasy is my go-to, so The Things She's Seen is very much outside the realm of my usual--but I loved it. This mystery, thriller, magical realism novel had me flipping through fast, even returning to different passages, because I questioned everything. The storytelling is phenomenal and I was constantly wondering where I would be taken next.
February 24, 2019
It was good to read a young adult novel relating to indigenous Australians. I don't remember coming across any other (and would love to hear some recommendations, as I'm sure they must be out there).
This was enjoyable, but I wasn't blown away by it. I enjoyed the disjointed, choppy verse chapters told in Catching's voice the best. Beth Teller, the dead girl narrator seemed rather simplistic at times and I found I hurried through her parts to keep up with the story, rather than savouring them, as I did Catching's. Thematically, it's dark, but there are few details.
I'll look out for other stories from these authors (a sister-brother team... that's an unusual writing combination).
This was enjoyable, but I wasn't blown away by it. I enjoyed the disjointed, choppy verse chapters told in Catching's voice the best. Beth Teller, the dead girl narrator seemed rather simplistic at times and I found I hurried through her parts to keep up with the story, rather than savouring them, as I did Catching's. Thematically, it's dark, but there are few details.
I'll look out for other stories from these authors (a sister-brother team... that's an unusual writing combination).
August 24, 2018
Original, mysterious, captivating and well written, I have another for my favourites of the year list. I’ll write a longer review for my blog : https://lizderouet.wordpress.com
Can definitely recommend this book for all ages.
Can definitely recommend this book for all ages.
March 31, 2019
An interesting premise and a different perspective, but for being billed as YA, the writing level felt much more like a middle-grade book.
February 13, 2020
4.5 🌟 rating. A heart wrenching mystery with a hint of paranormal fantasy.
June 10, 2019
Sometimes a book just isn't someone's cup of tea. And that same cup of tea can be heavenly to a different person. I think that "The Things She's Seen" just wasn't for me. This is a quick book and I loved the general plot idea of a ghost girl who is staying with her father while he grieves. In doing so, she begins to help him with a murder mystery. All sounds great but I really struggled with the way the book is written. The characters on one hand feel one dimensional and very young. Then on the other hand a main character tells her story in verse which reads beautifully but is so vague and every time the chapters came up I felt like the momentum was lost rather than gained which I think was the point. I did think that everything wrapped up in a fulfilling way. The cryptic story was spelled out so that readers could know for certain what happened rather than rely on the verse ramblings. Still I didn't really enjoy this one and I wasn't invested in it.
October 19, 2018
There are a lot of discussion points in this novel that would make it a great class novel. As a reading for pleasure book however, I think it might not be as well received. I know that my personal enjoyment was influenced greatly by the discussion around this book by my Teacher Librarian book club - without the insight and thoughts of my colleagues, I'm not sure I would have enjoyed the story as much. It did however, get me thinking.
August 1, 2018
Truly excellent Indigenous Australian YA
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