Book Review: See What I See by Gloria Whelan
See What I See by Gloria Whelan. © 2011 Harper Teen. ISBN 9780061255458. Trade Paperback. Contemporary YA. 208 pages. Source: ARC furnished by the publishers.
Synopsis: Kate Tapert sees the world around her in the paintings she adores. Yet one place she never sees her life in in the world of the famous and reclusive artist Dalton Quinn—her father, whom she hasn’t seen or heard from in ten years.
Kate’s own dreams of becoming an artist look like they’re on the verge of coming true when she’s offered a scholarship to art school in Detroit. Kate is ready to leave home and fully immerse herself in art—heaven!—and the only thing she needs is a place to stay. Her father’s house would be the perfect place, but when Kate shows up on his doorstep out of the blue, she has no idea what a life-altering decision that will turn out to be.
Review: I don’t read a great deal of contemporary YA since I’m more drawn to the fantastical side of literature but when I do venture to the realistic side of fiction, books like See What I See are great finds.
Our protagonist is Kate, an 18-yr old fresh from high school who has been granted a scholarship to one of the most prestigious art schools in the country. Problem is, neither she nor her mother have money for a dorm room. Kate’s father left them when she was only a toddler and has had nothing to do with either of them in years so Kate’s mum has had to support them both on a waitress’s paycheck.
Kate’s father is a famous painter and it just so happens that he was last heard to be living in Detroit so Kate concocts a plan: show up on his doorstep and hope he’ll let her stay. Kate didn’t think it would be easy … but she didn’t bargain for it being so hard either. I really don’t want to spoil the plot, because this is an amazing book, so I’ll cut off here.
See What I See is a gut-wrenching story of a broken family, forgiveness, and learning to follow your dreams. I’m not ashamed to say it had me in tears. 4/5.
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