Chapter 17

Content:

Alfred explains to Jess that Grandpa got a heart attack once more. It was such a serious one that Mum and Dad had to bring Grandpa directly into the hospital in Braymouth. So Jess' parents wanted him to look after Jess. However, she wants to follow them to the hospital. Alfred tries to keep her away from this felt will and wants her to eat some rolls his daughter made for Jess. She isn't hungry. So Alfred wants her to talk with him about the painting of Grandpa. He calls it a "self-portrait" and in a sudden Jess sees the River Boy with his black hair in the painting. She jumps into the river without any doubt to do right. Her only will is to catch the River Boy before he reaches the end of the river. She wants to solve the riddle of the boy out there and the painting. It's now her turn to put these two mysteries in an understandable coherence.


My thoughts while reading:

I was really caught by this horrible dilemma of Jess. Could she really be able to help Grandpa? Or wouldn't she even reach the hospital before Grandpa dies? Or won't Grandpa die anyway? I think this situation is really hard to stand for her, because she loves his Grandpa very well. However, I was also a bit surprised by this new way to see the painting as a self-portrait of Grandpa. I know that there are these kinds of pictures you can look at in two ways. Nevertheless I think that Jess should have seen this before.
Her decision to try to catch the River Boy and to solve his riddle of identity I really liked because that'll raise the tension of the plotline once more.