The Mark Volk Gazette Life just seems to feel like a crumbling foundation for the ‘not-so-average’ 18 year old, Karen Connors, in the book The Third Eye, by Lois Duncan. She’s the average girl next door, with blonde hair, brown eyes, and a slim figure...with some exceptions. Karen had never been very popular until she started dating the excessively popular athlete at her high school, Tim, and at a time when things should be going better than ever, with Karen meeting new friends and dating Tim, Karen still tosses and turns every night while trying to fall asleep. She has psychic visions where she sees the locations of children that have been kidnapped. In a sense, her ability is similar to that of a police dog’s; she usually needs to examine an item that belonged to a particular person, and will then have absolutely no difficulty finding them. Now, although this may seem like an amazing ability for someone to have, there are always two sides to every story. Fri Sat Sun 21 c/9 c 17 c/6 c 12 c/4 c Onlookers in Karen’s community seem as if they could care less about any so-called ‘psychic freak’ like Karen, and they don’t see her for who she really is. When Karen forgets about using her visions, everything changes. Through her boyfriend, Tim,

Karen is actually starting to become socially accepted and starts going to parties and hangs out with popular people that she originally never thought she would have. But still, the haunting visions of various kidnapped victims are what she can’t escape. These visions are not going to go away, and Karen has difficulty coping with the stress of having the so frequently. She is like anyone else, just wanting to be accepted, and in return, feeling misunderstood. Even her own Mother has attempted to be her social coach when she feels Karen’s psychic premonitions are too evident. Karen finds herself conflicted, as she either helps find children in need and openly admits to having these visions and risks losing her boyfriend and social grouping, or stays in her
Volume 1, Issue 1
Friday, May 8th, 2009

social loop and lets the doomed children somehow fend for themselves without her help. Teenagers should read this book because the situations that Karen is in for the better part of the 220 pages that make up this action packed mystery novel are so easy to relate to in many lives of the everyday teen in society these days. The same issues of fitting-in and dating are so evident in Karen’s life throughout the novel that there are many able situations where any high school student can find themselves relating to. Even the anxiety of homework completion and the upcoming prom are found in each and every chapter of the book, and are done so in a way that although they are entirely fictitious, the reader can easily find common ground with Karen in The Third Eye. This book makes us realize that diversity and differences amongst our student body and each other are important, and should certainly not be ignored or frowned upon, as everyone is unique and different in their own special way. It teaches you the true importance of doing what is best for yourself, regardless of whether it is the popular choice or not.