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Freaky Green Eyes
"Later, I would think of it as crossing over. From a known territory into an unknown. From a place where people know you to a place where people only think they know you."Sometimes Franky Pierson has a hard time dealing with life. Like when her parents separate and her mother vanishes, Franky wants to believe that her mom has simply pulled a disappearing act. Yet deep within herself, a secret part of her she calls Freaky Green Eyes knows that something is terribly wrong. And only Freaky can open Franky's eyes to the truth.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
78 people are currently reading
2421 people want to read
About the author
Joyce Carol Oates
854 books9,637 followersJoyce Carol Oates is an American writer. Oates published her first book in 1963, and has since published 58 novels, a number of plays and novellas, and many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction. Her novels Black Water (1992), What I Lived For (1994), and Blonde (2000), and her short story collections The Wheel of Love (1970) and Lovely, Dark, Deep: Stories (2014) were each finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. She has won many awards for her writing, including the National Book Award, for her novel Them (1969), two O. Henry Awards, the National Humanities Medal, and the Jerusalem Prize (2019).
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
Oates taught at Princeton University from 1978 to 2014, and is the Roger S. Berlind '52 Professor Emerita in the Humanities with the Program in Creative Writing. From 2016 to 2020, she was a visiting professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where she taught short fiction in the spring semesters. She now teaches at Rutgers University, New Brunswick.
Oates was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2016.
Pseudonyms: Rosamond Smith and Lauren Kelly.
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June 24, 2022
دوستانِ گرانقدر، داستان از زبانِ دختری ۱۵ ساله به نام «فرانسسکا» روایت میشود... دختری که رفتارش پسرانه است.. موهایِ قرمز و صورتی کک مکی دارد و در خانه با نامِ فرانکی او را صدا میزنند
پدرِ فرانکی، «رید پیرسون» فوتبالیستی مشهور بوده و بعد از بازنشستگی به یک کارشناسِ تلویزیونی تبدیل شده است ... فرانکی، یک برادرِ بزرگتر به نام «تاد» و خواهری کوچتر به نام «سامانتا» دارد.. البته تاد که بیست سال دارد، برادرِ ناتانی فرانکی و سامانتا به شمار میاد
همسرِ اولِ رید پیرسون، سالها قبل، در یک حادثۀ دریایی غرق شده و تنها شاهدِ مرگ او، خودِ رید پیرسون بوده ...... همه چیز در داستان عادی سپری میشود تا آنکه مادرِ خانواده، «کریستا کانُر» که نقاشی بی نام و نشان است، از آنها جدا شده و به کلبه ای در بندری دور از شهر سفر میکند و از آن به بعد زندگیِ این خانواده دستخوشِ تغییر شده و پدرِ بچه ها سرانجام پرده از خیانتِ همسرش برداشته و اجازۀ برخوردِ بچه ها را با همسرش نمیدهد.. گویا رید شک کرده بود که کریستا با شخصی به نامِ «مرو اکاوا» که مالکِ گالری محلی بود واردِ رابطۀ مخفیانه شده است
داستان تا جایی پیش میرود که کریستا به همراهِ مرو اکاوا که از دوستانِ صمیمیش بود ناپدید شده و همۀ شک ها به سمتِ پدر خانواده یعنی رید، کشیده میشود... اما با بازجویی و شهادتِ بچه ها، اتهامات از وی برداشته میشود
چند وقتی از ناپدید شدنِ کریستا و اکاوا میگذرد.. تا آنکه فرانکی، پس از رویایی که در خواب میبیند، به یکباره به بندر برگشته و در زیرِ اتاقِ مخفی آنجا، دفترچۀ خاطراتِ روزانۀ مادرش را پیدا میکند
نوشته های این دفترچه، پرده از راز و حقیقتِ پنهان شده در موردِ ناپدید شدن کریستا و اکاوا برداشته و فرانکی به سرعت به محلِ سکونتِ خالۀ خود رفته تا جریان را برای او بگوید.... عزیزانم، بهتر است خودتان این داستان را خوانده و از سرانجامِ آن آگاه شوید
--------------------------------------------
امیدوارم این ریویو در جهتِ آشنایی با این کتاب مفید بوده باشه
«پیروز باشید و ایرانی»
پدرِ فرانکی، «رید پیرسون» فوتبالیستی مشهور بوده و بعد از بازنشستگی به یک کارشناسِ تلویزیونی تبدیل شده است ... فرانکی، یک برادرِ بزرگتر به نام «تاد» و خواهری کوچتر به نام «سامانتا» دارد.. البته تاد که بیست سال دارد، برادرِ ناتانی فرانکی و سامانتا به شمار میاد
همسرِ اولِ رید پیرسون، سالها قبل، در یک حادثۀ دریایی غرق شده و تنها شاهدِ مرگ او، خودِ رید پیرسون بوده ...... همه چیز در داستان عادی سپری میشود تا آنکه مادرِ خانواده، «کریستا کانُر» که نقاشی بی نام و نشان است، از آنها جدا شده و به کلبه ای در بندری دور از شهر سفر میکند و از آن به بعد زندگیِ این خانواده دستخوشِ تغییر شده و پدرِ بچه ها سرانجام پرده از خیانتِ همسرش برداشته و اجازۀ برخوردِ بچه ها را با همسرش نمیدهد.. گویا رید شک کرده بود که کریستا با شخصی به نامِ «مرو اکاوا» که مالکِ گالری محلی بود واردِ رابطۀ مخفیانه شده است
داستان تا جایی پیش میرود که کریستا به همراهِ مرو اکاوا که از دوستانِ صمیمیش بود ناپدید شده و همۀ شک ها به سمتِ پدر خانواده یعنی رید، کشیده میشود... اما با بازجویی و شهادتِ بچه ها، اتهامات از وی برداشته میشود
چند وقتی از ناپدید شدنِ کریستا و اکاوا میگذرد.. تا آنکه فرانکی، پس از رویایی که در خواب میبیند، به یکباره به بندر برگشته و در زیرِ اتاقِ مخفی آنجا، دفترچۀ خاطراتِ روزانۀ مادرش را پیدا میکند
نوشته های این دفترچه، پرده از راز و حقیقتِ پنهان شده در موردِ ناپدید شدن کریستا و اکاوا برداشته و فرانکی به سرعت به محلِ سکونتِ خالۀ خود رفته تا جریان را برای او بگوید.... عزیزانم، بهتر است خودتان این داستان را خوانده و از سرانجامِ آن آگاه شوید
--------------------------------------------
امیدوارم این ریویو در جهتِ آشنایی با این کتاب مفید بوده باشه
«پیروز باشید و ایرانی»
November 8, 2023
” Era Occhi di Tempesta in azione,
maligna e vendicativa.”
Mi sta succedendo quello che attorno ai vent’anni mi accadeva spesso, ossia innamorami perdutamente di un’autrice/autore e voler leggere tutto ciò che ha scritto.
A dire il vero, però, la signora Oates non è una nuova conoscenza: questo è esattamente il suo quindicesimo libro che leggo!
La sua produzione è comunque sterminata ed anche con delle eccezioni la sua cifra rimane ancorata al male, al lato oscuro umano.
«Occhi di tempesta» è un epiteto che Francesca Pierson si sente urlare da un ragazzo “ferito” dalla sua reazione ad un probabile stupro durante una festa.
Lei ha quattordici anni e questo episodio le fa scoprire una forza interiore che non pensava davvero di avere.
Ricca ed ammirata per essere la figlia di un famoso anchorman sportivo ed ex campione di football vive con angoscia la crisi coniugale dei suoi genitori...
Ecco cosa accade quando apri un libro di Joyce Carol Oates entri nella mente di chi ti parla, vedi con i suoi occhi le scene che ti sono descritte e senti le sue lacrime bagnarti il viso…
” Quando una cosa è l’ultima, non sempre te ne rendi conto.
Come quando attraversi un guado, può succedere senza che te ne accorgi.”
maligna e vendicativa.”
Mi sta succedendo quello che attorno ai vent’anni mi accadeva spesso, ossia innamorami perdutamente di un’autrice/autore e voler leggere tutto ciò che ha scritto.
A dire il vero, però, la signora Oates non è una nuova conoscenza: questo è esattamente il suo quindicesimo libro che leggo!
La sua produzione è comunque sterminata ed anche con delle eccezioni la sua cifra rimane ancorata al male, al lato oscuro umano.
«Occhi di tempesta» è un epiteto che Francesca Pierson si sente urlare da un ragazzo “ferito” dalla sua reazione ad un probabile stupro durante una festa.
Lei ha quattordici anni e questo episodio le fa scoprire una forza interiore che non pensava davvero di avere.
Ricca ed ammirata per essere la figlia di un famoso anchorman sportivo ed ex campione di football vive con angoscia la crisi coniugale dei suoi genitori...
Ecco cosa accade quando apri un libro di Joyce Carol Oates entri nella mente di chi ti parla, vedi con i suoi occhi le scene che ti sono descritte e senti le sue lacrime bagnarti il viso…
” Quando una cosa è l’ultima, non sempre te ne rendi conto.
Come quando attraversi un guado, può succedere senza che te ne accorgi.”
April 4, 2023
Honestamente una lectura a ciegas y sobre la cual confieso pensé en abandonar cuando al iniciar me encontré un monólogo adolescente en primera persona y debido a que un poco más de la primera mitad me pareció repetitivo, francamente me supo a cualquier novela juvenil, pero afortunadamente Joyce Carol Oates logra darle buena forma y terminas reconciliándote con la novela. Se encuentra vagamente basada en el infame caso de OJ Simpson y aborda temas propios de la adolescencia a través de varios males que hoy más que nunca nos aquejan, tales como la violencia de género, el feminicidio y la revictimización.
October 15, 2025
یک رمان جنایی قابل قبول با اندکی بار روانشناسی
نام اصلی کتاب « چشم های سبز عجیب غریب » است
نام اصلی کتاب « چشم های سبز عجیب غریب » است
June 26, 2024
Miss Able
Siccome JCO non è nuova a prendere fatti di cronaca e romanzarne le trame, ho creduto che anche “Freaky Green Eyes” fosse riconducibile a qualche fattaccio americano. Appena ho finito di leggere ho dato un’occhiata in rete ma non ho trovato conferme. Il protagonista è un ex giocatore di football diventato commentatore televisivo… in realtà la protagonista è sua figlia adolescente che si trova coinvolta nella crisi coniugale dei genitori. La sua posizione è particolarmente scomoda, ha una sorella più piccola e un fratellastro più grande. Il primo capitolo è da volta pagina, JCO ha un conto aperto con la violenza sessuale, ricorre nelle sue opere come l’autoritratto in quelle di Van Gogh. La descrizione della famiglia Pierson nei capitoli successivi è convincente, JCO non lo scopro io, è particolarmente abile.
Vuoi davvero conoscere che cosa è successo? (recita il contro titolo in copertina)
Se vuoi conoscerlo sei costretto ad andare avanti perché JCO nasconde la pallina ruotandoci attorno.. ma poi, proprio come a calcio balilla, arriva il momento in cui deve pur tirare e se il tuo piazzamento e corretto non ti sorprenderà. Devo dire che non mi ha sorpreso, che il romanzo è un po’ troppo IN AMERICA (*1) che per conoscere cosa è successo si deve passare da interrogatori, contro interrogatori e pagine di diario. Rimane il dramma dei figli quando i genitori sfasciano la famiglia accusandosi a vicenda (qui ha rilevanza la violenza di genere), quello non è propriamente americano, quello è lo stesso a tutte le latitudini. Il romanzo si legge velocemente, a JCO va il merito di avere interpretato una quindicenne nel 2003, cioè quando lei aveva ben sessantacinque anni. Ma questa scrittrice è abituata a stupire e scrive con una prolificità che Dumas raggiungeva solo facendo lavorare un intero staff.
Dei mie dodici OATES questo finisce nella colonna perdibili
(*1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5P-x...
Siccome JCO non è nuova a prendere fatti di cronaca e romanzarne le trame, ho creduto che anche “Freaky Green Eyes” fosse riconducibile a qualche fattaccio americano. Appena ho finito di leggere ho dato un’occhiata in rete ma non ho trovato conferme. Il protagonista è un ex giocatore di football diventato commentatore televisivo… in realtà la protagonista è sua figlia adolescente che si trova coinvolta nella crisi coniugale dei genitori. La sua posizione è particolarmente scomoda, ha una sorella più piccola e un fratellastro più grande. Il primo capitolo è da volta pagina, JCO ha un conto aperto con la violenza sessuale, ricorre nelle sue opere come l’autoritratto in quelle di Van Gogh. La descrizione della famiglia Pierson nei capitoli successivi è convincente, JCO non lo scopro io, è particolarmente abile.
Vuoi davvero conoscere che cosa è successo? (recita il contro titolo in copertina)
Se vuoi conoscerlo sei costretto ad andare avanti perché JCO nasconde la pallina ruotandoci attorno.. ma poi, proprio come a calcio balilla, arriva il momento in cui deve pur tirare e se il tuo piazzamento e corretto non ti sorprenderà. Devo dire che non mi ha sorpreso, che il romanzo è un po’ troppo IN AMERICA (*1) che per conoscere cosa è successo si deve passare da interrogatori, contro interrogatori e pagine di diario. Rimane il dramma dei figli quando i genitori sfasciano la famiglia accusandosi a vicenda (qui ha rilevanza la violenza di genere), quello non è propriamente americano, quello è lo stesso a tutte le latitudini. Il romanzo si legge velocemente, a JCO va il merito di avere interpretato una quindicenne nel 2003, cioè quando lei aveva ben sessantacinque anni. Ma questa scrittrice è abituata a stupire e scrive con una prolificità che Dumas raggiungeva solo facendo lavorare un intero staff.
Dei mie dodici OATES questo finisce nella colonna perdibili
(*1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5P-x...
January 8, 2015
Franky Pierson's dark side "Freaky Green Eyes" shows herself after a college boy tries to rape her at one of her dad's ritzy parties and she defends herself. Franky notices that her family is falling apart and that her mother is distancing herself from them after her father threatens her. It is up to her and "Freaky Green Eyes" to find out the truth about what happened to her mother before her family gets hurt. Want to read more? Check out this book for yourself and find out.
This is Joyce Carol Oates' first ever Young Adult book she has ever written and it was a pretty good read. I discovered it at a book sale at the Hastings book store. This was her first YA I had ever read too as a friend introduced me to this author a few years ago and told me that her book The Chalk Girl was worth reading. I checked it out with Winter House and agreed. If you enjoy mystery suspense thrillers, definitely check out this book.
This is Joyce Carol Oates' first ever Young Adult book she has ever written and it was a pretty good read. I discovered it at a book sale at the Hastings book store. This was her first YA I had ever read too as a friend introduced me to this author a few years ago and told me that her book The Chalk Girl was worth reading. I checked it out with Winter House and agreed. If you enjoy mystery suspense thrillers, definitely check out this book.
November 25, 2012
Reviewed by Mark Frye, author and reviewer for TeensReadToo.com
Prolific author Joyce Carol Oates delivers yet again with FREAKY GREEN EYES. With a plot that gradually unfolds to expose a family's destructive private life, this book covers a topic touched upon by many but seldom handled so artfully.
As in her previous novels, such as WE WERE THE MULVANEYS, Oates unveils a family that is picture-perfect to the world at large but dysfunctional and horrific behind closed doors.
The narrator -- Franky -- unveils the true nature of her father slowly, shocking the reader by the level of her own denial, but is blunt with her criticism towards her mother, whom she views as weak and unloving for moving away. The reader will want to love Reid, the broadcaster and former football star, as the world does, but something is not "right" about how ordered he keeps his family. When their mother leaves, Franky and her younger sister Samantha have no buffer in their lives and begin to see their dad's true nature.
The strength of FREAKY GREEN EYES is Oates' narrator and manner of narration. Descriptions are scant and to the point, dialogue is crisp and revealing, and her use of foreknowledge keeps the reader feeling "edgy" until the climax. The reader sees Franky's world through the flawed understanding of a co-dependent child in an abusive home. Children in this type of environment react to the truth as they see it, not as it necessarily really is, and often quite illogically. In this regard, Joyce's "voice" for Franky is quite realistic. A girl her age would not be able to handle things any better than she does in this novel.
But Franky's strengths are as realistic as her shortcomings. Her growth as a character begins in the first chapter and continues to the story's conclusion. "Freaky Green Eyes" is the willful, strong side of her personality, first unveiled while fending off a rapist, a side she relies heavily upon as she begins to doubt her father's version of events regarding her mother's eventual disappearance. The realism of Franky's flaws and strengths gives her story strong appeal.
This is a masterful young adult novel about the sensitive subject of domestic violence. Readers will empathize with children growing up in such an environment after reading it. Highly recommended.
Prolific author Joyce Carol Oates delivers yet again with FREAKY GREEN EYES. With a plot that gradually unfolds to expose a family's destructive private life, this book covers a topic touched upon by many but seldom handled so artfully.
As in her previous novels, such as WE WERE THE MULVANEYS, Oates unveils a family that is picture-perfect to the world at large but dysfunctional and horrific behind closed doors.
The narrator -- Franky -- unveils the true nature of her father slowly, shocking the reader by the level of her own denial, but is blunt with her criticism towards her mother, whom she views as weak and unloving for moving away. The reader will want to love Reid, the broadcaster and former football star, as the world does, but something is not "right" about how ordered he keeps his family. When their mother leaves, Franky and her younger sister Samantha have no buffer in their lives and begin to see their dad's true nature.
The strength of FREAKY GREEN EYES is Oates' narrator and manner of narration. Descriptions are scant and to the point, dialogue is crisp and revealing, and her use of foreknowledge keeps the reader feeling "edgy" until the climax. The reader sees Franky's world through the flawed understanding of a co-dependent child in an abusive home. Children in this type of environment react to the truth as they see it, not as it necessarily really is, and often quite illogically. In this regard, Joyce's "voice" for Franky is quite realistic. A girl her age would not be able to handle things any better than she does in this novel.
But Franky's strengths are as realistic as her shortcomings. Her growth as a character begins in the first chapter and continues to the story's conclusion. "Freaky Green Eyes" is the willful, strong side of her personality, first unveiled while fending off a rapist, a side she relies heavily upon as she begins to doubt her father's version of events regarding her mother's eventual disappearance. The realism of Franky's flaws and strengths gives her story strong appeal.
This is a masterful young adult novel about the sensitive subject of domestic violence. Readers will empathize with children growing up in such an environment after reading it. Highly recommended.
March 2, 2020
Acabo de terminar con este libro y MADRE MÍA.
Monstruo de ojos verdes está narrada por Franky, una chica de 14 años cuyo padre es Reid Pierson, un famoso (y adorado) comentarista deportivo en la televisión.
El Monstruo despierta cuando Franky está a punto de ser violada en una fiesta. Yo interpreto al Monstruo como la parte de Franky que le hace reaccionar y darse cuenta de lo que ocurre.
El problema es que, aunque el Monstruo la salvó en esa ocasión, ella no quiere saber nada más de él, porque le hace pensar y reflexionar: ¿por qué mi madre lleva pañuelos en el cuello y manga larga? ¿Por qué mis padres se encierran en su habitación a discutir?
Y esas son preguntas que Franky no quiere hacerse. Así que culpa a su madre. La culpa a ella porque es débil y hace enfadar a su padre y su padre es Reid Pierson y él la quiere.
Quería leer este libro porque tenía muchas ganas de probar con algo distinto, ya que la violencia doméstica no suele aparecer mucho en libros, sobre todo no como tema principal. Además, la autora, Joyce Carol Oates, fue candidata al Premio Nobel de Literatura, lo cual solo aumentó mis ganas de conocerla a ella y a su historia.
Al principio, el libro me dejó un poco decepcionada, porque me daba la sensación de que la historia iba demasiado lenta y se me hizo muy pesada. Y sí que es cierto que para mí sobraban algunas páginas, ya que se me hizo demasiado introductorio.
Pero alrededor de la mitad no pude volver a soltar el libro. El transcurso de la historia se hace mucho más ameno y dinámico, ya que la autora combina la narración de Franky con fragmentos de entrevistas y diarios, lo cual lo hace todo mucho más interesante.
Es una historia corta que nos hace abrir los ojos hacia la violencia doméstica y cómo no todo es tan sencillo o simple como parece desde fuera.
3.5/5
Monstruo de ojos verdes está narrada por Franky, una chica de 14 años cuyo padre es Reid Pierson, un famoso (y adorado) comentarista deportivo en la televisión.
El Monstruo despierta cuando Franky está a punto de ser violada en una fiesta. Yo interpreto al Monstruo como la parte de Franky que le hace reaccionar y darse cuenta de lo que ocurre.
El problema es que, aunque el Monstruo la salvó en esa ocasión, ella no quiere saber nada más de él, porque le hace pensar y reflexionar: ¿por qué mi madre lleva pañuelos en el cuello y manga larga? ¿Por qué mis padres se encierran en su habitación a discutir?
Y esas son preguntas que Franky no quiere hacerse. Así que culpa a su madre. La culpa a ella porque es débil y hace enfadar a su padre y su padre es Reid Pierson y él la quiere.
Quería leer este libro porque tenía muchas ganas de probar con algo distinto, ya que la violencia doméstica no suele aparecer mucho en libros, sobre todo no como tema principal. Además, la autora, Joyce Carol Oates, fue candidata al Premio Nobel de Literatura, lo cual solo aumentó mis ganas de conocerla a ella y a su historia.
Al principio, el libro me dejó un poco decepcionada, porque me daba la sensación de que la historia iba demasiado lenta y se me hizo muy pesada. Y sí que es cierto que para mí sobraban algunas páginas, ya que se me hizo demasiado introductorio.
Pero alrededor de la mitad no pude volver a soltar el libro. El transcurso de la historia se hace mucho más ameno y dinámico, ya que la autora combina la narración de Franky con fragmentos de entrevistas y diarios, lo cual lo hace todo mucho más interesante.
Es una historia corta que nos hace abrir los ojos hacia la violencia doméstica y cómo no todo es tan sencillo o simple como parece desde fuera.
3.5/5
April 13, 2009
Maybe I just didn't get this. A lot of people seem to like and recommend this book, but I really didn't enjoy it at all. The narrator didn't make any sense to me at all. Spoilers ahoy. I can't figure out any reason why Franky is so attached to her father and so distant and cruel towards her mother. I guess there's the whole Electra complex, but there was absolutely no explanation in the narrative that was believable. This girl is supposed to be smart and strong, so I didn't understand how the reader was to believe that she just blindly ignored all of the obvious physical and mental abuse that her dad enacted on the family; what little rationalization Franky gave ("that's just how Dad is") was made no sense. Then again, I've never suffered an abusive parent, so maybe this hit home with others? Also the whole "Freaky persona" didn't gel for me. I didn't see how Freaky was any different from Franky other than for the few times she was able to make an actual rational action or decision she called them her Freaky moments. It really turned me off.
The end picked up steam a little bit, but then the last chapter ruined it all officially. The little happy ending is just way to easy. Christ, your dad just murdered your mom! We don't get an emotional reaction from the narrator; we just find out that she's living with her aunt now and life is good! It really cemented the giant flaw of this book to me which is that we are given the smallest of glimpses into Franky's thoughts; even though this is written in first person, I never found that I knew anything about what she was really thinking or feeling. And what was with the threats from her half brother at the end? You'd think by this point you'd learn something and report him to the authorities.
The end picked up steam a little bit, but then the last chapter ruined it all officially. The little happy ending is just way to easy. Christ, your dad just murdered your mom! We don't get an emotional reaction from the narrator; we just find out that she's living with her aunt now and life is good! It really cemented the giant flaw of this book to me which is that we are given the smallest of glimpses into Franky's thoughts; even though this is written in first person, I never found that I knew anything about what she was really thinking or feeling. And what was with the threats from her half brother at the end? You'd think by this point you'd learn something and report him to the authorities.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2011
A true psychological thriller, Freaky Green Eyes really blew me away! Francesca, who prefers to be called "Franky," is the daughter of a famous sportscaster who is a former Seattle Seahawk, Reid Pierson. Reid Pierson is very strong, charismatic and controlling. He hates weakness, and has to always be right. 15-year-old Franky adores him and sees her mother's sensitivity as shameful weakness. Her mother, scared to death of Reid, pursues her own art and spends a few days a week at her cabin out of town. Franky feels betrayed and abandoned by her mother. Then the story gets really good!
Although the story is told in first person by 15-year-old Franky, this is not a "teen" novel. I only recommend it for very mature teens and for adults. The story, while not graphic in the least, is subtle in its ability to keep the reader feeling uneasy. I had a knot in my stomach the entire time I was reading it.
Reading Strategies: You will need to infer A LOT to be able to really follow the feeling of the story. Much of what makes this book good is what the writer alludes to but does not tell you.
Although the story is told in first person by 15-year-old Franky, this is not a "teen" novel. I only recommend it for very mature teens and for adults. The story, while not graphic in the least, is subtle in its ability to keep the reader feeling uneasy. I had a knot in my stomach the entire time I was reading it.
Reading Strategies: You will need to infer A LOT to be able to really follow the feeling of the story. Much of what makes this book good is what the writer alludes to but does not tell you.
November 10, 2012
A dark story of a teenage girl whose father is a sports hero to the public but physically abusive at home. When her bruised mother tries to establish some kind of life of her own, Franky sides with her father out of fear and blames her mother for "provoking him". But worse things are coming...
I thought this was probably a very realistic portrayal of what goes on in abusive families. Franky could be criticised for not being more of a hero earlier but the truth is that a lot of kids do grow up idolising a violent parent and blaming the victim for the problems in the marriage. Franky is shown just as she begins to acknowledge the truth, although we never see exactly what she is thinking or feeling. That seems realistic to me too.
It was interesting at the party right at the beginning that she was attracted to a guy who looked like repeating the pattern of violence with her - that's very realistic for kids brought up in that kind of household too - but she did fight him off, giving us some hope for her.
I liked the ending. I've seen criticism of it being too shallow or simplistic after the terrible things that have happened, but I don't see it that way. I think there's a strong feeling of continued fear and menace just under the surface of Franky's narrative.
I thought this was probably a very realistic portrayal of what goes on in abusive families. Franky could be criticised for not being more of a hero earlier but the truth is that a lot of kids do grow up idolising a violent parent and blaming the victim for the problems in the marriage. Franky is shown just as she begins to acknowledge the truth, although we never see exactly what she is thinking or feeling. That seems realistic to me too.
It was interesting at the party right at the beginning that she was attracted to a guy who looked like repeating the pattern of violence with her - that's very realistic for kids brought up in that kind of household too - but she did fight him off, giving us some hope for her.
I liked the ending. I've seen criticism of it being too shallow or simplistic after the terrible things that have happened, but I don't see it that way. I think there's a strong feeling of continued fear and menace just under the surface of Franky's narrative.
November 29, 2010
At 100 pages in, it's disappointing, especially for a Joyce Carol Oates. The protagonist's voice seems to pop in and out of character, and overall Franky/Freaky is just plain flat. It's a struggle to finish it. Another reviewer compared it to Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's not in the same league. I honestly think it's another example of an author dipping into the YA without having read much in the genre, which is a mistake. Francine Prose, whom I admire as much as Joyce Carol Oates, seems to have similar faults in her YA books, although her protagonists are somewhat stronger. Overall, both their YA books contain stereotypical characters, single storylines, and uncompellling voices. Some authors, like Sherman Alexie, translate well into YA--Joyce Carol Oates does not, at least with this selection. I'll have little success convincing any of my students to finish it.
December 27, 2023
Llibre sense pena ni glòria.
No m'ha aportat res i dies desprès no m'enrecordo de pràcticament de res d'ell.
Sí que el tractament cap al tema principal és molt correcte i gosa tocar un tema molt sensible. Tret d’això, com a novel·la juvenil m’ha avorrit força. L’únic positiu que he trobat és la seva brevetat.
No m'ha aportat res i dies desprès no m'enrecordo de pràcticament de res d'ell.
Sí que el tractament cap al tema principal és molt correcte i gosa tocar un tema molt sensible. Tret d’això, com a novel·la juvenil m’ha avorrit força. L’únic positiu que he trobat és la seva brevetat.
May 4, 2025
Una novela durísima en la que somos testigos de lo que ocurre en una familia a través de los ojos de una adolescente. El hecho de ver cosas que la protagonista se niega a ver y las constantes anticipaciones hace que tengas el corazón en un puño durante toda la lectura.
July 25, 2023
Einfach nur krank und ne einfach Hölle
October 26, 2016
I didn’t realise this was a book written for young adults when I started it but it didn’t take me long to work it out. It’s a book many not-so-young adults will no doubt enjoy too; the approach is intriguing. Freaky Green Eyes starts off life simply as a description but quickly becomes the name of a fifteen-year-old girl’s alter ego. I thought at first the girl might be schizophrenic or have dissociative identity disorder but it’s nothing like that. Nor is she possessed by a demon or an alien. ‘Freaky’ is simply the outspoken side of her, the rebellious side. When she thinks something she’s uncomfortable with ‘Freaky’ gets the blame. So she’s akin to an imaginary friend. Not many fifteen-year-olds have imaginary friends though.
Since the book’s entitled Freaky Green Eyes I imaged she’d be a major player. As it happens she’s not. She chips in her tuppenceworth every now and then but for the most part the story belong firmly in the hands of her host, Francesca Pierson. Franky, as she prefers to be known, comes across as your fairly typical teenage girl, basically a good kid but ready to test boundaries. The book opens with a flashback to the party she attended just after her fourteenth birthday, “when Freaky Green Eyes came into my heart.” An older boy lures her away from the crowd and tries to have his way with her. He’s aggressive and there’s a real possibility he might overstep the mark but she finds it within herself to knee him in the groin:
At first Reid tolerates his wife’s behaviour. He tells Franky and her sister, “Your mother is in her own zone, girls. More and more, that’s where you’ll find her.” And that proves to be the case. Everything points to a marriage heading for the rocks. If only they’d fight and then Franky’d know for sure. She has to second-guess, read between the lines. Their mother goes away for two or three days and then their father goes away and does his thing. And it’s all going smoothly until they finally get to visit their mother’s hideaway. Out of the blue Reid turns up in a rage, piles the kids in the car and then it’s obvious. Well, something’s obvious only Franky’s not exactly sure what.
Then her mother goes missing and a police investigation starts. Is she missing or has she been murdered? Everything, of course, is told from Franky’s perspective and she builds up a picture based mainly on what her dad tells us. Assuming he’s telling her the whole truth. For a while she sides with him but then ‘Freaky’ starts to remember things differently.
The use of ‘Freaky’ is interesting but I thought she was underused. She’s merely a nagging voice in the back of Franky’s head most of the time. I didn’t feel there was any real wrestling or at least not enough. The resolution comes too easily for my tastes and adults certainly will be able to add two and two long before the truth’s revealed but when it comes it comes with what I’m going to call “an aftertaste”: it’s realistic, a little messy and pretty believable.
Considering she must’ve been in her early sixties when she wrote this Oates does a decent job with the kids’ voices. It would make a decent TV movie I’ve no doubt but, for me, the novel was a bit light. But then I was never the intended audience so that’s what I get for not checking before I pick up a book.
Since the book’s entitled Freaky Green Eyes I imaged she’d be a major player. As it happens she’s not. She chips in her tuppenceworth every now and then but for the most part the story belong firmly in the hands of her host, Francesca Pierson. Franky, as she prefers to be known, comes across as your fairly typical teenage girl, basically a good kid but ready to test boundaries. The book opens with a flashback to the party she attended just after her fourteenth birthday, “when Freaky Green Eyes came into my heart.” An older boy lures her away from the crowd and tries to have his way with her. He’s aggressive and there’s a real possibility he might overstep the mark but she finds it within herself to knee him in the groin:
This scares Cameron, I guess. He’s groaning and cursing me, holding himself tenderly between the legs. He’s staring at me saying, “You f-freak! You should see your eyes! Freaky green eyes! You’re crazy!”Franky’s father is Reid Pierson, a former football star turned TV sports commentator. He’s well-loved and successful which all boils down to rich and entitled. Every week he’s jetting away somewhere new. But like most Mr Nice Guys there’s another side to him. He’s a quick temper and doesn’t like people to say no to him. But he’s a good dad and comes across as a decent, albeit a little chauvinistic, husband; he expects his wife to be at his side at major events. His wife, however, has become tired of being arm candy and is aching to stretch her wings. Which, as the book progresses, she does; she starts spending time away from the family at a cabin in Skagit Harbour, an old fishing village which has become a home to marginal people, what her husband calls a “hippie infiltration.”
A wild laugh comes out of my mouth. It’s like this guy has seen into my soul.
[…]
FREAKY GREEN EYES he’d called me.
FREAKY GREEN EYES saved my life.
At first Reid tolerates his wife’s behaviour. He tells Franky and her sister, “Your mother is in her own zone, girls. More and more, that’s where you’ll find her.” And that proves to be the case. Everything points to a marriage heading for the rocks. If only they’d fight and then Franky’d know for sure. She has to second-guess, read between the lines. Their mother goes away for two or three days and then their father goes away and does his thing. And it’s all going smoothly until they finally get to visit their mother’s hideaway. Out of the blue Reid turns up in a rage, piles the kids in the car and then it’s obvious. Well, something’s obvious only Franky’s not exactly sure what.
Then her mother goes missing and a police investigation starts. Is she missing or has she been murdered? Everything, of course, is told from Franky’s perspective and she builds up a picture based mainly on what her dad tells us. Assuming he’s telling her the whole truth. For a while she sides with him but then ‘Freaky’ starts to remember things differently.
The use of ‘Freaky’ is interesting but I thought she was underused. She’s merely a nagging voice in the back of Franky’s head most of the time. I didn’t feel there was any real wrestling or at least not enough. The resolution comes too easily for my tastes and adults certainly will be able to add two and two long before the truth’s revealed but when it comes it comes with what I’m going to call “an aftertaste”: it’s realistic, a little messy and pretty believable.
Considering she must’ve been in her early sixties when she wrote this Oates does a decent job with the kids’ voices. It would make a decent TV movie I’ve no doubt but, for me, the novel was a bit light. But then I was never the intended audience so that’s what I get for not checking before I pick up a book.
February 18, 2009
Plot summary: Fifteen year old Francesa "Franky" Pierson is caught in the middle of a disintegrating family life. Faced with the confusion of parents who say one thing and then act completely differently, Franky starts to feel like a second personality is taking over her at the most stressful times, a coping mechanism for how to explain her own erratic behavior. Franky called this other side of herself Freaky Green Eyes; with curly red hair and intense green eyes, Franky feels that when Freaky takes over, someone might be able to see her other side through her eyes and suspect that she has lost control. Freaky is the one who acts on the strong emotions Franky sometimes feels.
Franky's father is a famous TV personality – an ex-athlete who was forced to retire early due to injury. Reid Pierson is excellent at putting up a perfect, glamorous front, and abhors weakness of any sort. Franky's mother, Krista, has worked for years at being the picture-perfect wife, but after almost two decades of marriage she begins to chafe under Reid's controlling personality, and tries to carve out a life for herself in a quiet artistic community. Reid refuses to let their two daughters speak to Krista or even see her, telling them that Krista has betrayed them all by leaving the family. Franky vacillates between wanting to believe the lies her father is telling them, and knowing that his actions do not match his increasingly erratic and desperate behavior. When Krista goes missing, Reid is suspected by the authorities, and he tells his family to pull together and support him. In a last effort to help Krista, Franky finally has to listen to what the part of her mind she has been trying to shut out has been telling her – her father's story doesn't add up, and Krista is in real trouble.
Comments: Oates normally writes for adults, and I was previously unaware that she has also written for young adults. This is a page-turning story with several different writing styles. Franky writes mostly in the first person, then later in the book the text reads like a police report of her responses to questions, without the questions being given to the reader – because in the context of her answers they are obvious. Later, Franky finds some of her mother's journal writing and the reader gets to briefly experience some of Krista's thoughts and impressions as well, in her own words. It is easy to become frustrated with Franky because she usually allows herself to be controlled by her abusive father, excusing his words and actions while he is constantly threatening his young daughters and influencing their perception of their mother's actions with his lies and theatrics. Ultimately, Franky does the right thing and tears off the blinders her father has been controlling her with, putting together the pieces and relying on an outside ally – Krista's sister, Franky's aunt Vicky – to help Krista as best they can. Throughout the book, however, it is frustrating to read Franky's words and recognize how she is being controlled by her father. This is more of a psychological YA novel than any I've read previously. The end is satisfying but the story is painful. Teen readers will be forced to think about how what people say and how they act may not match up – and how important it is to think for oneself and try to step outside of an emotional situation in order to judge what is really happening.
Franky's father is a famous TV personality – an ex-athlete who was forced to retire early due to injury. Reid Pierson is excellent at putting up a perfect, glamorous front, and abhors weakness of any sort. Franky's mother, Krista, has worked for years at being the picture-perfect wife, but after almost two decades of marriage she begins to chafe under Reid's controlling personality, and tries to carve out a life for herself in a quiet artistic community. Reid refuses to let their two daughters speak to Krista or even see her, telling them that Krista has betrayed them all by leaving the family. Franky vacillates between wanting to believe the lies her father is telling them, and knowing that his actions do not match his increasingly erratic and desperate behavior. When Krista goes missing, Reid is suspected by the authorities, and he tells his family to pull together and support him. In a last effort to help Krista, Franky finally has to listen to what the part of her mind she has been trying to shut out has been telling her – her father's story doesn't add up, and Krista is in real trouble.
Comments: Oates normally writes for adults, and I was previously unaware that she has also written for young adults. This is a page-turning story with several different writing styles. Franky writes mostly in the first person, then later in the book the text reads like a police report of her responses to questions, without the questions being given to the reader – because in the context of her answers they are obvious. Later, Franky finds some of her mother's journal writing and the reader gets to briefly experience some of Krista's thoughts and impressions as well, in her own words. It is easy to become frustrated with Franky because she usually allows herself to be controlled by her abusive father, excusing his words and actions while he is constantly threatening his young daughters and influencing their perception of their mother's actions with his lies and theatrics. Ultimately, Franky does the right thing and tears off the blinders her father has been controlling her with, putting together the pieces and relying on an outside ally – Krista's sister, Franky's aunt Vicky – to help Krista as best they can. Throughout the book, however, it is frustrating to read Franky's words and recognize how she is being controlled by her father. This is more of a psychological YA novel than any I've read previously. The end is satisfying but the story is painful. Teen readers will be forced to think about how what people say and how they act may not match up – and how important it is to think for oneself and try to step outside of an emotional situation in order to judge what is really happening.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 22, 2013
Freaky Green Eyes is a book with many things going on all at once. Franky, the main character, has to deal with her parents, and all of their family issues. Franky's parents say that they are getting along fine, that they will love each other forever and will never get a divorce. But her parents are never home at the same time.
Franky's father is away most of the time on business, and her mother is away at their old summer house in Skagit Harbor.
Franky and her father go through much conflict when they are together. Since her father has a very short temper, and Franky isn't afraid to say or do anything that is on her mind, she often ends up getting yelled at, at home, or worse yet, in front of a group of people at a dinner party.
I can certainly tell that the tone of the story has suspense. Your always on your feet with Freaky Green Eyes. One minute Franky's dad is yelling at her, and the next their laughing and having a good time. It's the same with her mother. Her mother is very closed off about Skagit Harbor and doesn't let her come up. But a chapter later and she's inviting her to come for the weekend, just the two of them.
Franky is very much a dynamic character. In the beginning of the story Franky is very open to her parents, but near the end of the story she is much more closed off and doesn't share things with them anymore. Franky is also much more aware. She can see the way her parents are with each other, and she doesn't like it at all.
I think that Joyce Carol Oates did a really good job describing the characters and bringing them to life, so you felt as though they were real people. Each one had a strong and distinctive personality.
This book had the perfect amount of description. When I was reading it I didn't feel like the book was so quick in description, that I couldn't close my eyes and picture myself there. But it also wasn't so much description that even after one page, they were still talking about the same little detail. It was the right amount to make the book interesting.
Franky's father is away most of the time on business, and her mother is away at their old summer house in Skagit Harbor.
Franky and her father go through much conflict when they are together. Since her father has a very short temper, and Franky isn't afraid to say or do anything that is on her mind, she often ends up getting yelled at, at home, or worse yet, in front of a group of people at a dinner party.
I can certainly tell that the tone of the story has suspense. Your always on your feet with Freaky Green Eyes. One minute Franky's dad is yelling at her, and the next their laughing and having a good time. It's the same with her mother. Her mother is very closed off about Skagit Harbor and doesn't let her come up. But a chapter later and she's inviting her to come for the weekend, just the two of them.
Franky is very much a dynamic character. In the beginning of the story Franky is very open to her parents, but near the end of the story she is much more closed off and doesn't share things with them anymore. Franky is also much more aware. She can see the way her parents are with each other, and she doesn't like it at all.
I think that Joyce Carol Oates did a really good job describing the characters and bringing them to life, so you felt as though they were real people. Each one had a strong and distinctive personality.
This book had the perfect amount of description. When I was reading it I didn't feel like the book was so quick in description, that I couldn't close my eyes and picture myself there. But it also wasn't so much description that even after one page, they were still talking about the same little detail. It was the right amount to make the book interesting.
March 24, 2015
Divorce would be hard for any child, but what happens when your famous, former football star dad and artistic mom suddenly agree in a "mutual separation"?
Freaky Green Eyes is a book revolving around the main character, and oldest daughter in the Pierson family, Francesca "freaky" Pierson. At the beginning of the book Franky is at a party when she is in a sticky situation with a drunk boy where she has to think on her feet and be aggressive...this event is the birth of Frankys alter ego, Freaky Green Eyes.
As the book progresses problems within Frankys family start to arise. Her father, Reid Pierson, a famous former pro athlete, turns out to be not only an abusive husband, but also an abusive father. The first 150+ pages of the book are pretty boring and there isn't much character development. The main thing that happens is her mother moves away to Skagit Harbor to her little studio, away from her family. Reid tells his two girls that their mother moved away because she no longer cares about her family and is having an affair. Franky begins to hear her alter ego Freaky Green Eyes telling her little side notes when things don't seem right. Towards the end of the book Franky's mom goes missing and her hideout studio is found bloodstained and empty...
I was able to connect to this book in the aspect that my parents are separated. Franky and her sister struggle heavily with the confusion of not having both parents around. I was also able to relate the book to another book, "A Child Called It" although one book is nonfiction and one is fiction there are still similarities when it comes to the child abuse.
Overall I might not recommend this book to anyone that struggles with abusive parents or separated parents because it could stir up bad emotions. Freaky Green Eyes is a good book choice for a patient person because it takes awhile to get to the exciting part.
Freaky Green Eyes is a book revolving around the main character, and oldest daughter in the Pierson family, Francesca "freaky" Pierson. At the beginning of the book Franky is at a party when she is in a sticky situation with a drunk boy where she has to think on her feet and be aggressive...this event is the birth of Frankys alter ego, Freaky Green Eyes.
As the book progresses problems within Frankys family start to arise. Her father, Reid Pierson, a famous former pro athlete, turns out to be not only an abusive husband, but also an abusive father. The first 150+ pages of the book are pretty boring and there isn't much character development. The main thing that happens is her mother moves away to Skagit Harbor to her little studio, away from her family. Reid tells his two girls that their mother moved away because she no longer cares about her family and is having an affair. Franky begins to hear her alter ego Freaky Green Eyes telling her little side notes when things don't seem right. Towards the end of the book Franky's mom goes missing and her hideout studio is found bloodstained and empty...
I was able to connect to this book in the aspect that my parents are separated. Franky and her sister struggle heavily with the confusion of not having both parents around. I was also able to relate the book to another book, "A Child Called It" although one book is nonfiction and one is fiction there are still similarities when it comes to the child abuse.
Overall I might not recommend this book to anyone that struggles with abusive parents or separated parents because it could stir up bad emotions. Freaky Green Eyes is a good book choice for a patient person because it takes awhile to get to the exciting part.
July 22, 2009
This book is marketed to teens, but why I am not really sure. Of course, anyone familiar with Joyce Carol Oates knows that she could write a book for monkeys and it would still be great.
This is a complex and disturbing story. Francesca (aka Franky) is a teenager whose parents' marriage appears to be falling apart, even though they insist that nothing is wrong and nothing has changed.
The marriage of the protagonist's parents had loud echoes of my own hopelessly screwed up marriage, one of the primary differences being that I lived through the experience.
Oates has managed to capture the mannerisms and modus operandi of a psychopath in a heartbreakingly realistic way, and her portrayal of a woman who fears for her life, yet will risk everything to break free, is authentic. She also, with so few words, and without beating us over the head with it, helps us to understand how the children, who hate their father and realize that what he does is wrong, are still not immune to his campaign of hatred against their mother (or whoever else crosses him).
Good book. But, be forewarned, if you have a sociopath for an ex, you will be keeping the lights on at night after this.
This is a complex and disturbing story. Francesca (aka Franky) is a teenager whose parents' marriage appears to be falling apart, even though they insist that nothing is wrong and nothing has changed.
The marriage of the protagonist's parents had loud echoes of my own hopelessly screwed up marriage, one of the primary differences being that I lived through the experience.
Oates has managed to capture the mannerisms and modus operandi of a psychopath in a heartbreakingly realistic way, and her portrayal of a woman who fears for her life, yet will risk everything to break free, is authentic. She also, with so few words, and without beating us over the head with it, helps us to understand how the children, who hate their father and realize that what he does is wrong, are still not immune to his campaign of hatred against their mother (or whoever else crosses him).
Good book. But, be forewarned, if you have a sociopath for an ex, you will be keeping the lights on at night after this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2020
Surprise! I didn't expect Joyce Carol Oates to write YA novels, but apparently she does. I was automatically impressed with her combination of teen-speak and good grammar.
I enjoyed Frankie's empowering moment, and I liked how that kickstarted her growth. Dealing with very real themes of domestic violence, the patriarch, and appearance and reality, the fitting title deals with the struggle to see the truth, to acknowledge the truth through lies one has been told. I must admit that my heart broke a little for Frankie and yet I was proud of her as a character.
For a book that is not a horror story (although tell that to all the women out there who suffer at the hands of men), it definitely built up to a very suspenseful climax. The language was modern and easy to read. The plot was largely predictable, with a few elements of surprise along the way. It is one of those books where the reader needs to read between the lines, and that was not challenging either.
If all YA books read like this, I would be more willing to read them.
I enjoyed Frankie's empowering moment, and I liked how that kickstarted her growth. Dealing with very real themes of domestic violence, the patriarch, and appearance and reality, the fitting title deals with the struggle to see the truth, to acknowledge the truth through lies one has been told. I must admit that my heart broke a little for Frankie and yet I was proud of her as a character.
For a book that is not a horror story (although tell that to all the women out there who suffer at the hands of men), it definitely built up to a very suspenseful climax. The language was modern and easy to read. The plot was largely predictable, with a few elements of surprise along the way. It is one of those books where the reader needs to read between the lines, and that was not challenging either.
If all YA books read like this, I would be more willing to read them.
October 1, 2014
***Spolier Alert**
Sitting here wondering why my mom vanished.My book is fantasy fiction.This was the best book i ever read because i like how the author tells me that the dad might be hitting the mother.
My Story is called FREAKY GREEN EYES the setting in my story is Yarrow Heights and in Skagit Harbor.In this book the main character is Francesca the older daughter in the story.This story is mostly about Francesca family and the problems.This is because Francesca has a part in her body that is called freaky green eyes and that part tells her that something is wrong with her mom and dad.Freaky green eyes knows something but is trying to tell Franky "Francesca"but can't.Then her mother goes too Skagit harbor to paint it and then one day Francesca and Samantha go to her house and they stay for two days but then her father comes and just takes them.They never see her again.
Sitting here wondering why my mom vanished.My book is fantasy fiction.This was the best book i ever read because i like how the author tells me that the dad might be hitting the mother.
My Story is called FREAKY GREEN EYES the setting in my story is Yarrow Heights and in Skagit Harbor.In this book the main character is Francesca the older daughter in the story.This story is mostly about Francesca family and the problems.This is because Francesca has a part in her body that is called freaky green eyes and that part tells her that something is wrong with her mom and dad.Freaky green eyes knows something but is trying to tell Franky "Francesca"but can't.Then her mother goes too Skagit harbor to paint it and then one day Francesca and Samantha go to her house and they stay for two days but then her father comes and just takes them.They never see her again.
July 10, 2011
Book #34 for 2011 - I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN! I started it yesterday while my kids were napping, read it after they went to bed last night and got up early this morning to finish it! Meet Francesca (aka "Franky" and "Freaky Green Eyes") - she lives in Seattle with her mother, father (who is a famous sportscaster, sister and step-brother.) Her father is a highly respected man in their community, however, Franky's family is not what everyone thinks it is. When her mother moves away to a nearby summer community and her dad refuses to let Franky and her sister visit her, things go from bad to worse. Then her mother disappears (and people start asking questions about her father's first wife who died in an "accident.") Read this book!
October 13, 2011
This book was truly an amazing, touching story. The novel provided suspense and thrill. When I found out why the mom had disappeared I had chills sent up my back! This novel made me tear up, get scared, and be happy at the same time! "Freaky Green Eyes" touched my heart, and I would recommend this novel to pretty much anyone who likes suspense or mystery. A must-read!
October 2, 2015
This is a riveting and fast-moving book with a strong narrative voice. I really liked the "Freaky Green Eyes" device which is framed as a kind of alter ego at the beginning but we eventually see is perhaps the narrator's true self. This novel also does an exceptional job of showing the gas-lighting and manipulation common in domestic abuse situations.
August 25, 2021
A YA psychological domestic thriller…a very quick, sad and poignant read. One of the things that got to me the most was the kindness of Franky’s friends and strangers.
Some great writing - should I be reading more Oates??
Some great writing - should I be reading more Oates??
May 1, 2011
When life for Franky gets tough, the part of her personality known as Freaky takes over in this excellently paced story of a dysfunctional family with many secrets to hide.
March 16, 2016
Publicado en http://lecturaylocura.com/monstruo-de...
Monstruo de ojos verdes de Joyce Carol Oates. Violencia de género para jóvenes
Aprovechando la lectura de Sexy de la misma autora, ya comenté por aquí la faceta de la autora relacionada con la creación de libros para jóvenes; libros que aprovecha para contar temas controvertidos en clave más accesible a nivel de estilo pero con el suficiente fondo para que valgan la pena. El tratamiento que realiza la autora va encaminado a hacer conscientes a los jóvenes de actitudes que pueden ser difíciles de percibir y el modo de hacerlo es llevándolo a su terreno: aquí mismamente recurre a una historia policíaca.
La historia comienza con la típica historia familiar a la que añade elementos que auguran distintos desarrollos. La protagonista, Franky, afronta la posibilidad de que un chico la viole y del que consigue escapar afortunadamente; es parte de la evolución de su identidad, consciente del hecho, tan joven, de haber podido ser violada desarrollará una escisión de su identidad, una especie de reverso tenebroso que le servirá para afrontar todo lo que se encuentre y que sea peligroso para su vida:
“Pero ahora estoy A SALVO.
Soy una buena corredora. Me gusta correr casi tanto como nadar. Así que me voy corriendo hacia casa junto a la carretera de la costa, evitando los coches, con el pelo al aire y dándome contra la espalda. Supongo que para los que pasan en coche tengo aspecto de loca. Pero me siento muy bien. No es lo que podría esperarse; ni siquiera pienso: Oh, Dios, casi me violan. Al contrario, pienso en lo contenta que estoy. Mi madre decía que ella había sido más afortunada que lista cuando tenía mi edad. Creo que yo he sido afortunada y también lista. He luchado contra el atacante y no ha podido conmigo. Le he dado con la rodilla en la ingle, le he dado patadas y le he mordido. Me he escapado. Ni siquiera he tenido tiempo de tener miedo. Era un abusón y un miedica y me imagino que ahora estará preocupado por si les cuento a mis padres lo que ha sucedido y se ve metido en un buen lío.”
Ese reverso es su personalidad como Monstruo de ojos verdes y se trata de un mecanismo de defensa que utilizará de forma alienante, evadiéndose de hechos a los que no encuentre explicación. Es importante la aparición de este elemento de la identidad ya que, al mismo tiempo que actúa como escudo, inconscientemente irá enmascarando acciones que van sucediendo y que afectan a la relación con sus padres:
“Bueno, no lo iba a contar. Era suficiente con haber escapado.
Él me había llamado “MONSTRUO DE OJOS VERDES.”
El MONSTRUO DE OJOS VERDES me salvó la vida.”
De hecho, aunque sea capaz de ver el cambio en la personalidad de su madre, cambio que se expresa igualmente en la apariencia y en la forma de actuar, deliberadamente optará por omitirlos, como si una especie de filtro operase en su cerebro:
“Mamá empezó a usar pañuelos. Hermosos pañuelos de seda de colores vivos, chales, blusas de manga larga y jerséis. A veces las mangas eran demasiado largas y le ocultaban por completo las muñecas.
¿Qué ocultaba? ¿Cardenales en las muñecas, en el cuello, en la parte superior de los brazos? ¿Violentas marcas rojas hechas por los dedos fuertes de un hombre?
No podía preguntar. Las palabras se me amontonaban en la garganta pero de allí no pasaban. En presencia de mamá empecé a estar muy callada. Y ella estaba más callada conmigo.”
En este orden de cosas, la toxicidad del ambiente no le ayuda a superar estas reticencias, preguntará a su hermano por lo que está sucediendo y el no contestará (más adelante nos enteraremos de que el hermano es hermanastro y está profundamente influenciado por la fuerte personalidad del padre):
“Pasaba gran parte de las noches en vela, así que, ya muy tarde, solía mandar mensajes de correo electrónico en mi cabeza. A veces, un poco desesperada, me levantaba, revisaba mi correo (casi nunca tenía mensajes; los releía continuamente de forma compulsiva y respondía enseguida) y envidaba alguno. Muchas veces a Todd; me daría vergüenza echar la cuenta de cuántos le envié.
Hola, Todd…
No sé de ti desde hace algún tiempo. Espero que las cosas te vayan bien por ahí.
Me preguntaba si sabes lo que pasa entre papá y mamá estos días (supongo que si papá se lo cuenta a alguien será a ti).
Franky.”
Oates refleja a la perfección cómo los hechos van afectando a los hijos (especialmente a las hijas y particularmente a Franky) y cómo sus reacciones están cargadas de absolutismos, no hay grises cuando eres joven, o es blanco o es negro, a veces es casi imposible elegir entre una y otra cosa porque están muy cerca; tal es el caso cuando tiene que elegir entre padre y madre, no hay un término medio que lo aúne:
“-¿Lo ha dicho? ¿Papá?
-Y no hemos hablado de divorciarnos, cariño. Si Samantha habla sobre eso alguna vez, Franky, por favor, dile que tu padre y yo no hemos hablado de divorciarnos, ni ahora ni nunca.
Su forma de decir estas palabras, “ni ahora ni nunca”, fue extraña, como si no fueran suyas sino de alguien más.
Mamá se dio la vuelta, frotándose los ojos, y salió de mi habitación. Quería pedirle que volviera, quería abrazarla y sentir sus brazos alrededor de mí. Pero a la vez quería que se fuera; no soportaba seguir viendo esa sonrisa o el cardenal amoratado que le asomaba un poco bajo la mandíbula.”
Esto se demuestra especialmente ante las acusaciones del padre de infidelidad de la madre; la potente figura heteropatriarcal manipula poco a poco con su personalidad dominante la percepción que pudieran tener las hijas, hasta el punto de incitar un odio manifiesto hacia la madre, culpabilizada de los problemas de la pareja:
“Enamorada de otro hombre. Nunca podremos perdonarla.
¿Me creía estas palabras? No lo sé. ¿Creía que había un hombre en la vida de mamá? No lo sé. ¿Me lo creía cuando me parecía saber que no, que no había un hombre, no podía haber un hombre, puesto que mamá se había ido a Skagit Harbor para ser libre? Sin embargo, si papá decía que había un hombre, entonces tenía que haber un hombre.
Y nunca la perdonaríamos.”
La forma de conseguir esta manipulación es una mezcla de violencia (de la que a veces ni es consciente) y un chantaje emocional que le sirve como desencadenante de una situación final insostenible; al final la madre acaba desapareciendo y todo se articula como una investigación policíaca:
“Ha conocido a alguien más con quien se quiere casar. Todo este numerito que ha montado es por dinero. Chantaje. Ha estado exigiendo millones de dólares por el divorcio, además de pagos mensuales y pagos por manutención de las hijas, y yo me he negado, porque no quiero que destruya nuestra familia. Me importa un comino el dinero. Solo me importáis tú, Samantha y Todd. Yo no creo en el divorcio. Me he resistido a sus exigencias, y esto es lo que nos hace, no solo a mí, sino a todos nosotros.. Tú me crees, cielo, ¿verdad?
Vi brillar la verdad en los ojos de papá, y la verdad era el amor y la verdad me protegería.”
Solo la aparición de unos terceros, los investigadores y otros familiares conseguirá sacar de su burbuja a la protagonista que empezará a ser consciente de lo que de verdad estaba sucediendo, el maltrato al que le sometía su padre:
“Sí. Creo que los llegué a oír, a veces.
Nunca delante de nosotras. Normalmente en dormitorio, con la puerta cerrada.
Mi padre se enfada con facilidad. Yo antes pensaba que mi madre le provocaba, pero esa es una forma equivocada de pensar, culpar a mi madre por ser maltratada.
Llevaba pañuelos al cuello, mangas largas para tapar las marcas. Pero yo sabía de qué se traba.
Porque yo tenía miedo, creo. Era más fácil odiarla.”
Maltrato que se replicaba igualmente con las dos hijas; la escritora norteamericana consigue mostrarnos las dudas de un joven ante una situación de este tipo y, al acabar como acaba la investigación policíaca, nos alerta (especialmente al joven lector/a) de las consecuencias que pueden desencadenarse por no actuar a tiempo:
“¡No! Estoy bien, no estoy llorando. Quiero que sigamos.
Sí, es verdad. A veces, Era “disciplina”.
No recuerdo muy bien. Lo tengo un poco borrado, como una pesadilla o algo que has visto en la tele hace mucho tiempo y se te mezcla con la vida real.
Azotes, bofetadas, puñetazos, sacudidas fuertes. Papá me agarraba por los hombros y me sacudía, me sacudía como si quisiera romperme el cuello.”
Un libro ciertamente fantástico para utilizarlo en las aulas; además la editorial ha incluido una guía final muy educativa relacionada con las formas de actuar ante un caso de violencia de género que resulta muy ilustrativa. Espléndida muestra del buen hacer de una escritora comprometida.
Los textos provienen de la traducción de Mª Dolores Crispín de Monstruo de ojos verdes de Joyce Carol Oates para la editorial SM
Monstruo de ojos verdes de Joyce Carol Oates. Violencia de género para jóvenes
Aprovechando la lectura de Sexy de la misma autora, ya comenté por aquí la faceta de la autora relacionada con la creación de libros para jóvenes; libros que aprovecha para contar temas controvertidos en clave más accesible a nivel de estilo pero con el suficiente fondo para que valgan la pena. El tratamiento que realiza la autora va encaminado a hacer conscientes a los jóvenes de actitudes que pueden ser difíciles de percibir y el modo de hacerlo es llevándolo a su terreno: aquí mismamente recurre a una historia policíaca.
La historia comienza con la típica historia familiar a la que añade elementos que auguran distintos desarrollos. La protagonista, Franky, afronta la posibilidad de que un chico la viole y del que consigue escapar afortunadamente; es parte de la evolución de su identidad, consciente del hecho, tan joven, de haber podido ser violada desarrollará una escisión de su identidad, una especie de reverso tenebroso que le servirá para afrontar todo lo que se encuentre y que sea peligroso para su vida:
“Pero ahora estoy A SALVO.
Soy una buena corredora. Me gusta correr casi tanto como nadar. Así que me voy corriendo hacia casa junto a la carretera de la costa, evitando los coches, con el pelo al aire y dándome contra la espalda. Supongo que para los que pasan en coche tengo aspecto de loca. Pero me siento muy bien. No es lo que podría esperarse; ni siquiera pienso: Oh, Dios, casi me violan. Al contrario, pienso en lo contenta que estoy. Mi madre decía que ella había sido más afortunada que lista cuando tenía mi edad. Creo que yo he sido afortunada y también lista. He luchado contra el atacante y no ha podido conmigo. Le he dado con la rodilla en la ingle, le he dado patadas y le he mordido. Me he escapado. Ni siquiera he tenido tiempo de tener miedo. Era un abusón y un miedica y me imagino que ahora estará preocupado por si les cuento a mis padres lo que ha sucedido y se ve metido en un buen lío.”
Ese reverso es su personalidad como Monstruo de ojos verdes y se trata de un mecanismo de defensa que utilizará de forma alienante, evadiéndose de hechos a los que no encuentre explicación. Es importante la aparición de este elemento de la identidad ya que, al mismo tiempo que actúa como escudo, inconscientemente irá enmascarando acciones que van sucediendo y que afectan a la relación con sus padres:
“Bueno, no lo iba a contar. Era suficiente con haber escapado.
Él me había llamado “MONSTRUO DE OJOS VERDES.”
El MONSTRUO DE OJOS VERDES me salvó la vida.”
De hecho, aunque sea capaz de ver el cambio en la personalidad de su madre, cambio que se expresa igualmente en la apariencia y en la forma de actuar, deliberadamente optará por omitirlos, como si una especie de filtro operase en su cerebro:
“Mamá empezó a usar pañuelos. Hermosos pañuelos de seda de colores vivos, chales, blusas de manga larga y jerséis. A veces las mangas eran demasiado largas y le ocultaban por completo las muñecas.
¿Qué ocultaba? ¿Cardenales en las muñecas, en el cuello, en la parte superior de los brazos? ¿Violentas marcas rojas hechas por los dedos fuertes de un hombre?
No podía preguntar. Las palabras se me amontonaban en la garganta pero de allí no pasaban. En presencia de mamá empecé a estar muy callada. Y ella estaba más callada conmigo.”
En este orden de cosas, la toxicidad del ambiente no le ayuda a superar estas reticencias, preguntará a su hermano por lo que está sucediendo y el no contestará (más adelante nos enteraremos de que el hermano es hermanastro y está profundamente influenciado por la fuerte personalidad del padre):
“Pasaba gran parte de las noches en vela, así que, ya muy tarde, solía mandar mensajes de correo electrónico en mi cabeza. A veces, un poco desesperada, me levantaba, revisaba mi correo (casi nunca tenía mensajes; los releía continuamente de forma compulsiva y respondía enseguida) y envidaba alguno. Muchas veces a Todd; me daría vergüenza echar la cuenta de cuántos le envié.
Hola, Todd…
No sé de ti desde hace algún tiempo. Espero que las cosas te vayan bien por ahí.
Me preguntaba si sabes lo que pasa entre papá y mamá estos días (supongo que si papá se lo cuenta a alguien será a ti).
Franky.”
Oates refleja a la perfección cómo los hechos van afectando a los hijos (especialmente a las hijas y particularmente a Franky) y cómo sus reacciones están cargadas de absolutismos, no hay grises cuando eres joven, o es blanco o es negro, a veces es casi imposible elegir entre una y otra cosa porque están muy cerca; tal es el caso cuando tiene que elegir entre padre y madre, no hay un término medio que lo aúne:
“-¿Lo ha dicho? ¿Papá?
-Y no hemos hablado de divorciarnos, cariño. Si Samantha habla sobre eso alguna vez, Franky, por favor, dile que tu padre y yo no hemos hablado de divorciarnos, ni ahora ni nunca.
Su forma de decir estas palabras, “ni ahora ni nunca”, fue extraña, como si no fueran suyas sino de alguien más.
Mamá se dio la vuelta, frotándose los ojos, y salió de mi habitación. Quería pedirle que volviera, quería abrazarla y sentir sus brazos alrededor de mí. Pero a la vez quería que se fuera; no soportaba seguir viendo esa sonrisa o el cardenal amoratado que le asomaba un poco bajo la mandíbula.”
Esto se demuestra especialmente ante las acusaciones del padre de infidelidad de la madre; la potente figura heteropatriarcal manipula poco a poco con su personalidad dominante la percepción que pudieran tener las hijas, hasta el punto de incitar un odio manifiesto hacia la madre, culpabilizada de los problemas de la pareja:
“Enamorada de otro hombre. Nunca podremos perdonarla.
¿Me creía estas palabras? No lo sé. ¿Creía que había un hombre en la vida de mamá? No lo sé. ¿Me lo creía cuando me parecía saber que no, que no había un hombre, no podía haber un hombre, puesto que mamá se había ido a Skagit Harbor para ser libre? Sin embargo, si papá decía que había un hombre, entonces tenía que haber un hombre.
Y nunca la perdonaríamos.”
La forma de conseguir esta manipulación es una mezcla de violencia (de la que a veces ni es consciente) y un chantaje emocional que le sirve como desencadenante de una situación final insostenible; al final la madre acaba desapareciendo y todo se articula como una investigación policíaca:
“Ha conocido a alguien más con quien se quiere casar. Todo este numerito que ha montado es por dinero. Chantaje. Ha estado exigiendo millones de dólares por el divorcio, además de pagos mensuales y pagos por manutención de las hijas, y yo me he negado, porque no quiero que destruya nuestra familia. Me importa un comino el dinero. Solo me importáis tú, Samantha y Todd. Yo no creo en el divorcio. Me he resistido a sus exigencias, y esto es lo que nos hace, no solo a mí, sino a todos nosotros.. Tú me crees, cielo, ¿verdad?
Vi brillar la verdad en los ojos de papá, y la verdad era el amor y la verdad me protegería.”
Solo la aparición de unos terceros, los investigadores y otros familiares conseguirá sacar de su burbuja a la protagonista que empezará a ser consciente de lo que de verdad estaba sucediendo, el maltrato al que le sometía su padre:
“Sí. Creo que los llegué a oír, a veces.
Nunca delante de nosotras. Normalmente en dormitorio, con la puerta cerrada.
Mi padre se enfada con facilidad. Yo antes pensaba que mi madre le provocaba, pero esa es una forma equivocada de pensar, culpar a mi madre por ser maltratada.
Llevaba pañuelos al cuello, mangas largas para tapar las marcas. Pero yo sabía de qué se traba.
Porque yo tenía miedo, creo. Era más fácil odiarla.”
Maltrato que se replicaba igualmente con las dos hijas; la escritora norteamericana consigue mostrarnos las dudas de un joven ante una situación de este tipo y, al acabar como acaba la investigación policíaca, nos alerta (especialmente al joven lector/a) de las consecuencias que pueden desencadenarse por no actuar a tiempo:
“¡No! Estoy bien, no estoy llorando. Quiero que sigamos.
Sí, es verdad. A veces, Era “disciplina”.
No recuerdo muy bien. Lo tengo un poco borrado, como una pesadilla o algo que has visto en la tele hace mucho tiempo y se te mezcla con la vida real.
Azotes, bofetadas, puñetazos, sacudidas fuertes. Papá me agarraba por los hombros y me sacudía, me sacudía como si quisiera romperme el cuello.”
Un libro ciertamente fantástico para utilizarlo en las aulas; además la editorial ha incluido una guía final muy educativa relacionada con las formas de actuar ante un caso de violencia de género que resulta muy ilustrativa. Espléndida muestra del buen hacer de una escritora comprometida.
Los textos provienen de la traducción de Mª Dolores Crispín de Monstruo de ojos verdes de Joyce Carol Oates para la editorial SM
July 25, 2025
The never ending manipulation by men, and how they are the victim all the time makes me want to throw up. The worst part is that the book is just so real and so much worse happening to women, every second, everywhere. This is the world of women who lost their voices. Some were shut up in Prose, more lived and died without having the ability to speak even to themselves. And all this tragedy for what? Because a man cannot regulate his childish emotions and that he has to get whatever he wants impatiently? It’s hilarious how women are known as emotional when men exist. I guess they don’t count anger as an emotion. That a man can’t control his stupid emotions and that a woman dies because of it is something I will never be able to understand or accept. It sounds so stupid, and yet it’s real. So real.
Oates exposes male violence towards women in a very realistic way. Francesca’s constant mood changes towards her parents and the way she lies to herself because of the manipulations of her father were portrayed so annoyingly real that I wanted to punch the air. She, as the narrator, doesn’t even realize the fact that she is also being abused by her father and she justifies the confusion and guilt by hating her mother. I find it fascinating that writers are able to portray the unstable and constantly changing feelings and inner turmoil of humans in such a brilliant way. I would definitely love to read more of Oates’ work in the near future.
Oates exposes male violence towards women in a very realistic way. Francesca’s constant mood changes towards her parents and the way she lies to herself because of the manipulations of her father were portrayed so annoyingly real that I wanted to punch the air. She, as the narrator, doesn’t even realize the fact that she is also being abused by her father and she justifies the confusion and guilt by hating her mother. I find it fascinating that writers are able to portray the unstable and constantly changing feelings and inner turmoil of humans in such a brilliant way. I would definitely love to read more of Oates’ work in the near future.
April 13, 2025
This book was lent to me about three or four years ago by my Czech teacher in elementary school... well, I wasn't able to read more than three chapters at the time. In my defense, I was fourteen or fifteen, I don't know. I tried again a few times, but I never managed to read it.
Yesterday I decided to finally read it so I could give it back to her. So I read the book and... honestly, A VERY GOOD BOOK. I had to grow up to be able to read it, but I did and the book was great. The beginning was a little slow, but then... I couldn't put it down.
So I recommend it, although you have to grow up a little and experience something for it to affect you a little more than other books.
Yesterday I decided to finally read it so I could give it back to her. So I read the book and... honestly, A VERY GOOD BOOK. I had to grow up to be able to read it, but I did and the book was great. The beginning was a little slow, but then... I couldn't put it down.
So I recommend it, although you have to grow up a little and experience something for it to affect you a little more than other books.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 415 reviews