The Art of Seeing

The Art of Seeing
By: Cammie McGovern

The Art of Seeing is a classic story of sisters. Cammie McGovern not only tells the tale of one time period, she carefully molds the story around them in the present, as well as the past – told from both Rozzie (the older sister) and Jemma (the younger sister).

Rozzie is the one Jemma looks up to, who she has idolized her entire life. It only becomes too real for her when she gets discovered at an early age and becomes a successful movie star before she is even out of high school.

Jemma takes up photography and uses this as a way to secretly watch her, as she has always done. She uses this as a gateway to stay close to her sister and take photographs of the people around her (other celebrities, even though Jemma herself is not one). She feels unseen and unimportant to her sister, but is that how Rozzie really sees her? Jemma gets some recognition from her photography and goes to art school to pursue her dream of being a photographer.

The big dilemma in the book is when Rozzie’s eyesight begins to fade. She notices it happening before it is that big of a deal, something she learns to live with – but then it gets too bad for her to function as an actress and goes to get an operation. Jemma is there for her, even though Rozzie betrayed her in the past (male issues). Do these sisters learn to forget or does their betrayals haunt them even as the book ends? This is something too good to give away so I can’t. You’ll have to read it on your own to figure that one out.

Having a sister is always a hard thing, either if you are the younger or the older one. There is an awkward moment when you realize they are always going to be there for you, but you can’t be close enough to actually be real friends. This novel portrays this (and much more) in such excellent ways you should definitely pick this one up and read it this summer. It is a very easy read (I finished the 283 pages in only two days), but it actually does make you think so if you don’t like those kind of books, then this one isn’t for you.


*Originally published in Foxy Girl Magazine