The Visibles

       The Visibles, by Sara Shepard, the book I have just started is about a girl named Summer Davis, a loner, an outcast. A few things have just stirred up in her life. First of all, her mom has just left her, her father and her brother, her reason scratched out on a short, unclear letter, which her father receives in the mail, devastating him to the point of crying at an ice cream parlor. All Summer seems to do about it, though is form the impression that “She’s on a trip”. Also, Claire, a previous friend has just moved back from France, where she had been living before, causing at first awkwardness, but the old friendship starts to bloom shortly. In some ways and in some moments, I can really feel a strong connection with Summer, but in some ways and in some moments, I can’t.

         At some parts, I could feel myself truly connecting with Summer. One of these parts that stood out was on page 32, when her dad was sobbing in an ice cream parlor. If this was my father crying, a complete mess, I would be doing everything I could to stop it. And like Summer, I would tell him-not a lie, but something I didn't quite believe. I would give him the hopeful little drop that my mom was "probably just... overworked" "just on a business trip." Right at that point, I just felt a connection. What went through my head was something like "Yes! That's what you should be doing! That's what you should say to make your dad happier, more hopeful." Another two of those moments where I felt those connections were on page 57 and page 65. These pages both have to do with when her and her dad and brother have just arrived at her great-aunts house and a girl named Samantha-or Sword, as she calls herself is there too. On page 57 when Samantha smiles, Summer assumes she has gnarled yellow teeth. On page 65, Summer is surprised Samantha is smoking on the porch and her aunt lets her. It seems like she regards the girl with a bit of disgust and this is exactly the way I would feel, totally understandable. Samantha seems like a creepy and cool (in the unfriendly way) person.

         At some parts in the book, I suddenly got a strong "No that's not right" sense about her actions and words. For example, one thing Summer does that I can't connect to is offer her services (meaning bringing them all coffee) to a group of snobby, popular girls, just for the chance of a brief conversation. At this part, when is risking herself to the shoving and possible roughness of the hallways, I see Summer stooping too low. I definitely wouldn't willingly volunteer myself to pack of snobs. Even though she thinks she's heading in the right direction by doing so, she really isn't. Another part in the book when I  don't connect with Summer is when she declines Claire asking her to write if she goes to an art program in San Fransisco. She even thinks to herself "Dear Claire, I don't want to write to you. I already told you I don't want to talk to you. You should leave me alone."When she says to Claire that "she should write to the corpses she was now friends with", she probably comes off as slightly rude. Instead, if I were Summer, I would not only say yes, I would also say something comforting. I can't connect to Summer, because she isn't taking advantage of, or even realizing how nice and friendly Claire is being towards he and that's something I would be doing.