Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

“Cam looked straight ahead. She said, ‘Click,’ and then closed her eyes. Cam always said, ‘Click,’ when she wanted to remember something. She said it was the sound her mental camera made when it took a picture.”

This quotation helps to establish the author’s theme on  The Importance of Situational Awareness. By explaining that Cam uses her highly attuned memory skills to recall the precise details of her surroundings, the author shows that she enjoys analyzing her environment and committing things to memory. By comparing her mind to a “mental camera” the author helps the reader understand how Cam can revisit her memories in the form of detailed pictures.

“When Cam was younger, people called her Jennifer. That’s her real name. But when they found out about her amazing memory, they started calling her ‘The Camera.’ Soon ‘The Camera’ was shortened to ‘Cam.’”

Cam earned her nickname by demonstrating the power of her unusually strong memory. This passage shows that Cam’s photographic memory is a very important part of her life and identity, and the narrative suggests that her ability will be an important part of the story as well.

“Eric pulled at Cam’s sneakers. ‘Get down from there.’ ‘No, wait. Maybe something is happening.’ Something was happening. A tall, heavy man with a mustache and wearing a dark suit ran out of the jewelry store toward the center of the mall. He was in a real hurry. He pushed people aside—including Eric. Cam looked straight at the man and said, ‘Click.’”

Cam is eager to get a good view of the jewelry store as the alarm blares and people begin to run out, and her actions suggest from the very beginning that she has the makings of a savvy detective. This moment also shows Cam’s curiosity and eagerness to understand the commotion. By taking a mental picture of the running man, Cam guarantees that she will later be able to revisit the scene in her memory. This early scene foreshadows her later confrontation with him.