The Things She's Seen

by Ambelin Kwaymullina and Ezekiel Kwaymullina

This brilliantly written thriller explores the lives--and deaths--of two girls, and what they will do to win justice. Sure to be one of the most talked-about books of the year!

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 needs to reconnect with the living.

The case takes them to a remote Australian town, where there's been a suspicious fire. All that remains are an unidentifiable body and an unreliable witness found wandering nearby. This witness speaks in riddles. Isobel Catching has a story to tell, and it's a tale to haunt your dreams--but does it even connect to the case at hand?

As Beth and her father unravel the mystery, they find a shocking and heartbreaking story lurking beneath the surface of a small town.

• ISBN10: 198484878X
• ISBN13: 9781984848789
• Publish Date: 14 May 2019
• Publish Status: Remaindered
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House USA Inc
• Imprint: Knopf Books for Young Readers
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 208
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781984848789

Reviews

[Beth C.]

When does storytelling end and reality begin? When does control end and pain begin? And what happens when all of those things are related, but the only way to find out how - is to hear the tale told?

This is a powerful book. Yes, it's short - but to be any longer would diminish the impact of the story. It's also not a light, hopeful story - but there IS hope. Hope, and love, and above all - CHOICE. These two authors have crafted a tale worth reading, and one that also honors not only every woman and girl who has had choice taken away, but every woman who had that choice taken away by some person - or group of people - who viewed her as lesser. As an animal. As a slave, or as a toy.

It's a dark story, but there is a light at the end. And for all its darkness, it is NEVER *explicit*. It lets the tale do the telling, lets the understanding come - or not - but never pushes too hard. It shows, it guides, and then it stands back and waits for the moment when the "Connections fired and popped...". And it pays homage all those who came before, those who were defined by their strength rather than by their circumstances.

Such a depth to such a short book. But you know those stories that lodge themselves in your heart, and then - every so often - they pop into your head? For days, or weeks, or months they linger? This is such a story. And it's one that deserves to be read.