The Freak Observer [Hardcover]

Blythe Woolston (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2010

The Freak Observer is rich in family drama, theoretical physics, and an unusual, tough young woman--Loa Lindgren.

For eight years, Loa Sollilja's world ran like one of those mechanical models of the solar system, with her baby sister, Asta, as the sun. Asta suffered from a genetic disorder that left her a permanent infant, and caring for her was Loa's life. Everything spun neatly and regularly as the whole family orbited around Asta.

But now Asta's dead, and 16-year-old Loa's clockwork galaxy has collapsed. As Loa spins off on her own, her mind ambushes her with vivid nightmares and sadistic flashbacks¯a textbook case of PTSD. But there are no textbook fixes for Loa's short-circuiting brain. She must find her own way to pry her world from the clutches of death.

The Freak Observer is a startling debut about death, life, astrophysics, and finding beauty in chaos.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up–Sixteen-year-old Loa Lindgren's family is emotionally splintered and drifting following the death of her younger sister Asta, whose Rett syndrome necessitated constant care and kept the family on a rigid schedule. Plagued by PTSD and nightmares about death, Loa clings to household chores, watching over her younger brother, and her beloved physics to rebuild a sense of normalcy. With no real plot, the novel feels fragmentary, mirroring the protagonist's feelings of disconnection. Incidents such as the death of her classmate in the opening pages, Loa's extra-credit physics project on the phenomenon of the freak observer (Boltzmann brain paradox), and her failed relationship with her debate partner are explained in chunks of narrative scattered throughout the text, which may confuse some readers. However, the author has created a likable narrator in Loa. Readers will root for a happy ending, though probably not be surprised by the deliberately ambiguous one that nonetheless hints at a hopeful future. Teens will either love or loathe the book with no middle ground likely for such a unique, disturbing, creative story.–Leah J. Sparks, formerly at Bowie Public Library, MD. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

From Booklist

Sixteen-year-old Loa's story begins in a tangle of turmoil. She witnesses a truck strike and kill her friend Esther, an event that too vividly brings back memories of the death of Loa's sister, who suffered complications from Rett syndrome. Loa's parents are angered and haunted by the cruel turns of their lives, so Loa focuses upon her desultory job and her way-out-there astrophysics homework. Woolston's talent for dialogue and her unique approach to scenes make what sounds standard about this story feel fresh and vital. What is most surprising and rewarding, though, is how the novel deprioritizes these dramatic elements to follow the flow of Loa's life—it's difficult to move on from trauma, but sometimes you just can't help it. A nebulous sexual relationship with a boy who posts pictures of himself and Loa on the Internet provides much of the push-and-pull, but it's a new friendship with an odd boy at her new school that offers the best chance of relief. A strong debut about learning to see yourself apart from the reflection you cast off others. Grades 8-11. --Daniel Kraus

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 14 and up
  
• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Carolrhoda Books (August 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0761362126
• ISBN-13: 978-0761362128
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #357,251 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Blythe Woolston is the author of The Freak Observer, a story of theoretical physics and real grief set in rural Montana. She only started writing books because she was desperate for something to read. That desperation and the magic formula for YA--"It's not bestiality"--set the Rube Goldberg literary machine in motion. She is gainfully employed as an indexer of academic nonfiction; it is a vocation which both pays for socks and keeps a steady stream of pages moving through her hands.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A clever, funny and emotionally charged read., August 22, 2010

By 

M. Moon - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Freak Observer (Hardcover)

Blythe Woolston's first novel is cleverly written and captivating. The narrative character of Loa, is a complex, candid and often humorous one. Although Loa is a strong and extraordinary young woman with troubling nightmares, uncommon responsibilities and a shocking childhood past, she is still a girl easy to relate to and easy to love. Poignant and touching, this story has a natural and easy flow that sucks in the reader, making them desperate to know how it all turns out for poor Loa Lindrgren.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Read, August 4, 2010

By 

M. Hinds - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Freak Observer (Hardcover)

Brilliantly written, THE FREAK OBSERVER takes the reader on a journey through Loa's intriguing mind as she tries to deal with the events taking place in the present while making sense of her past. Told in the first person, the character's unique voice draws the reader in as Loa discloses challenging situations in her life and family. The full story gradually unfolds, building toward a satisfying resolution as Loa seeks to make sense of her life through a keen sense of observation, analysis, and emotion.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ., January 13, 2011

By 

Christy Leigh Stewart "Good Mourning Sunshine" (California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Freak Observer (Hardcover)

I was drawn to this book like the TV tells me girls my age are drawn to shoes; it's shiny, beautiful and overpriced.

The book itself really is beautiful. The art on the jacket and on the cover, the style; it's just really cool looking. Not a book that you buy to look good on your shelf, but to look good in your hand.

If someone had given me a synopsis of the book I wouldn't have read it. It is just about a short period of time in the lead's life beginning the day after she sees her friend being hit by a car. She is at the same time dealing with abuse and abandonment and social angst and school...this sounds horrible to me, but somehow I loved the book.

It was engaging and interactive. Woolston is clever and smart and pulls it all off natrually, this is very rare for mainstream fiction. Your comprehension of each page depends on your having read the next one. Really good.