The Watcher [Hardcover]

James Howe (Author), Betsy Imershien (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 1997

A mysterious girl sits on top of the steps overlooking the beach, occasionally recording her observations in a notebook, as she watches a boy and a lifeguard and makes up heroic stories about their lives."

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

What happens when one of the authors of the Bunnicula series (novels for young adolescents starring a vampire bunny) decides to write a book for older teens? The result is not what you'd expect. The Watcher is a serious story of a confused, broken, abused girl who observes the world instead of participating in it. By alternating four points of view, author James Howe explores the watcher and the watched--revealing how fantasy can drown us and how expressing our needs out loud can save us. This is a beautifully written meditation on how we perceive others and ourselves. Howe abandons vampires, yet still leaves us with a haunted feeling.

From Publishers Weekly

The lives of three troubled teens converge at a seaside resort; PW called the work "a blend of allegory and stark realism [that] offers a host of ironies for readers to explore." Ages 12-up. (June.
- offers a host of ironies for readers to explore." Ages 12-up. (June)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers; 1st edition (May 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689801866
• ISBN-13: 978-0689801860
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (117 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,688,013 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Both Entertaining and Moving, July 12, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Watcher (Paperback)

The plot of this book is somewhat different from most novels,which gives it a tone of originality. The setting is a vacationbeach. The story is told from three pertinent viewpoints; three different characters, each with deep troubles. Evan, one of these characters, is a fourteen year old boy vacationing with his sister and parents. He privately names Margaret, another main character, "The Watcher," because she constantly, eerily observes his family. Margaret is a bony girl with loose, dirty brown hair; Evan's mother sees as her as a "Broken Seashell." Chris, a lifeguard on the beach, tells his own sardonic story. His is slightly adjacent to the main plot, yet Chris is clearly a significant character. The three different narratives give the reader contrasting angles of the events.

The characters have almost no connection to one another; they have nothing in common, they never converse. Yet, by the end of the book, the author, oddly enough, has drawn them together. Each character has a loss, a sadness; a deep link to one another. And finally, within the last memorable scene of the book, they are drawn together in a haunting attempt to heal their wounds.

I found this book to be poignant and moving. By each of the characters, the novel is told with a deep sense of pain. The description is stunning; the characters are developed and real to the reader. The author boldly explores genuine human emotions with a haunting sense of realism. The novel stayed with me long after the last page had been turned. The Watcher is an unforgettable novel that has a justified and deserved spot on every teen's bookshelf.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From a teacher's point of view..., August 30, 2004

By 

D. Huddleston (Columbus, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Watcher (Paperback)

James Howe's novel, The Watcher, was nothing less than fascinating. It is a serious story about a broken, abused girl who finds comfort in watching the world rather than participating in it. As she sits on the beach scribbling in her notebook, she watches two young men and fabricates stories of their `perfect' lives, which are both far from perfect. Evan, a young teenage boy, fights to unlock the mystery of why his parents are getting divorced. Chris, the lifeguard, is just looking for his place in life.

Both boys notice "the watcher," Margaret, and make up their own stories about what's wrong with her. At the climax, their lives become intertwined and their troubles and struggles are revealed.

The book is beautifully written. It is extremely intense and emotional. It is the essence of the theme of `living in fear.' I recommend it for adolescent reading, grades 8-12. I further recommend it to middle and high school teachers. Heartbreaking as it is, these are the kids we teach on a daily basis....

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You should read "The Watcher!", December 9, 2001

By 

Jessica Lynn Allen (Anderson,IN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Watcher (Paperback)

A tear-jerking novel by James Howe is "The Watcher." Evan is a yong teen-aged boy who fears his parents are going to get a divorce. Chris is a life guard who is desperately struggling to find his place in his family, what he should do with his life, and is still grieving his brothers death. Margaret is an abused, lonely girl, and who tries to be invisible while observing the life around her instead on participating in it.
Margaret sits on the beach everyday and just watches all the people. While she watches these people she writes in her little book about what she thinks of them and what she thinks their lives are like. Of course, she always assumes their lives are much better than hers.
The two boys both notice her sitting at the beach alone, watching, and writing. What they don't know is, is that she is very abused by her father and needs to be rescued. They can't understand why she just watches and never plays herself. All three of them eventually come together in a horrific and saddening climax in the story.
This is a wonderfully written book with an acception of some foul language. I recommend this book to anyone from about 8-12 grade who thinks their life is bad or just needs a good cry.