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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
This is one of those instances where the blurb did not adequately prepare me for what was about to happen. As it turns out, it’s even better than I could have imagined.
The book starts off with Natalie and her mother out on the job for her dad. Instantly, I was alerted that this book had so much more depth to it than the blurb had suggested. For one, Fiona isn’t just invisible–she’s one of a bunch of people in her world who have a special ability. Her mother is a telekinetic, which makes them a perfect pair of agents for her father’s mafia. That’s right, her dad isn’t just some lowlife crook–he’s a crime boss with a special power that allows him to bewitch all the women around him to love him. This adds stakes to Fiona and her mother’s escape, as both of them are basically addicted to her father and risk relapse. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Fiona and her mother pull off the job successfully, but things turn for the worse when Fiona’s father decides that she needs to start moving up in the ranks of criminals. Instead of just stealing, he wants her to kill people. This is the last straw for Fiona and her mother. They make a break for it–but the kicker is that they’ve done this before. Her mom always cracks and gets her father to come get them. Fiona not only has to try to “fit in” and stay hidden, but also keep her mother from relapsing back to her father. Their escape leads them to a tiny town full of a couple families of “special” kids, and Fiona starts to feel like this could be home after all.
And then her psychopathic brother and father find them. Whoops.
I honestly wasn’t expecting the kind of world this book was set in, because the blurb I read never hinted at it. I requested the book mostly because I wanted to figure out how Fiona was going to escape at all, being invisible. The real plot of the book is much more interesting, and I’m glad I picked it up just from that. I’m a sucker for books about kids with mutant powers. (Don’t ask me about X-Men, we’ll be here forever.)
There were also several more plot elements then I was expecting. I hoped for action, certainly, and I got it. This book kept MOVING. But there were also points where the stakes were no less high, but yet not centered around a fight scene or a car chase. Whipple keeps your heart rate up as Fiona’s mother threatens their safety because she’s addicted to her father, or because of Fiona’s learning disability. These little things probably made the difference between a three and a four star rating for me. I love it when an author remembers that little details are as important as big ones.
I think my biggest issue with this book was the characterization. Don’t get me wrong, I loved most of them. From Fiona’s sweet brother to her awesome “Pack” of friends to her cute love interest, I was sold on them all. It was our main character, Fiona, who really bothered me at key moments. I think it was mostly because she had moments of out-of-character stupidity that were clearly only there to further along the plot. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, especially when the biggest use of this is to instigate the ending of the book, which I didn’t believe at all because FIONA. This made the difference between the five and the four star rating for me.
All in all, though, I’m really depressed that this book doesn’t have a series tag on Goodreads. I can’t imagine where the story would go from there, but I wish I could spend more time in this world. I look forward eagerly to Whipple’s next work! If this book sounds the least bit interesting to you, I suggest that you get your hands on it. I really enjoyed it!
The book starts off with Natalie and her mother out on the job for her dad. Instantly, I was alerted that this book had so much more depth to it than the blurb had suggested. For one, Fiona isn’t just invisible–she’s one of a bunch of people in her world who have a special ability. Her mother is a telekinetic, which makes them a perfect pair of agents for her father’s mafia. That’s right, her dad isn’t just some lowlife crook–he’s a crime boss with a special power that allows him to bewitch all the women around him to love him. This adds stakes to Fiona and her mother’s escape, as both of them are basically addicted to her father and risk relapse. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Fiona and her mother pull off the job successfully, but things turn for the worse when Fiona’s father decides that she needs to start moving up in the ranks of criminals. Instead of just stealing, he wants her to kill people. This is the last straw for Fiona and her mother. They make a break for it–but the kicker is that they’ve done this before. Her mom always cracks and gets her father to come get them. Fiona not only has to try to “fit in” and stay hidden, but also keep her mother from relapsing back to her father. Their escape leads them to a tiny town full of a couple families of “special” kids, and Fiona starts to feel like this could be home after all.
And then her psychopathic brother and father find them. Whoops.
I honestly wasn’t expecting the kind of world this book was set in, because the blurb I read never hinted at it. I requested the book mostly because I wanted to figure out how Fiona was going to escape at all, being invisible. The real plot of the book is much more interesting, and I’m glad I picked it up just from that. I’m a sucker for books about kids with mutant powers. (Don’t ask me about X-Men, we’ll be here forever.)
There were also several more plot elements then I was expecting. I hoped for action, certainly, and I got it. This book kept MOVING. But there were also points where the stakes were no less high, but yet not centered around a fight scene or a car chase. Whipple keeps your heart rate up as Fiona’s mother threatens their safety because she’s addicted to her father, or because of Fiona’s learning disability. These little things probably made the difference between a three and a four star rating for me. I love it when an author remembers that little details are as important as big ones.
I think my biggest issue with this book was the characterization. Don’t get me wrong, I loved most of them. From Fiona’s sweet brother to her awesome “Pack” of friends to her cute love interest, I was sold on them all. It was our main character, Fiona, who really bothered me at key moments. I think it was mostly because she had moments of out-of-character stupidity that were clearly only there to further along the plot. This is a huge pet peeve of mine, especially when the biggest use of this is to instigate the ending of the book, which I didn’t believe at all because FIONA. This made the difference between the five and the four star rating for me.
All in all, though, I’m really depressed that this book doesn’t have a series tag on Goodreads. I can’t imagine where the story would go from there, but I wish I could spend more time in this world. I look forward eagerly to Whipple’s next work! If this book sounds the least bit interesting to you, I suggest that you get your hands on it. I really enjoyed it!
*Review from http://books-anovelidea.blogspot.com/*
(3.75/5 stars)
Have you ever found yourself feeling completely invisible? And I mean Mia Thermopolis "someone just sat on me again" invisible. Fiona McClean is completely and legitimately invisible, and that's just how her father likes it. As Las Vegas's number one crime boss, having an invisible daughter as his number one secret weapon is Fiona's dad's top priority and she always did his bidding. That is, until he asks her to commit a murder. Fiona and her mother flee Vegas and head to a sleepy little town where nothing happens, desperate to save Fiona from a life as a criminal. Then, a whole bunch of shenanigans ensue, leading to a major climax that involves guns, and an ending that is very satisfying because it's one hundred percent a standalone YA book! And since it involves superpowers and radiation pills, it's totally sci-fi, which is good because it's definitely still Sci Fi Month!
What I liked:Did I mention this is a standalone? Because it's a standalone and I love it for that. The trend in YA fiction is full of series right now (which is fine and I love that too), but it's refreshing to see something that doesn't follow that trend. edit: I just found out this book is now part of a series, not a standalone *face palm* I take that all back I also really liked Fiona's voice, it was distinct and funny and some of the lines had me suppressing a giddy smile and outburst in the middle of the airport. Her voice changed as she developed and grew as a character and that was great to see. I also really loved the character diversity in her new group of friends and old family drama. Yeah, sure it was stereotypical- weak minded mom, misogynistic dad, loud but loyal best girl-friend, brothers who are the complete opposites of each other- but it was stereotypical enough that it was different. Does that even make sense? The characters captured my heart, and I was immediately invested in their struggles. Also, let's talk about the awesome superpowers. So cool. So different. So, thank you Natalie Whipple. Super strength, the ability to create smells, be able to mimic other people's voices, and invisibility are just the top layer of powers we see in this story. It also got me thinking that maybe I don't actually want to be invisible ever (now I must find a new answers to the "what superpower would you have?" question). It completely sucks to be Fiona and have that curse. Which brings me to a little shout out to Natalie Whipple for the entire "am I beautiful" conversation that Fiona has with her mother in which she kind of shames society for seeing beauty as a purely physical trait and not having anything to do with character. Guess what, Fiona is beautiful because of who she is, not because of what she looks like.
What I didn't like: I didn't like that I felt like I could never fully trust Miles, Fiona's brother. I don't know what it was, and I really think it was a personal thing- maybe I have trust issues and he was too nice. That felt weird to me. I also wasn't the biggest fan of how the story ended, the part concerning her father at least. I really was expecting a bigger blow up, and I was disappointed it ended so lightly. But I did like the rest of the ending, and I still really liked the book itself, I'm just being picky. Lastly, I was left still a bit confused over the entire identity of Spud, but I think that was a personal thing too. Was Spud a real person? I didn't get it.
Overall, Transparent was a very fun, light read. The story was interesting and easy to get invested in, and the characters brought a whole new personality to it. Oh, and the love interest is A+ (super smart soccer boy? sign me up!) and quite adorable, but it doesn't overshadow the story and conflict (yay for good writing!). I definitely recommend it as a standalone so be sure to check it out!
(3.75/5 stars)
Have you ever found yourself feeling completely invisible? And I mean Mia Thermopolis "someone just sat on me again" invisible. Fiona McClean is completely and legitimately invisible, and that's just how her father likes it. As Las Vegas's number one crime boss, having an invisible daughter as his number one secret weapon is Fiona's dad's top priority and she always did his bidding. That is, until he asks her to commit a murder. Fiona and her mother flee Vegas and head to a sleepy little town where nothing happens, desperate to save Fiona from a life as a criminal. Then, a whole bunch of shenanigans ensue, leading to a major climax that involves guns, and an ending that is very satisfying because it's one hundred percent a standalone YA book! And since it involves superpowers and radiation pills, it's totally sci-fi, which is good because it's definitely still Sci Fi Month!
What I liked:
What I didn't like: I didn't like that I felt like I could never fully trust Miles, Fiona's brother. I don't know what it was, and I really think it was a personal thing- maybe I have trust issues and he was too nice. That felt weird to me. I also wasn't the biggest fan of how the story ended, the part concerning her father at least. I really was expecting a bigger blow up, and I was disappointed it ended so lightly. But I did like the rest of the ending, and I still really liked the book itself, I'm just being picky. Lastly, I was left still a bit confused over the entire identity of Spud, but I think that was a personal thing too. Was Spud a real person? I didn't get it.
Overall, Transparent was a very fun, light read. The story was interesting and easy to get invested in, and the characters brought a whole new personality to it. Oh, and the love interest is A+ (super smart soccer boy? sign me up!) and quite adorable, but it doesn't overshadow the story and conflict (yay for good writing!). I definitely recommend it as a standalone so be sure to check it out!
Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Natalie Whipple's Transparent is a young adult novel that features superpowers, cool characters, and a surprising romance.
I must say that Transparentis a pretty cool novel, especially since we get to see an array of different powers obtained through radiation. It reads like a never-before-seen X-men episode, which made me love the concept even more. Whipple's novel is set during present time, rather than in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian world--which is pretty refreshing. As a result, the reader may often wonder why our world isn't gifted (or in some cases, cursed) with such abilities.
Fiona, the protagonist, is the invisible daughter of a crime boss. Literally. She's lived her life trying to please him through various dangerous criminal acts. We get to see her in action at the beginning, making her appear cool and fearless. What irked me, however, is how her personality, though strengthened by all the things she's seen or experienced, is whiny. To be honest, I don't really know how her new friends accept her so quickly, since she is a jerk from the start.
The originality of the plot kept me intrigued as we hoped for a happy ending to Fiona's story. Though we know that the confrontation with her abusive father is inevitable, we still hope that Fiona and her mother find a safe way to live. But since Fiona is wary of so many people around her--her upbringing being more than enough reason for her paranoia--we can't help but find it difficult to get attached to certain characters, at least, not right away.
Though a little predictable, Transparent is still the type of novel that makes you want more. The pacing makes it a quick read, while the suspense of not knowing when or how her father will appear to collect his daughter creates a sense of tension within the reader. We fear what will happen to Fiona because even if she is frustrating at times, we also know that she is much more fragile than she pretends to be.
One of the greatest mysteries Whipple creates is Fiona's appearance. What does she really look like? Will we ever get to know? Will she always be invisible to everyone? Trust me, this will get you going because how refreshing is it to read about a female protagonist who doesn't judge herself based on whether she is beautiful or not? Of course, she does worry about her appearance, but not in the conventional sense.
I recommend Transparent to readers who love contemporary sci-fi fiction in young adult. If you like superpowers, action, romance, and suspense, then you'll like this one. Whipple's novel is pretty cool because rather than having just one extraordinary person, the whole world is gifted with power--ranging from stinky and useless powers, to mega strength.
I received a copy from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review
Natalie Whipple's Transparent is a young adult novel that features superpowers, cool characters, and a surprising romance.
I must say that Transparentis a pretty cool novel, especially since we get to see an array of different powers obtained through radiation. It reads like a never-before-seen X-men episode, which made me love the concept even more. Whipple's novel is set during present time, rather than in a post-apocalyptic or dystopian world--which is pretty refreshing. As a result, the reader may often wonder why our world isn't gifted (or in some cases, cursed) with such abilities.
Fiona, the protagonist, is the invisible daughter of a crime boss. Literally. She's lived her life trying to please him through various dangerous criminal acts. We get to see her in action at the beginning, making her appear cool and fearless. What irked me, however, is how her personality, though strengthened by all the things she's seen or experienced, is whiny. To be honest, I don't really know how her new friends accept her so quickly, since she is a jerk from the start.
The originality of the plot kept me intrigued as we hoped for a happy ending to Fiona's story. Though we know that the confrontation with her abusive father is inevitable, we still hope that Fiona and her mother find a safe way to live. But since Fiona is wary of so many people around her--her upbringing being more than enough reason for her paranoia--we can't help but find it difficult to get attached to certain characters, at least, not right away.
Though a little predictable, Transparent is still the type of novel that makes you want more. The pacing makes it a quick read, while the suspense of not knowing when or how her father will appear to collect his daughter creates a sense of tension within the reader. We fear what will happen to Fiona because even if she is frustrating at times, we also know that she is much more fragile than she pretends to be.
One of the greatest mysteries Whipple creates is Fiona's appearance. What does she really look like? Will we ever get to know? Will she always be invisible to everyone? Trust me, this will get you going because how refreshing is it to read about a female protagonist who doesn't judge herself based on whether she is beautiful or not? Of course, she does worry about her appearance, but not in the conventional sense.
I recommend Transparent to readers who love contemporary sci-fi fiction in young adult. If you like superpowers, action, romance, and suspense, then you'll like this one. Whipple's novel is pretty cool because rather than having just one extraordinary person, the whole world is gifted with power--ranging from stinky and useless powers, to mega strength.
2.5
An easy read but lacking in plot and action. I expected some sort of thriller but you actually just spend a lot of time following Fiona as she tries to make friends for the first time.
An easy read but lacking in plot and action. I expected some sort of thriller but you actually just spend a lot of time following Fiona as she tries to make friends for the first time.
Originally posted at yAdult Review
I am extremely torn on this book. Don’t get me wrong, I love and adore it and will be recommending it. However there were enough negatives that it affected my view on the novel. But we’ll get to the negatives.
This book is about Fiona, a girl who happens to be invisible. How weird is it to not know what your hair looks like? Or your eyes? The only thing Fiona, or Fi, knows is that she is 5’8’’, 140 pounds and has an amazing wardrobe.
One day her father, think head of a major crime family, decides she needs to kill a man, since she fears her father and doesn’t want to disappoint him she agrees. Let me repeat that: because she fears her father she agrees to kill a man. She at one point states “The Worst Part? I miss him. I hate him and miss him at the same time.” Yeah, see why I had a problem with this book?
I don’t know why I keep coming back to the father situation besides the fact that it bothered me from the very beginning of the novel. I love father/daughter relationships, probably because my father and I have a really good (mocking) relationship. But the father/daughter relationship in Transparent is weird. From the very beginning it’s weird. I understand she, understandably, fears her father, however, her need to please him while fearing him is worrisome to me. Maybe because I found it hard to relate and connect to the situation. Just when you think you can’t hate her father anymore, oh you do.
Her mother though decides enough is enough and in the middle of the night takes her away. After about a month of hiding her, Fiona’s mother decides, you know what, you actually need to go to school in the real world. I know, crazy thoughts, but Fiona’s world is nothing but normal. It is important to point out that both of her parents are mutants, too. Her father is a drug. He’s a drug in the sense that if you’re near him too long he becomes irresistible to women and they will do anything to make him happy. Women have to detox off of him. The only reason Fiona doesn’t is because she has his blood running through her.
Fiona also has two brothers, Graham, a flyer, who she loathes because she considers him her fathers lapdog (her words, not mine.) And Miles, who happens to be her best friend, and one her father has deemed worthless (again, her words, not mine.) Whenever Fiona and her mother disappear her brother Graham is the one who scoops them up and forces them to return, hence a giant part of her hate of him. Fiona of course has issues with her mother, many issues, on top of the typical she’s a teenager and hates her mother issues. Fiona and her mother never really talk and because of that there is a lot of hostility and resentment from Fi. However Fiona and her mother, closer to the end of the story, finally talk and you understand more about where her mother is coming from. Because Fiona is the narrator of Transparent, it is often a skewed view on her mother. When the two finally have a chance to talk, Fiona’s own view on her mother changes and because of that so does the readers.
Whipple’s use of history throughout the novel was fascinating. She discusses how Radiasure, a popular drug, was once an anti radiation pill during the Cold War in hopes of surviving the nuclear holocaust. Of course said holocaust never came but the mutations did. Simple things: a man with a woman’s voice, a green person, but everyone was okay with this because still, they would survive. It then was found out that even after people stopped taking the drug their children would still be affected. This of course caused people to abuse said drug. It became an illegal drug and was forcing people to be like super heroes/villains in the movies. Would that make you want to take it?
We already know by normal, present day, standards of America that as soon as something becomes illegal it becomes a must have item. Government tries to regulate it and it all goes to hell in a handbasket (of course it does.) Most are good at hiding their powers, don’t abuse it, and aren’t as noticeable as Fiona, who is invisible or transparent.People hate her and think her evil crime boss father brought her to this small town to hide her from a rival crime lord. Madison, Arizona. I will give it to Whipple, she explains the town so well I was convinced it was a real town in Arizona. I felt everything down to the sweat Fiona felt walking home from school. I have spent the last 12 years of my life in Arizona and there are certain things you don’t do during a period of time in Arizona and that is walk. It is so hot and dusty that it takes your breath away, and not in a good way.
Fiona is lucky and does find a close knit group of friends in Bea and Brady and what is known as The Pack. Of course it takes Fiona a bit to open up to them. Her father spent most of her life telling her that nice people are her worst enemies. So when Bea and Brady are nice to her, she assumes they are frauds and they want something from her, even though they don’t. Which causes this whole blow up because Bea had enough of it. Which is awesome to see because girls in YA novels usually don’t have those moments. They are instead all about the cat fights, this novel is different. The two meet back up and everything is cool. Bea and her are fine and Bea is back to defending her right away because people are assholes.
One of the most important lines, to me, happened on page 43 of the ARC when Fiona said to her math tutor, Seth “It doesn’t’ matter what you intended, only how it’s interpreted.” That line stayed with me probably longer than Whipple intended it to. Seth quickly becomes one of the few people who are open and honest with Fiona, even when she doesn’t want to hear it (which of course is often.) Without even knowing the whole situation he brought to light what a horrible person her father is how he hindered her from having an education because she wasn’t important to him as a daughter, only as an invisible henchmen. There is also that tension with Seth right away because Seth reminds Fiona of her brother Graham and she almost loathes him because of that fact.
As Fiona is bonding with her new BFFs, it ends up Graham has come into town and she ends up running away, because lets be real here, who wants to go back to the evil crime lord that is your father? I know I wouldn’t. While hiding from her brother, two of her new friends have formed a search party to come find her. Something that Fiona isn’t quite sure what to do with. Mostly because she has never had friends. And that is an important part to this story, is even though she is invisible, Fiona is still a teenage girl who wants to be liked, and even loved. Really, truly loved, not just used.
Then Graham comes to town. He claims that they are friends and he’s on their side. He’s been on their side all along! But still, as a reader from Fiona’s point of view, you don’t trust him. Miles, is the exact opposite of Graham, you can’t help but trust him. Graham doesn’t lie though, he does, in his own way try to help them. And while he’s helping them, Miles and Fi are becoming part of the group who has their own secrets. There are so many important things weaved into this story it is a testament to Whipple’s writing.
Although invisible, Fi is still a teenage girl. She gets giddy when she gets asked out, she takes cheap shots and then immediately regrets them. She has a love/hate relationship with Seth in the character. I related a lot to her relationship with Seth. They both have stressful shit going on in their lives and they take it out on each other. Tina is currently planning a wedding and I’m trying to figure out grad school. Our daily emails to each other are snarkier and shorter than usual. Not because we hate each other but because we love each other so much we know we can be assholes to each other and still love each other at the end of the day. (Hi Tina! Thanks for calling me out on my shit..daily.) Which of course plays into the love triangle in the book. (Not in real life. Tina and I are just BFFs. Her boyfriend is a lovely man.) Fi likes Brady, but starts to have feelings for Seth. She is actually unaware of her feelings for Seth, although the reader has many hints throughout. There is a pivotal moment on page 156 of the ARC where a big blow up happens involving Seth’s skill in the book and Seth ends up saying “Whether you knew it or not, you’ve been fixing me” the amount of feels that it gave me I am unable to put into words. Particularly because I enjoy people believing I have a cold bitter black heart.
What holds this story together is Whipple’s writing and world building. To be honest it is what is making me give it a higher rating than I originally thought I would. I hovered between 3-4 stars for quite some time. Because while I enjoyed the stories I did have issues with it. Fiona comes from a famous family, is invisible, joins a new town and her father never found out? The twist involving her brother? BUT Whipple is a good strong writer who explains things that one doesn’t think about when invisible. For example, what it’s like going to a pool. Or being covered in water/a pool. The process of applying suntan lotion or getting out of a pool and how it makes you seen.Or playing a game of sardines (form of hide and seek) in which she takes off half of her clothes and everyone freaks out because although she is invisible they see picture what she looks like. Whipple’s writing, to me, made up for the issues I had which changed this from a 3.5/3 to a 4/3.5 star rating.
I am extremely torn on this book. Don’t get me wrong, I love and adore it and will be recommending it. However there were enough negatives that it affected my view on the novel. But we’ll get to the negatives.
This book is about Fiona, a girl who happens to be invisible. How weird is it to not know what your hair looks like? Or your eyes? The only thing Fiona, or Fi, knows is that she is 5’8’’, 140 pounds and has an amazing wardrobe.
One day her father, think head of a major crime family, decides she needs to kill a man, since she fears her father and doesn’t want to disappoint him she agrees. Let me repeat that: because she fears her father she agrees to kill a man. She at one point states “The Worst Part? I miss him. I hate him and miss him at the same time.” Yeah, see why I had a problem with this book?
I don’t know why I keep coming back to the father situation besides the fact that it bothered me from the very beginning of the novel. I love father/daughter relationships, probably because my father and I have a really good (mocking) relationship. But the father/daughter relationship in Transparent is weird. From the very beginning it’s weird. I understand she, understandably, fears her father, however, her need to please him while fearing him is worrisome to me. Maybe because I found it hard to relate and connect to the situation. Just when you think you can’t hate her father anymore, oh you do.
Her mother though decides enough is enough and in the middle of the night takes her away. After about a month of hiding her, Fiona’s mother decides, you know what, you actually need to go to school in the real world. I know, crazy thoughts, but Fiona’s world is nothing but normal. It is important to point out that both of her parents are mutants, too. Her father is a drug. He’s a drug in the sense that if you’re near him too long he becomes irresistible to women and they will do anything to make him happy. Women have to detox off of him. The only reason Fiona doesn’t is because she has his blood running through her.
Fiona also has two brothers, Graham, a flyer, who she loathes because she considers him her fathers lapdog (her words, not mine.) And Miles, who happens to be her best friend, and one her father has deemed worthless (again, her words, not mine.) Whenever Fiona and her mother disappear her brother Graham is the one who scoops them up and forces them to return, hence a giant part of her hate of him. Fiona of course has issues with her mother, many issues, on top of the typical she’s a teenager and hates her mother issues. Fiona and her mother never really talk and because of that there is a lot of hostility and resentment from Fi. However Fiona and her mother, closer to the end of the story, finally talk and you understand more about where her mother is coming from. Because Fiona is the narrator of Transparent, it is often a skewed view on her mother. When the two finally have a chance to talk, Fiona’s own view on her mother changes and because of that so does the readers.
Whipple’s use of history throughout the novel was fascinating. She discusses how Radiasure, a popular drug, was once an anti radiation pill during the Cold War in hopes of surviving the nuclear holocaust. Of course said holocaust never came but the mutations did. Simple things: a man with a woman’s voice, a green person, but everyone was okay with this because still, they would survive. It then was found out that even after people stopped taking the drug their children would still be affected. This of course caused people to abuse said drug. It became an illegal drug and was forcing people to be like super heroes/villains in the movies. Would that make you want to take it?
We already know by normal, present day, standards of America that as soon as something becomes illegal it becomes a must have item. Government tries to regulate it and it all goes to hell in a handbasket (of course it does.) Most are good at hiding their powers, don’t abuse it, and aren’t as noticeable as Fiona, who is invisible or transparent.People hate her and think her evil crime boss father brought her to this small town to hide her from a rival crime lord. Madison, Arizona. I will give it to Whipple, she explains the town so well I was convinced it was a real town in Arizona. I felt everything down to the sweat Fiona felt walking home from school. I have spent the last 12 years of my life in Arizona and there are certain things you don’t do during a period of time in Arizona and that is walk. It is so hot and dusty that it takes your breath away, and not in a good way.
Fiona is lucky and does find a close knit group of friends in Bea and Brady and what is known as The Pack. Of course it takes Fiona a bit to open up to them. Her father spent most of her life telling her that nice people are her worst enemies. So when Bea and Brady are nice to her, she assumes they are frauds and they want something from her, even though they don’t. Which causes this whole blow up because Bea had enough of it. Which is awesome to see because girls in YA novels usually don’t have those moments. They are instead all about the cat fights, this novel is different. The two meet back up and everything is cool. Bea and her are fine and Bea is back to defending her right away because people are assholes.
One of the most important lines, to me, happened on page 43 of the ARC when Fiona said to her math tutor, Seth “It doesn’t’ matter what you intended, only how it’s interpreted.” That line stayed with me probably longer than Whipple intended it to. Seth quickly becomes one of the few people who are open and honest with Fiona, even when she doesn’t want to hear it (which of course is often.) Without even knowing the whole situation he brought to light what a horrible person her father is how he hindered her from having an education because she wasn’t important to him as a daughter, only as an invisible henchmen. There is also that tension with Seth right away because Seth reminds Fiona of her brother Graham and she almost loathes him because of that fact.
As Fiona is bonding with her new BFFs, it ends up Graham has come into town and she ends up running away, because lets be real here, who wants to go back to the evil crime lord that is your father? I know I wouldn’t. While hiding from her brother, two of her new friends have formed a search party to come find her. Something that Fiona isn’t quite sure what to do with. Mostly because she has never had friends. And that is an important part to this story, is even though she is invisible, Fiona is still a teenage girl who wants to be liked, and even loved. Really, truly loved, not just used.
Then Graham comes to town. He claims that they are friends and he’s on their side. He’s been on their side all along! But still, as a reader from Fiona’s point of view, you don’t trust him. Miles, is the exact opposite of Graham, you can’t help but trust him. Graham doesn’t lie though, he does, in his own way try to help them. And while he’s helping them, Miles and Fi are becoming part of the group who has their own secrets. There are so many important things weaved into this story it is a testament to Whipple’s writing.
Although invisible, Fi is still a teenage girl. She gets giddy when she gets asked out, she takes cheap shots and then immediately regrets them. She has a love/hate relationship with Seth in the character. I related a lot to her relationship with Seth. They both have stressful shit going on in their lives and they take it out on each other. Tina is currently planning a wedding and I’m trying to figure out grad school. Our daily emails to each other are snarkier and shorter than usual. Not because we hate each other but because we love each other so much we know we can be assholes to each other and still love each other at the end of the day. (Hi Tina! Thanks for calling me out on my shit..daily.) Which of course plays into the love triangle in the book. (Not in real life. Tina and I are just BFFs. Her boyfriend is a lovely man.) Fi likes Brady, but starts to have feelings for Seth. She is actually unaware of her feelings for Seth, although the reader has many hints throughout. There is a pivotal moment on page 156 of the ARC where a big blow up happens involving Seth’s skill in the book and Seth ends up saying “Whether you knew it or not, you’ve been fixing me” the amount of feels that it gave me I am unable to put into words. Particularly because I enjoy people believing I have a cold bitter black heart.
What holds this story together is Whipple’s writing and world building. To be honest it is what is making me give it a higher rating than I originally thought I would. I hovered between 3-4 stars for quite some time. Because while I enjoyed the stories I did have issues with it. Fiona comes from a famous family, is invisible, joins a new town and her father never found out? The twist involving her brother? BUT Whipple is a good strong writer who explains things that one doesn’t think about when invisible. For example, what it’s like going to a pool. Or being covered in water/a pool. The process of applying suntan lotion or getting out of a pool and how it makes you seen.Or playing a game of sardines (form of hide and seek) in which she takes off half of her clothes and everyone freaks out because although she is invisible they see picture what she looks like. Whipple’s writing, to me, made up for the issues I had which changed this from a 3.5/3 to a 4/3.5 star rating.