The Freak Observer

The Freak Observer, by Blythe Woolston. Carolrhonda Books, 2010.

Loa is falling apart. After her sister Asta’s death the orderly life that revolved around the severely handicapped child was left without a center, as is the rest of her family. Though we never meet Asta in the novel, (her death occurs prior to the start of the book), her missing presence becomes a presence itself in Loa’s life. She finds herself tormented by nightmares, and escapes her fear by attempting to keep herself busy at all times. These difficulties are compounded by Loa’s family’s poverty and her parent’s own difficulties dealing with the death of their daughter. Every time Loa seems to be making progress she is once again knocked down by circumstances beyond her control, including witnessing the death of a school friend.

One of the most intriguing parts of this novel was the use of physics problems at the preface of each chapter. The content of the questions gives the reader a clue as to the emotional conflict in the upcoming chapter and ties into the secondary topic of the novel, Loa’s research about the freak observer, an extra credit project for her physics class. Though this novel leaves the reader with many questions, the lack of closure leaves the reader able to imagine Loa’s future as she continues to emerge from the desperate situation in which she finds herself.