Book Review - Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

 

This year I’ve been working on closing my book gap, in the area of fantasy.  I have no real reason for avoiding the genre of fantasy.  I loved Harry Potter, Percy Jackson and The Alchemyst. However, I find myself inadvertently pushing fantasy books to the bottom of my “must read” list.  During 2013, I’ve been more purposeful about reading new releases.  Throughout this process I refuse to read the blurb on the back of the book (I know I have some students gasping at this notion).  However, I prefer to be enticed by the storyline, without knowing magic and curse might be involved.  I’m so thankful that this is the approach I have been taking to close this book gap.  Without this approach I would have never started reading Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan.  Last summer, I read Everyday by David Levithan and loved it!  Therefore, I suspected this book might have a touch of fantasy, but I wasn’t ready to know that until I fell in love with the characters and their story.

Stephen was born invisible, so he was used to the invisibility that cursed his life on a daily basis.  No one bothered him, because no one could see him, and he was just fine with that.  Until one day, Elizabeth, the new girl who has just moved into the apartments, can see Stephen.  Their lives instantly begin to change, not just because of the developing young love, but also due to the magical world of curses and spells that surrounds them.  Elizabeth, her mother, and brother, Laurie, have just moved to New York City.  Elizabeth is excited, yet apprehensive, about leaving a past involving bullying and tragedy.  Stephen becomes just the person she needs to help her rebuild and find a new, happier life.  However, in the end it is Elizabeth who must help Stephen overcome his past, which involves an incomprehensible family grudge.  Ultimately, this could mean life or death for everyone involved. 

Invisibility is a fantasy, which makes me excited to read more fantasy.  Despite the invisible boy (okay, so that’s a major part of the story), this is a story line that I could actually believe.  Cremer and Levithan gave readers a way to justify why bad things happen to good people.  Sometimes the smallest actions can set off a string of unpreventable life curses, and it takes a special person to help us regain our abilities and good fortune.  Invisibility kept my interest and emotions from the first page to the last, which is why I willing rated it 5 out of 5 stars.  I highly recommend this book for readers who may be hesitant to dive into the world of fantasy.  

Also, check out this quick YouTube video about how Andrea Cremer and David Levithan shared the writing responsibilities of this story: