Review of When You See Her

[Erin Dydek]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "When You See Her" by Barbara Boehm Miller.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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One fateful night, after making an incriminating mistake, 500-pound Sarah changes her life forever by joining the traveling carnival circuit. The isolated girl who spent most of her life hiding from the wide-eyed stares and taunts of everyone around her must suddenly face her fears and take the stage as the new “fat lady” in the sideshow. Under the name Lola Rolls, Sarah hopes to learn how to go with the flow of life, roll with the punches, and accept herself for who she is. As she transforms into a confident new woman, will she be able to hide from the parts of her past that wish to come back and haunt her? Or will the past she hoped to leave behind destroy her hope for a future?

Discover Sarah’s transformation journey in When You See Her by Barbara Boehm Miller. While Sarah’s story is not for the faint of heart, there’s an enormous amount of heart and soul in this behind-the-scenes tale of life on the road in the late 1970s. Initially, I was disturbed that the opening chapter involved an intimate scene between 17-year-old Sarah and a much older 40-something-year-old Jim. However, this loss of innocence ignites a path to independence that eventually sets Sarah free. This author did a fantastic job of revealing Sarah’s transformation throughout the story, and her growth in confidence was indeed inspiring. Despite all of the harsh surroundings and disappointments of carnival life, Lola genuinely finds a rhythm that works for her, and I loved watching this young woman overcome impossible odds.

I also enjoyed the real struggles the characters faced in their less-than-ideal lives. Miller highlights the critical ways people judge others because of their appearance and lifestyle and brings healing through genuine relationships that develop among the cast of characters. Each character shone with unexpected resilience despite how the world viewed them, and I appreciated that each character won a hard-fought satisfying end. Further, the author builds excellent suspense as the reader learns about what Sarah did before she left home. I loved how that suspense built to an exciting finish before the author tied up loose ends to conclude the book.

As I mentioned earlier, I was not initially too fond of the age gap between Sarah and Jim because I felt he took advantage of her innocence. But I appreciated what the author achieved through their relationship in the end. In addition to the underage intimacy, there are mature topics and language throughout the book, which make the book better for an adult audience. The sexual content was moderate, with a mix of characters’ emotional reactions and descriptions of their actions. Non-borderline swearing existed pretty frequently throughout the book.

I noticed a few typos, but the book appeared professionally edited. One error I found was using the word “in” instead of “it,” which barely disrupted my reading experience. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and found the story well-written and satisfying despite the darker content. Therefore, I give When You See Her five out of five stars.

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When You See Her
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[Grace Elkana]

Nothing makes a novel exciting as seeing fictional characters go through realistic experiences. I'd love to read this one.

[Annas Felix]

Age isn't supposed to be a factor in relationships. The fact that the author took this into consideration makes the book intriguing.

[Kemzy5]

Having the courage to face your fears is a tough move. I will love to find out more about Miller and her experiences. Nice review.