Category: Young Adult/Teen Publisher: Dog Ear
ISBN-10: 1598589725
Type: Fiction
Pages: 228
Copyright: May 1, 2009
ISBN-13: 9781598589726
One second in time binds four high school seniors and a guidance counselor. Locked doors to the past are opened and reveal that yesterday's decisions always effect tomorrow's outcome.
A stoner, alcoholic, loser, social butterfly, and a bitch are forever linked by one moment in time. What the Mirror Sees explores the delicacy of human relationships, and how we are all connected by the dynamics of cause/effect affiliation. Perception battles reality as five people search for truth. This search starts in a stairwell in middle school and ends with a handgun being brought to the prom six years later.
The story starts out with Joshua Evans's confession. It seems as if he has nothing to hide and has resigned himself to his fate, but a shrewd state police investigator picks up on some discrepensies in Joshua's statement that leave doubt as to what really happened. One by one we hear from each character and the truth begins to unravel. Teenage perception, stereotypes, incompetent parents, and a handgun bring a dramatic conclusion to this one moment in time.
What the Mirror Sees is a reflection of the society our young adults live in. Like any society, the demons of our past are never quite as far behind us as we like to think, and the truth always tries to find a way out.
Excerpt
Investigator Giles left the room and closed the door behind him. Joshua took this
opportunity to examine his surroundings. To his right was a large mirror, which Joshua
knew was undoubtedly one of those that you can see through into the room from the
other side. He wondered if he was on camera right now and had the sudden urge to fix
himself up so he was presentable for his confession. The urge passed as quickly as it
came and he slouched back down in his chair. He continued to look at the mirror wishing
life were that simple. Wouldn’t it be great to look at everyone around you and have
no one be able to look back? No judgmental looks or condescending eyes, just someone
staring right back at themselves.
Other then the mirror the walls were bare. No clocks and no windows. All sense
of time stopped in this room. Joshua figured this is just how they wanted an interrogation
room to be. He looked back at the mirror and knew the sense of isolation that
oozed from this room probably overwhelmed quite a few people. He could imagine
that after a few hours in here a person would be willing to confess to killing his own
grandmother. He almost felt the opposite. He welcomed the isolation from the outside
world and in an odd way felt less isolated in here. The only thing that could make the
room better would be to get rid of the mirror, or, even better, reverse it. Wouldn’t that
be nice?
The room was the color of Bermuda sand, reminding him of a beach he walked
on eight years ago. It was a better time when life seemed so simple. That was the last
vacation of any kind that he had been on. It made him think of his father, who was, by
now, probably sitting in the lobby of the police station. Joshua hoped there was a back
door they would take him out of when they brought him to whatever jail they brought
murderers to. He had no desire to see his father, not tonight.
It's 1969 and some high school students in a small town decide to oppose a war that makes no sense and promises to set their lives on a different path against their wishes.
Jennifer finally ends up in Apalachia after barely escaping an attack. She soon learns about her destiny and how her actions will 'put a friend in grave danger'. With everyone refusing to tell her more Jennifer must find answers for herself.
