Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Schultz
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Mix of brutality and tenderness makes fantasy seem real.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Stephen has been literally invisible all his life, but he doesn't know why. When he meets a new neighbor, Elizabeth, and realizes that she can see him, not only does he connect with her in ways he never thought possible, but he also questions more than ever what made him invisible and whether there isn't some way for him to live a normal life. However, as Stephen, Elizabeth, and her brother, Laurie, dig into the source of Stephen's predicament, the teenagers reveal a source of evil that's far more threatening and terrifying than being unseen.
Is It Any Good?
Invisibility deftly combines David Levithan's brilliant facility at developing tender characters on the edges with Andrea Cremer's thrilling, fantastic worlds written around teens with a mission. The story that results isn't just intensely suspenseful and inventive, but also very emotional and realistic. The plot is rendered all the more exciting by the fact the characters are so caring -- and so wounded.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the fact that Invisibility includes both fantastical elements and intensely realistic ones. Do you think the combination of approaches make the book seem more believable -- or less?
How has Stephen's personality been affected by being invisible? How does he change after he meets Elizabeth?
Invisibility explores the fantasy of being literally invisible, like Stephen, and the pain of being someone whom cruel people don't want to see, like Laurie. Read the classic books that also address these ideas: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison and The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells.
Book Details
- Authors: Andrea Cremer , David Levithan
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Brothers and Sisters , Friendship , High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Penguin Group
- Publication date: May 7, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 12 - 17
- Number of pages: 320
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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