Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
This review first appeared on my blog, Read Books and Live Green
MY THOUGHTS
Okay thoughts before reading: I LOVE THE FIRST LINE OF THE SUMMARY!!!!
Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.
I mean.... that is the perfect attention grabbing to the point intro. Whoever thought that up is a genius!
On that note, I loved the prologue to the book. I normally am not the prologue type of person. I like to learn about the past as the story goes on, but this prologue was fantastically done!!! It was attention grabbing and provided a lot of insight into the life of Fiona.
Not only was the prologue gripping, but the first couple of chapters managed to hold my complete attention! Why? Because they were fast moving and action packed! It grabs your attention and makes you want to keep reading. I was definitely impressed. Usually the first few chapters are slow info dumps, but this one was definitely different!
I really liked the romance, too!!! I thought that both guys were really sweet!!! (Don't worry it wasn't really love triangle-ish. Just Fiona being confused!) But there was definitely one that I was pulling for throughout the whole book! :)
The idea of this book is so unique and fun that I am definitely impressed with the author's skill!
I also love how everything worked out. There was no sadness that made me want to throw the book across the room. Seriously, I am such a sap for happy endings! Especially since when I read it, I thought it was a stand-alone! (The author announced the sequel, Blindside, just the other day!) I would have absolutely HATED it if there was some sad loose end!
I loved the mysterious Spud. Spud is a character you know nothing about. You don't even get to meet this character, except that Spud is able to help Fiona out. I loved the mystery in that! (And it was confirmed that there will be more about Spud in the next book!)
And then of course there is Bea. She is a great character and an awesome friend to Fiona. You can tell that she is definitely desperate for friendship (especially right in the beginning) but at the same time is extremely loyal. Even after only knowing Fiona for a few days she puts herself at risk to help Fiona out of trouble.
And Miles is definitely a great brother. He was always there for Fiona and was just an great character! I loved his "superpower" too!
Although I have to say that at times I got a bit bored.....It wasn't because it wasn't super fast paced....It was more like there were lulls in the story. Times where the scene at hand didn't capture my interest and I put the book down for a few minutes only to pick it back up a few minutes later. (Because overall the story was phenomenal, and I couldn't stand not knowing.)
I also thought that at time Fiona was a bit harsh to her mother. A couple of times it seemed a bit...extreme. I mean I get that she can't trust her mother not to going running back to her dad. I also get that Fiaona doesn't trust her brother Graham, A brother that her mother insists keeping in contact with. (A brother who has also been cruel and mean to Fiona and also turned her and her mother into their father the other times they ran away...) I get that I do, but still her mother did leave a man that she loved (or thought she did). Would that not be emotionally tragic to her mother, something that Fiona should handle gently.
OVERALL
I have to say that I really loved this book. Not only was it a fun exciting read, but it was sweet. The characters were great. Not only were they well written, but they each had a well thought out background story. I think that this book is definitely one that many looking for a light read will love.
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: YES
WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: YUP!!!
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: To those looking for a quick read.
WILL I READ THE NEXT BOOK: Can't wait to read Blindside!
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: The House of Ivy and Sorrow looks pretty good and I'll definitely be checking it out!
MY THOUGHTS
Okay thoughts before reading: I LOVE THE FIRST LINE OF THE SUMMARY!!!!
Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.
I mean.... that is the perfect attention grabbing to the point intro. Whoever thought that up is a genius!
On that note, I loved the prologue to the book. I normally am not the prologue type of person. I like to learn about the past as the story goes on, but this prologue was fantastically done!!! It was attention grabbing and provided a lot of insight into the life of Fiona.
Not only was the prologue gripping, but the first couple of chapters managed to hold my complete attention! Why? Because they were fast moving and action packed! It grabs your attention and makes you want to keep reading. I was definitely impressed. Usually the first few chapters are slow info dumps, but this one was definitely different!
I really liked the romance, too!!! I thought that both guys were really sweet!!! (Don't worry it wasn't really love triangle-ish. Just Fiona being confused!) But there was definitely one that I was pulling for throughout the whole book! :)
The idea of this book is so unique and fun that I am definitely impressed with the author's skill!
I also love how everything worked out. There was no sadness that made me want to throw the book across the room. Seriously, I am such a sap for happy endings! Especially since when I read it, I thought it was a stand-alone! (The author announced the sequel, Blindside, just the other day!) I would have absolutely HATED it if there was some sad loose end!
I loved the mysterious Spud. Spud is a character you know nothing about. You don't even get to meet this character, except that Spud is able to help Fiona out. I loved the mystery in that! (And it was confirmed that there will be more about Spud in the next book!)
And then of course there is Bea. She is a great character and an awesome friend to Fiona. You can tell that she is definitely desperate for friendship (especially right in the beginning) but at the same time is extremely loyal. Even after only knowing Fiona for a few days she puts herself at risk to help Fiona out of trouble.
And Miles is definitely a great brother. He was always there for Fiona and was just an great character! I loved his "superpower" too!
Although I have to say that at times I got a bit bored.....It wasn't because it wasn't super fast paced....It was more like there were lulls in the story. Times where the scene at hand didn't capture my interest and I put the book down for a few minutes only to pick it back up a few minutes later. (Because overall the story was phenomenal, and I couldn't stand not knowing.)
I also thought that at time Fiona was a bit harsh to her mother. A couple of times it seemed a bit...extreme. I mean I get that she can't trust her mother not to going running back to her dad. I also get that Fiaona doesn't trust her brother Graham, A brother that her mother insists keeping in contact with. (A brother who has also been cruel and mean to Fiona and also turned her and her mother into their father the other times they ran away...) I get that I do, but still her mother did leave a man that she loved (or thought she did). Would that not be emotionally tragic to her mother, something that Fiona should handle gently.
OVERALL
I have to say that I really loved this book. Not only was it a fun exciting read, but it was sweet. The characters were great. Not only were they well written, but they each had a well thought out background story. I think that this book is definitely one that many looking for a light read will love.
WOULD I BUY THIS BOOK: YES
WOULD I READ THIS BOOK: YUP!!!
WOULD I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK: To those looking for a quick read.
WILL I READ THE NEXT BOOK: Can't wait to read Blindside!
WILL I READ MORE BY THIS AUTHOR: The House of Ivy and Sorrow looks pretty good and I'll definitely be checking it out!
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Interesting take on a society where individuals have mutations that give them special powers
This was pretty darn original. X-Men meets Mafia Wars (or something along those lines).
I picked this up on recommendation from the blog of Kiersten White, one of the author's writing buddies and critique partner, and decided to tackle it the last night before it had to go back to the library. So basically I had a book I knew next to nothing about with only a few hours to experience it. Frankly, I'm a still a little stumped about what to think about it.
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, Transparent had an interesting premise but suffered from a sloppy execution. I'd recommend it for those who read YA and enjoy coming-of-age stories with female protagonists and romance, but with the disclaimer that it is less like X-Men meets The Godfather, and more like X-Men meets Witness. It does contain violence and some mild teen romance, so I'd say high school and up would enjoy this the most. So if you're thinking invisibility would be a walk in the park, you might want to check out Fiona's perspective in Transparent.
Approximate Reading Time: 5 hours
Read my full review at The Wolf's Den
Overall, Transparent had an interesting premise but suffered from a sloppy execution. I'd recommend it for those who read YA and enjoy coming-of-age stories with female protagonists and romance, but with the disclaimer that it is less like X-Men meets The Godfather, and more like X-Men meets Witness. It does contain violence and some mild teen romance, so I'd say high school and up would enjoy this the most. So if you're thinking invisibility would be a walk in the park, you might want to check out Fiona's perspective in Transparent.
Approximate Reading Time: 5 hours
3.8
Sometimes you can tell right away if a book is the author's debut. I really enjoyed this book, and I think most of my issues with it have to do with the actual character, and not the writing itself or anything. So I look forward to reading more books by this author!
First off, Transparent has a great first sentence to hook you in:
"I nearly died the second I was born." (Transparent ARC, page 1, subject to change)
But after this initial moment-of-cool, honestly I almost put the book down. I'm really selective/picky about books that don't have a clear start, and this one was hard for me to understand for approximately three chapters. Thankfully I stuck around long enough to get my bearings and enjoy the story.
The summary didn't give me a clear idea of what kind of novel this is. Futuristic, dystopian, maybe a contemporary with a twist? Not really. More of an X-Men feel. You should know: many people in Fiona's world have superpowers (I originally thought it was only her) because of some tragic world radiation thing...(it wasn't too clear on the background)...so over generations these random gene superpowers get passed down somehow...just go with it! Sci-fi-alternate-reality-ish.
The science of Fiona's superpower (invisible skin) was well explained and the one aspect I really can't find anything to complain about. Very well thought out, and answered all my questions. Props for that.
I wish the world was explained more, because Fiona's "crime lord" father waaas a little strange. Like, think Mob-era in Las Vegas, but in the future? I'm not sure how to explain it. Maybe if the book was longer, there could be more written about the history/world building. Fiona is on the run from her evil dad since he has this sort of Charmer power that makes people do what he says. And her brother is bad too. Really, there are no clear sides in this book.
Anyway, Fiona is invisible. Literally. Now as much as I tried to, I had a hard time connecting with her. The on-the-run aspect (which is a LOT of the book) sounded wayyy overly dramatic. Maybe I am judging her too harshly, as I've never had a hard life that I needed to escape like she does, but this is just my opinion. She's also super naive and has about zero self-confidence. I felt a lot like this book had a not-so-subtle message that "every teenager feels invisible but you have to be yourself and don't worry about looks!" as well as some parallel to a contemporary broken-home situation...disguised with superpowers. I do not like books with either of these themes, but the overall plot was too lighthearted and had fun moments, I didn't let too much of it bother me.
The supporting characters fell flat with the exception of Brady, and Seth. They were pretty okay, and I was able to empathize with their situations more than anyone else. Also, they were funny and never boring. I thought Fiona's romance was borderline cheesy though, due to her aforementioned naivety and made my eyes roll, just a bit. Maybe recommended for some younger-teen readers, more than older.
I am glad Transparent is a standalone. I read it in a day and it's an easy between-big-books read that you should definitely give a chance!
Sometimes you can tell right away if a book is the author's debut. I really enjoyed this book, and I think most of my issues with it have to do with the actual character, and not the writing itself or anything. So I look forward to reading more books by this author!
First off, Transparent has a great first sentence to hook you in:
"I nearly died the second I was born." (Transparent ARC, page 1, subject to change)
But after this initial moment-of-cool, honestly I almost put the book down. I'm really selective/picky about books that don't have a clear start, and this one was hard for me to understand for approximately three chapters. Thankfully I stuck around long enough to get my bearings and enjoy the story.
The summary didn't give me a clear idea of what kind of novel this is. Futuristic, dystopian, maybe a contemporary with a twist? Not really. More of an X-Men feel. You should know: many people in Fiona's world have superpowers (I originally thought it was only her) because of some tragic world radiation thing...(it wasn't too clear on the background)...so over generations these random gene superpowers get passed down somehow...just go with it! Sci-fi-alternate-reality-ish.
The science of Fiona's superpower (invisible skin) was well explained and the one aspect I really can't find anything to complain about. Very well thought out, and answered all my questions. Props for that.
I wish the world was explained more, because Fiona's "crime lord" father waaas a little strange. Like, think Mob-era in Las Vegas, but in the future? I'm not sure how to explain it. Maybe if the book was longer, there could be more written about the history/world building. Fiona is on the run from her evil dad since he has this sort of Charmer power that makes people do what he says. And her brother is bad too. Really, there are no clear sides in this book.
Anyway, Fiona is invisible. Literally. Now as much as I tried to, I had a hard time connecting with her. The on-the-run aspect (which is a LOT of the book) sounded wayyy overly dramatic. Maybe I am judging her too harshly, as I've never had a hard life that I needed to escape like she does, but this is just my opinion. She's also super naive and has about zero self-confidence. I felt a lot like this book had a not-so-subtle message that "every teenager feels invisible but you have to be yourself and don't worry about looks!" as well as some parallel to a contemporary broken-home situation...disguised with superpowers. I do not like books with either of these themes, but the overall plot was too lighthearted and had fun moments, I didn't let too much of it bother me.
The supporting characters fell flat with the exception of Brady, and Seth. They were pretty okay, and I was able to empathize with their situations more than anyone else. Also, they were funny and never boring. I thought Fiona's romance was borderline cheesy though, due to her aforementioned naivety and made my eyes roll, just a bit. Maybe recommended for some younger-teen readers, more than older.
I am glad Transparent is a standalone. I read it in a day and it's an easy between-big-books read that you should definitely give a chance!
This review is also published on Captivated by Books.
Fiona was born invisible, yet in a world of strange mutations and powers she is the only invisible girl. Her father heads one of America’s leading syndicates, and so she is brought up in a world of crime, often working alongside her mother. When they do escape, Fiona is fully expecting to be caught and taken back, but until that happens she decides to appreciate the chance she has at being a normal teenager. At school she is still seen as a freak, but as she starts to let her guard down, she realises there are others who understand and are willing to accept her.
I didn’t know anything about Transparent other than the main character is invisible – I chose it because I used to read Natalie Whipple’s blog long before she got a publishing deal and I wanted to support her. Transparent wasn’t quite what I was expecting as it is bordering on dystopian YA rather than set in the current world, but that didn’t stop me from racing through the story and desperate to continue reading the series.
Lately I have read too many YA books written in first person, but in Transparent Fiona’s voice is so strong it’s impossible not to feel you’ve lived her life right alongside her. Not only does Fiona come across as a unique teenager, but most of the other characters are also well-defined and interesting to read about. Despite many of them having special and unusual powers, they all come across as people I might know/have known at high school. I would say though, many of the adults in this book had so little background shared with the reader that it’s difficult to understand them and their actions. I am hoping those characters are explored further in the next book.
As well as interesting characters, Whipple succeeds in creating an intriguing and unexpected story with what could be predictable scenarios and plot points. For me, the fact that I was continually wondering what would happen, right alongside the characters, is what made this book such a wonderful read. My main issue was it felt far too short and I reached the conclusion much earlier than I would have liked. Of course, being the first in a trilogy means there is still more to come and I am sure I will continue reading Whipple’s books.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a clean teenage story with a few twists. It isn’t quite dystopian, so for those who are unsure of the genre, Transparent is a good choice as it has many of the page-turning qualities of a complete dystopian YA, without having to consider an unimaginable world (even the ‘mutations’ and ‘powers’ are explained and we could imagine it as a very similar society to Western society today).
Fiona was born invisible, yet in a world of strange mutations and powers she is the only invisible girl. Her father heads one of America’s leading syndicates, and so she is brought up in a world of crime, often working alongside her mother. When they do escape, Fiona is fully expecting to be caught and taken back, but until that happens she decides to appreciate the chance she has at being a normal teenager. At school she is still seen as a freak, but as she starts to let her guard down, she realises there are others who understand and are willing to accept her.
I didn’t know anything about Transparent other than the main character is invisible – I chose it because I used to read Natalie Whipple’s blog long before she got a publishing deal and I wanted to support her. Transparent wasn’t quite what I was expecting as it is bordering on dystopian YA rather than set in the current world, but that didn’t stop me from racing through the story and desperate to continue reading the series.
Lately I have read too many YA books written in first person, but in Transparent Fiona’s voice is so strong it’s impossible not to feel you’ve lived her life right alongside her. Not only does Fiona come across as a unique teenager, but most of the other characters are also well-defined and interesting to read about. Despite many of them having special and unusual powers, they all come across as people I might know/have known at high school. I would say though, many of the adults in this book had so little background shared with the reader that it’s difficult to understand them and their actions. I am hoping those characters are explored further in the next book.
As well as interesting characters, Whipple succeeds in creating an intriguing and unexpected story with what could be predictable scenarios and plot points. For me, the fact that I was continually wondering what would happen, right alongside the characters, is what made this book such a wonderful read. My main issue was it felt far too short and I reached the conclusion much earlier than I would have liked. Of course, being the first in a trilogy means there is still more to come and I am sure I will continue reading Whipple’s books.
I would recommend this to anyone looking for a clean teenage story with a few twists. It isn’t quite dystopian, so for those who are unsure of the genre, Transparent is a good choice as it has many of the page-turning qualities of a complete dystopian YA, without having to consider an unimaginable world (even the ‘mutations’ and ‘powers’ are explained and we could imagine it as a very similar society to Western society today).