What We Saw | Aaron Hartzler

Review:

Title: What We Saw

Author: Aaron Hartzler

Publication: September 22nd 2015 by Harper Teen

Format: ARC

Source: BEA (gifted from a friend)

Genre: YA; Contemporary; Mystery

Kate Weston can piece together most of the bash at John Doone’s house: shots with Stacey Stallard, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home early—the feeling that maybe he’s becoming more than just the guy she’s known since they were kids.

But when a picture of Stacey passed out over Deacon Mills’s shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she doesn’t have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate’s classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can’t be ignored begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same question: Where was Ben when a terrible crime was committed?

Thoughts:

I can remember vividly the moment that I put this book on my Goodreads TBR.  After reading the blurb, I knew exactly which true story this book is roughly based on.  As per usual, I went on with my life, waiting for the book to come out.  However, a friend brought back an ARC from BEA and loaned it to me.  Since I knew it was a mystery I brought it with me on vacation to vary my genres.  I ended up reading it in one sitting during a layover!

Hartzler begins What We Saw by sending time establishing the small town communities and the relationships between the protagonist, Kate, and her friends.  Every relationship and scenario that is established in the beginning sets the scene for the book with a cool edge.  All of the goodness and ease that the characters felt came across as a facade; think Wizard of Oz not-everything-is-as-it-seems.  This was the beginning of the spooky part, because Kate and her entire life is so relatable.  I can see the Varsity boys walking down the hallways of my own high school as if they own the place.

And then Hartzler introduces the video.  The video from the party.  And the video where a classmate of Kate is visibly raped.  Kate’s world is up in flames.  Suddenly people that she considered good-hearted are slut shaming and the entire community is taking the side of the ‘wrongfully’ accused high school boys.  This is a scenario that actually happened in real life.  Even reading it fictitiously makes your blood run cold.

Kate struggles to voice her opinion, to fight for justice, and to acknowledge the ugly sides of people that she now able to see.  Your heart is with Kate as she grapples with these difficult situations, but she remains true to her morals and to herself.

There is a romance, yes, but I will defend this romance thoroughly.  Not only can romance come up admits tragedy, but in this situation the entire town tries to go about its business as normally as possible.  I didn’t always agree with Kate’s decisions regarding this relationship, but I think that it was placed well for plot within this book.

Social media plays a major role , which just highlights another terrifying part of reality.  The use of a nasty hashtag is widespread but not fully understood even by characters who are using it.  When the true meaning is revealed to Kate not only is she of course traumatized, but shown the effects of blindly following people that are seen to be in power.

Kate’s story doesn’t end in her favor, but I was so satisfied by the effort Hartzler took to make Kate stay true to herself.

Final Thoughts:

Immediately after finishing What We Saw I told my mom that every high schooler should have to read this book.  Hartzler took a real life story, relatable situations, accurately used social media, a boggling mystery and spun a story that has stuck with me.  I remain haunted by the actions of not only the teenagers but the adults in this story, and that’s why I think that this is so important.  You will rush through this book, not only determined to read the conclusion but so that you can pass your copy onto someone else.  The messages about rape culture in What We Saw NEED to be read, and need to be addressed.  Everyone should read this.  Writing style wise, fans of The Perks of Being a Wallflower and Speak will connect with Hartzler’s novel.