The book, The Window by Jeanette Ingold, was published in 1996. It was published in New York City, New York by Harcourt Inc.. This Book keeps you interested by diversifying the plot and characters, making you want to read more. Mandy is a teenage girl who is faced with the struggle of being blind. She moves to Texas and starts a new school there while living with her great aunt and uncle. She comes across a weird gift that allows her to “see” into the past out of her bedroom window. The people she is seeing are her family that she doesn’t know very well. Over time at her new school, Mandy made a best friend, Hannah, and a boyfriend, Ted. They both play a big role in Mandy’s new life especially Hannah. She is friends with her not because she feels bad that she is blind but because she can see who Mandy really is. Mandy wasn't always happy with her situation but learned to live with it and learned to love the people who helped her through the struggles in life. Mandy is moved to live with their extended family after crash killing her mom and making her blind. She is not happy to move because she has never met this part of her family and worry she will be a burden. Her family is very accepting and helps Mandy get ready to start at a new school. She is still learning to live while being blind and this makes school extra hard. She meets a girl named Hannah, who becomes her best friend. Hannah changes many things for Mandy. She teaches her that she can't always be grumpy just because she is blind. This makes Mandy a better person. Mandy would always get frustrated or angry when something where at work but has learned to appreciate the people in her life and adjusted to being blind very well."You didn't like me talking about Gwen, did you?" (p.143). This displays Jeanette Ingold creative writing style because of the placement of it. At this time Mandys seeing Gwen crying and Mandy starts to scream so aunt Emma then comes into Mandy’s room to calm her. Abe, who grew up with Gwen until she ran away is really affected by this. When this happened it hit him hard so when Mandy brought it up, he didn't react well. The author placed this towards the end of the book so it creates an interesting topic, making the reader more interested. The way she wrote it was to make Mandy seem hesitant about asking the question. This quote and event happened at a perfect time in the book and Jeanette Ingold shows how well she can write in place events. This book, although a little older, is able to let the people who read it, connect in many ways such as characters or events. It gives a unique plot and tells about what Mandy is experiencing throughout her new journey and how she overcomes many things. Overall, this book was able to keep you interested and also diversified the plot and characters, making you want to read more.
Spoiler Alert!!!!The Window is a great book that I picked up at The Public Library. When I began reading it I was very impressed at the choice of vocabulary. I actually had to look up some of the words! The story started with a girl named Mandy who survived a horrible crash, but unfortunately her mother died when taken to the hospital and she was blind and lonely. She was taken by her Aunt Emma, Uncle Gabriel, and Uncle Abe. At first she was ungrateful and upset, but I mean who wouldn't be right? Then she started high school. She met in a special needs class a guy named Ted and quickly became friends with him. She also developed a strong relationship with her guide named Hannah. Quickly, when the school dance comes up and classes are getting harder, she asks Ted to the dance and while there he revealed that he was partially deaf. They soon became more than friends with each other and would double date with Hanna and her boyfriend and became the 4 musketeers. But in the mean while Mandy starts to hear voices and begins learning the truth in the household and secrets behind it. But problems arise as her best friend Hannah has parental problems and her mom leaves her house for good. Then Hannah comes over and starts talking about how she is going to run away. But being a good friend, and learning some truth of the voices she learns its not a good idea. And when she goes to school on Monday, Hannah isn't there. So she gets called to the principals office and told that Hannah wasn't in her bed this morning. So Mandy and Ted go on the journey and find her at the bus station leaving just in time. Mandy finds out that Hannah missed the bus and they start screaming at each other and look a how they are being really ridiculous. They apologize to each other and go home. While Mandy is at her house she learns the whole truth, it's that a 15 year old girl named Gwen, who is her grandmother, married a salesman and quickly became a widow at a young age. Before Mandy's mom died an hour before she found out that her moms name is Margaret Gwen McKenny. Her mom got the home address to Gwen's home and was on her way to the post office to deliver a letter when a huge delivery truck turned the corner to fast and went flying to their car. At that moment, while Mandy did have her seat belt on, her mom was just about to buckle when she went flying through the windshield and into a utility pole. But Mandy even with her seatbelt on managed to hit her head in the dashboard really badly. After this truth she learned something really important, she can't keep pretending everything was ok. Because it wasn't. But she had a loving family that cared for her and loved her like their own child. And at that second she was very grateful.
What do You think about The Window (2003)?
True rating: 4.5To be honest, I almost gave away this book but something made me read the synopsis and I was like "okay, maybe I'll keep it for a while". And then I read it and read it. I got through, like, three quarters of the book before I took a break. This book stayed on one or two main topics for the duration of the story, but it was done so well. It's been a long time since I wanted to read a book to the end like that and I can't help but think that I almost gave it away. Smh. Anyway, the rating is 4.5 instead 5 because I'm not sure I can call it a favorite... But it was good, guys... And just what I needed.
—Lisa Collins (Lisa Likes Books)
