Carmen

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

For slightly more than a day, readers become immersed in the life of
Carmen. Named after her father’s favourite opera, Carmen, almost 15
and an only child, has been the obedient, “perfect” daughter with
good grades. She is, however, very timid and has been labelled “poor
transparent Carmen” by Odile Saint-Amour, the school’s social queen
bee. Although Odile may perceive Carmen to be invisible, Carmen fears
the spotlight about to be focused on her by an oral class presentation.
On the morning of the dreaded public performance, February 14,
Carmen’s increased anxiety leads to her ditching school, a first;
after wandering downtown, she, in another first, shoplifts some
lipsticks. Ambushed by a TV crew seeking comments about what would make
individuals happy on Valentine’s Day, Carmen replies, “Today...I
want...I...I want to be loved.” That evening’s TV news spins
Carmen’s comment as being “a spontaneous cry for help from a young
unknown girl” that expresses “the sad confusion of today’s
youth.” Meanwhile, Carmen’s aimless wanderings bring her into
contact with Manu, a young singer she has seen on TV, and she spends the
rest of the day and most of the night with him and his band. Over that
period, she discovers she is not alone in her fears and gains the
self-knowledge that allows her to return to school the next day and
confront the TV characterization of her.

Carole Fréchette skilfully incorporates a Cinderella-like romantic
subplot involving Carmen and a schoolmate. For readers requiring
closure, Fréchette provides an epilogue set three days later.
Recommended.