Andrea Cremer and David Levithan
Paranormal Young Adult
358 pages
Philomel
Available May 7th
Received from publisher for review
THE STORY (from Amazon)
Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.
Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When you’re invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. It’s easy to blend in there.
Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephen’s amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeth’s amazement, she wants him to be able to see her—all of her. But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their way—a world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once they’re thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep they’re going to go—because the answer could mean the difference between love and death.
MY THOUGHTS
Invisibility is a quiet, nebulous story, remaining ever-changing and indistinct as we read, shifting in form as it continues so that we never quite know where it's headed. Written in alternating first-person points of view, this slightly strange and intriguing tale is beautifully told, sweeping us up immediately in the melancholic loneliness of Stephen's non-existence, and delighting us with its attention to detail when it comes to all the questions we have as to the day to day life of an invisible boy. Just when we settle in thinking we're going to be gifted with an intimate portrayal of this cursed young man–watching as his isolation slips away and companionship takes his place–the story seems to jump forward quickly with a declaration of love and the introduction of a magical lineage, moving us away from that which originally attracted our interest.
Stephen and Elizabeth are both thoroughly enjoyable characters, their witty exchanges and the sheer relief we feel on Stephen's behalf at the fact he finally exists for someone in a sensory capacity other than sound or touch combining to render us giddy in the initial chapters. That giddiness and excitement over the potential of these two characters to be the type who linger in our memories long after reading starts to fade as their relationship progresses to the love stage with unfortunate speed, and then just as soon as the focus on the romance comes into being, it's set aside again in favor of the mystery of Stephen's condition. Once the focus shifts away from the two of them as individuals–as well as their relationship together–and onto this new magical world, our connection to each thins, and while we're still invested in their story, that investment isn't as strong as we hoped it would be after our reaction to the opening chapters.
The highlight of this relatively small cast of characters is Elizabeth's younger brother Laurie, a young man who provides the voice of reason, the shoulder to cry on, and the comic relief, and who simply infuses every scene he's in with a smile-inducing warmth. We learn just a little of his past, but it's enough to have our fingers curling into claws around the pages, protectiveness flaring instantly and with vehemence, ready to do battle should anyone take issue with him. He is a joy at every turn, and we can't help but wish Elizabeth and Stephen inspired in us the same emotional attachment.
For all that this world is full of magic, Ms. Cremer and Mr. Levithan do not create a magical conclusion full of miracles and soothing pleasantries, instead many things are left unresolved, a fact that will likely disappoint those readers (like me) who love neatly wrapped packages and happily ever afters, but at the same time we have to tip our hats to both authors for not taking the easy way out. Overall, Invisibility is a well-written story with a haunting quality to the way events unfold, a slow rising of the curtain to reveal a world of spells and curses nestled in the middle of everyday life that wreaks havoc on our sense of anticipation, there are just a few wishes with regard to Stephen and Elizabeth that keep this story from a higher rating.
Rating: 3.5/5
Stephen and Elizabeth are both thoroughly enjoyable characters, their witty exchanges and the sheer relief we feel on Stephen's behalf at the fact he finally exists for someone in a sensory capacity other than sound or touch combining to render us giddy in the initial chapters. That giddiness and excitement over the potential of these two characters to be the type who linger in our memories long after reading starts to fade as their relationship progresses to the love stage with unfortunate speed, and then just as soon as the focus on the romance comes into being, it's set aside again in favor of the mystery of Stephen's condition. Once the focus shifts away from the two of them as individuals–as well as their relationship together–and onto this new magical world, our connection to each thins, and while we're still invested in their story, that investment isn't as strong as we hoped it would be after our reaction to the opening chapters.
The highlight of this relatively small cast of characters is Elizabeth's younger brother Laurie, a young man who provides the voice of reason, the shoulder to cry on, and the comic relief, and who simply infuses every scene he's in with a smile-inducing warmth. We learn just a little of his past, but it's enough to have our fingers curling into claws around the pages, protectiveness flaring instantly and with vehemence, ready to do battle should anyone take issue with him. He is a joy at every turn, and we can't help but wish Elizabeth and Stephen inspired in us the same emotional attachment.
For all that this world is full of magic, Ms. Cremer and Mr. Levithan do not create a magical conclusion full of miracles and soothing pleasantries, instead many things are left unresolved, a fact that will likely disappoint those readers (like me) who love neatly wrapped packages and happily ever afters, but at the same time we have to tip our hats to both authors for not taking the easy way out. Overall, Invisibility is a well-written story with a haunting quality to the way events unfold, a slow rising of the curtain to reveal a world of spells and curses nestled in the middle of everyday life that wreaks havoc on our sense of anticipation, there are just a few wishes with regard to Stephen and Elizabeth that keep this story from a higher rating.
Rating: 3.5/5
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