Vivian Vande Velde Reviews

Added December 9, 2007

Now You See It...

Author: Vivian Vande Velde
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc
Available At: Bookstores everywhere
Publishing Date: June 2006
Genre: Young Adult: Contemporary/Fantasy
Format: Trade Paper
Price: $6.95
ISBN-10: 0-15-205461-8
ISBN-13: 9780152054618
Author Email/Website: www.vivianvandevelde.com/
Reviewer: Joyce Handzo
Rating: 7 Gargoyles

Now You See It...takes this imaginative story to a new dimension. When Wendy's glasses broke, and the world around her turned into a blur, she was only too happy to pop on a pair of shades that mysteriously turned up in her yard. She soon discovered that these sunglasses did more than filter the light; they actually gave her visions.

Written with a fun dose of humor and a fantastic amount of fantasy, readers will be so caught up in the story they may forget to blink! Wendy is a thoroughly endearing character, as her poor eyesight and lack of confidence brings her within hugging distance. Her honesty and innocence is captured with the first-person narrative, and her relationships with family and friends have a genuine feel.

Yet, it's the fantasy aspect of the novel that's riveting. When Wendy places those sunglasses on her face, she sees another side of the people around her. The gorgeous girl in the cheerleading squad becomes an old crone, while that cute boy in the back row suddenly has pointy elf ears. Are the glasses showing her what's really there, or are the lenses distorting the truth?

Wendy's tumble into a fantasy world is both dangerous and daring, as she has to take on qualities she thought she didn't possess. The magical properties of the glasses give her visions that not only increase her perception of herself, but also provide extraordinary insights about the special people in her life.

Now You See It... is a fun story that cleverly brings a young girl's life into focus.

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