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notastate's review against another edition
4.0
I read Awkward who knows how long ago and I loved it. So after reading Rebel Belle and Trouble is A Friend of Mine, and I was in the mood for something with wit, snappy, humorous characters, I knew Invisible was the book to pick up. I fell in love with Jane and Scott from the beginning (even verbally hoping that she and Miles would hurry up and realize they were bad for each other), and was over the moon happy at the very end when they got together (although, much like with Awkward, I wish there was now a whole other series dedicated to them being a couple). This was just the book I needed!
greisreads's review against another edition
5.0
I think I was able to relate more to Jane than I was able to relate to Kenzie. It's not that I related more to Jane's personality but I could totally understand what her problem was with her friends and what she was going through.
In the beginning I was worried that I wasn't going to like Invisible as much as I had liked Awkward simply because Jane seemed really judgmental of Isobel (I'm pretty sure that was the girls name) and I generally can't stand characters who don't stand up for themselves. I was going to keep my distance with this character but the more I kept reading the more that I understood the situations that Jane was going through and why she didn't just speak up about her feelings. I can't believe that I'm saying this but, Kenzie, Logan, and Corey were really getting on my nerves by how much they all seemed to be ignoring Jane. For goodness's sake, Scott was being a better friend to Jane and she didn't even like him!
I was seriously shocked by the change in Chelsea, I didn't know what to expect from her but I actually ended up liking her in the end. it really says a lot about your friends when the person that you hate is being nicer and more supportive of you than your actual friends are.
Jane really changed throughout the book. At first she was just this shy girl who didn't want to speak up because she didn't want to hurt peoples feelings but by the end she no longer cared what anyone wanted to say and defended herself and got out her side of the story. I was so proud of Jane by the end of this book because she had really grown!
My favourite part, hands down was when she barged over to Corey's house and apologized to him and then just dove in on her friends. She pointed out to them exactly how horrible they had been to her and how it hadn't been fair and how they were treating her wrong. That was by far my favourite part.
The thing that I related to the most in the book was the relationship that Jane had with her friends and the way that she kept everything that she felt and wanted to say bottled inside. I mentioned this at the beginning but let me explain exactly why I could relate to that. I am currently in a position and have been in this position before with my friends. They just planned everything without me, I was never even asked if I wanted to go to places, everything was just arranged and everyone but me was going somewhere together. Except for me, all of my friends skype each other and talk to each other every day constantly and whenever we're actually together in a group, I might as well not be there because no one talks to me. Jane understood that, Jane felt what I was feeling. Jane was dealing with what I was dealing and she put into words what I couldn't and it felt so nice to find someone out there that was dealing with what I was dealing.
The speech that Jane gave to all of her friends at the end was really good to read because it's exactly what I want to say to my friends and even though I can't say that to my friends, it made me happy to see that a character in a book was doing what I couldn't. Plus, if I ever need a drama monologue, that speech is going to be it and I can assure you that I'm going to nail it.
I like Scott and the way that he got along with Jane. I mean, I found him a little creepy at first considering the fact that he kept following Jane around and everything but I grew to like him. It was so great that Jane got along with him so well and it was wonderful that she could be honest with him about everything. She didn't care if what she said hurt him or not, she just said it.
But basically, I really enjoyed the book and I loved the ending and I don't know about anyone else who has read it, but I would recommend it.
In the beginning I was worried that I wasn't going to like Invisible as much as I had liked Awkward simply because Jane seemed really judgmental of Isobel (I'm pretty sure that was the girls name) and I generally can't stand characters who don't stand up for themselves. I was going to keep my distance with this character but the more I kept reading the more that I understood the situations that Jane was going through and why she didn't just speak up about her feelings. I can't believe that I'm saying this but, Kenzie, Logan, and Corey were really getting on my nerves by how much they all seemed to be ignoring Jane. For goodness's sake, Scott was being a better friend to Jane and she didn't even like him!
I was seriously shocked by the change in Chelsea, I didn't know what to expect from her but I actually ended up liking her in the end. it really says a lot about your friends when the person that you hate is being nicer and more supportive of you than your actual friends are.
Jane really changed throughout the book. At first she was just this shy girl who didn't want to speak up because she didn't want to hurt peoples feelings but by the end she no longer cared what anyone wanted to say and defended herself and got out her side of the story. I was so proud of Jane by the end of this book because she had really grown!
My favourite part, hands down was when she barged over to Corey's house and apologized to him and then just dove in on her friends. She pointed out to them exactly how horrible they had been to her and how it hadn't been fair and how they were treating her wrong. That was by far my favourite part.
The thing that I related to the most in the book was the relationship that Jane had with her friends and the way that she kept everything that she felt and wanted to say bottled inside. I mentioned this at the beginning but let me explain exactly why I could relate to that. I am currently in a position and have been in this position before with my friends. They just planned everything without me, I was never even asked if I wanted to go to places, everything was just arranged and everyone but me was going somewhere together. Except for me, all of my friends skype each other and talk to each other every day constantly and whenever we're actually together in a group, I might as well not be there because no one talks to me. Jane understood that, Jane felt what I was feeling. Jane was dealing with what I was dealing and she put into words what I couldn't and it felt so nice to find someone out there that was dealing with what I was dealing.
The speech that Jane gave to all of her friends at the end was really good to read because it's exactly what I want to say to my friends and even though I can't say that to my friends, it made me happy to see that a character in a book was doing what I couldn't. Plus, if I ever need a drama monologue, that speech is going to be it and I can assure you that I'm going to nail it.
I like Scott and the way that he got along with Jane. I mean, I found him a little creepy at first considering the fact that he kept following Jane around and everything but I grew to like him. It was so great that Jane got along with him so well and it was wonderful that she could be honest with him about everything. She didn't care if what she said hurt him or not, she just said it.
But basically, I really enjoyed the book and I loved the ending and I don't know about anyone else who has read it, but I would recommend it.
daisy87's review
4.0
Guys, why have I never picked up Awkward?? I mean, seriously, Invisible is totally my kind of book!!
I loved Marni Bates' writing style! It's funny and quirky and totally engaging and I loved it from the minute I turned my eyes to the first page of Invisible! I love it when a cute contemporary deals with actual teen issues aside from the maybe less plausible plot of having her two friends get famous overnight, and Marni Bates totally made it work!
Jane sees herself as Invisible. And so does half of the school. She's embraced her nerdiness and as long as she has her best friends, she doesn't really care that she's not part of the popular crowd. And I like that. You create your own happiness and all that. But this turns into a problem when her friends actually do start having more of a social life and not really having time for Jane anymore. So now Jane has to decide if she's ok with her friends seeing her as an Invisible as well.
Guys, I could recognize so much of myself in Jane! I'm that girl who tries to avoid confrontation and who knows she's not sticking up for herself enough. And I loved seeing Jane grow as a person and overcome some of her fears and just branching out and meeting new people! She's challenging herself and I like that! And really, while her best friend Kenzie bored me at times (maybe this would have been different if I'd read Awkward?), I really enjoyed reading about her new crowd, including the school newspaper photographer and a Notable girl. Mostly because these people push her to be honest with herself and are maybe truer friends throughout the happenings in Invisible than her 'best friends'.
So Jane lands herself into some funny situations and falls in love and does all of it with a certain flair that I found totally endearing! I love that in the end she stands up to her friends and I was totally reminded of Dumbledore with the 'it takes greater courage to stand up to your friends than to your enemies' speech. And I loved that!
I breezed through Invisible and while I wasn't entirely sure about the romance going on, in the end it worked for me, though at times it felt like they were barely friends, let alone in love with each other. Invisible was such a lovely read that I'll be sure to pick up Notable (the next book in the series) when it comes out!
My rating: 4,5 stars
Made me crave: french fries
I loved Marni Bates' writing style! It's funny and quirky and totally engaging and I loved it from the minute I turned my eyes to the first page of Invisible! I love it when a cute contemporary deals with actual teen issues aside from the maybe less plausible plot of having her two friends get famous overnight, and Marni Bates totally made it work!
Jane sees herself as Invisible. And so does half of the school. She's embraced her nerdiness and as long as she has her best friends, she doesn't really care that she's not part of the popular crowd. And I like that. You create your own happiness and all that. But this turns into a problem when her friends actually do start having more of a social life and not really having time for Jane anymore. So now Jane has to decide if she's ok with her friends seeing her as an Invisible as well.
Guys, I could recognize so much of myself in Jane! I'm that girl who tries to avoid confrontation and who knows she's not sticking up for herself enough. And I loved seeing Jane grow as a person and overcome some of her fears and just branching out and meeting new people! She's challenging herself and I like that! And really, while her best friend Kenzie bored me at times (maybe this would have been different if I'd read Awkward?), I really enjoyed reading about her new crowd, including the school newspaper photographer and a Notable girl. Mostly because these people push her to be honest with herself and are maybe truer friends throughout the happenings in Invisible than her 'best friends'.
So Jane lands herself into some funny situations and falls in love and does all of it with a certain flair that I found totally endearing! I love that in the end she stands up to her friends and I was totally reminded of Dumbledore with the 'it takes greater courage to stand up to your friends than to your enemies' speech. And I loved that!
I breezed through Invisible and while I wasn't entirely sure about the romance going on, in the end it worked for me, though at times it felt like they were barely friends, let alone in love with each other. Invisible was such a lovely read that I'll be sure to pick up Notable (the next book in the series) when it comes out!
My rating: 4,5 stars
Made me crave: french fries
alexalovesbooks's review
3.0
If you're looking for a book that will make you smile, or a book that will take your back to your days in high school, Invisible would be a great contender. Written with Bates' signature sense of humor, the novel is pure entertainment, laced with experiences that feel very, very real.
Jane Smith isn't a name that would strike you right away, and so it's not surprising that she hasn't made much of a mark at all. Her reticence and hesitance, coupled with her shyness, were very relatable. But what Bates really handled best of all was showing how Jane felt completely overshadowed by her much more exuberant best friends, as that was something I went through as well. Even though Jane's story starts out a bit sad, it gets better as she grows into herself and discovers that she wants to be (and can be) so much more than Invisible.
Invisible is a fun, quirky read that I really enjoyed, in spite of not yet having read Awkward (although I have read Decked with Holly, which is just as cute!). It really brought me back to my high school days by telling Jane's story in a way that felt real in spite of not so plausible details (the celebrity aspect in their lives, mostly). The novel's certainly made a mark, and I look forward to reading Awkward and the upcoming Notable.
(originally posted on the blog)
Jane Smith isn't a name that would strike you right away, and so it's not surprising that she hasn't made much of a mark at all. Her reticence and hesitance, coupled with her shyness, were very relatable. But what Bates really handled best of all was showing how Jane felt completely overshadowed by her much more exuberant best friends, as that was something I went through as well. Even though Jane's story starts out a bit sad, it gets better as she grows into herself and discovers that she wants to be (and can be) so much more than Invisible.
Invisible is a fun, quirky read that I really enjoyed, in spite of not yet having read Awkward (although I have read Decked with Holly, which is just as cute!). It really brought me back to my high school days by telling Jane's story in a way that felt real in spite of not so plausible details (the celebrity aspect in their lives, mostly). The novel's certainly made a mark, and I look forward to reading Awkward and the upcoming Notable.
(originally posted on the blog)
daylafm's review
4.0
Review first appeared on my blog: Book Addict 24-7
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Invisible by Marni Bates is another installment in her young adult contemporary series Smith High. I've been meaning to read Awkward and as I started Invisible, I realized that maybe I should have taken the time to read the first book in the series. I'm not saying that this is a continuation of Mackenzie's misadventures from Awkward, but that Invisible does host a large number of spoilers for a reader unfamiliar with the series.
But all of that aside, Invisible was a fun book to read, especially now that summer is here. It is light enough to devour in a couple of sittings, but not too light so as to be considered just average. There are themes of friendship, courage, and finding your voice when you think you don't have one. Jane, the protagonist, shows us that sometimes we need to make things happen for ourselves, rather than wait for the world to settle into some semblance of what we want.
Invisible is a high school contemporary novel that features the usual high school characters (mean girls, hot guys, and the people trying to get to the top), which I will admit I'm a sucker for--so Bates's novel definitely won me over there. I like that even though Invisible starts out as your usual high school cliche, it ends with the protagonist having the last say.
The writing is fun, but at times immature. I noticed many instances where certain situations could have been avoided, but I also know that the actions taken by Jane are just a byproduct of her personality.
What I did enjoy was the little play on Jane's name and the theme of invisibility that occurred in Bates's novel. Jane is a mundane and common name, often forgotten and/or changed by characters who don't take the time to meet her. And even when characters do notice her, they give her nicknames that offer the opposite of Jane's own name: a chance to bring her out of obscurity.
What I found even more interesting is how for someone who is outwardly shy, Jane's narrative is very spunky. That being said, the people around her don't make it any easier to accept Jane's lack of motivation to stop being invisible. It makes the reader ask, how much is too much?
I will admit that the pacing was a little off for me. The events mentioned in the synopses don't occur until much later in the book, while most of the book focuses on Jane's inability to see herself as anything other than invisible. I think the greatest irony here is how someone who considers herself invisible has the power to be the most visible person in the room.
I loved Jane's nemesis. He is everything that she isn't, and in a way, I like that he is made this way. He is the catalyst for the change in her personality, and we see it in their interactions. In this, Bates is a genius because instead of having one grand moment where Jane comes out of her shell, we watch her gradually break free of her silence. These two characters are great together because they show each others' weakness--one can't seem to not be blunt, while the other skirts around her words.
Invisible is just one of those books that you begin reading and before you even know it, you're hooked. The characters work great together, Bates sets up the story well so that more books can be added to the series, and the dialogue is so witty and quick that the reader will be laughing along with the awkwardness that Jane sometimes adopts. She may appear weak and shy, but she's a powerhouse waiting to happen. After all, having so much build up inside has to count for something, right?
I would recommend Invisible to readers who are looking for a light contemporary read. If you want to laugh, feel the frustration of high school, and want a character who slowly learns to speak up for herself, then you might want to check this one out. Plus, I promise you that there is a very entertaining book store owner in this one.
I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Invisible by Marni Bates is another installment in her young adult contemporary series Smith High. I've been meaning to read Awkward and as I started Invisible, I realized that maybe I should have taken the time to read the first book in the series. I'm not saying that this is a continuation of Mackenzie's misadventures from Awkward, but that Invisible does host a large number of spoilers for a reader unfamiliar with the series.
But all of that aside, Invisible was a fun book to read, especially now that summer is here. It is light enough to devour in a couple of sittings, but not too light so as to be considered just average. There are themes of friendship, courage, and finding your voice when you think you don't have one. Jane, the protagonist, shows us that sometimes we need to make things happen for ourselves, rather than wait for the world to settle into some semblance of what we want.
Invisible is a high school contemporary novel that features the usual high school characters (mean girls, hot guys, and the people trying to get to the top), which I will admit I'm a sucker for--so Bates's novel definitely won me over there. I like that even though Invisible starts out as your usual high school cliche, it ends with the protagonist having the last say.
The writing is fun, but at times immature. I noticed many instances where certain situations could have been avoided, but I also know that the actions taken by Jane are just a byproduct of her personality.
What I did enjoy was the little play on Jane's name and the theme of invisibility that occurred in Bates's novel. Jane is a mundane and common name, often forgotten and/or changed by characters who don't take the time to meet her. And even when characters do notice her, they give her nicknames that offer the opposite of Jane's own name: a chance to bring her out of obscurity.
What I found even more interesting is how for someone who is outwardly shy, Jane's narrative is very spunky. That being said, the people around her don't make it any easier to accept Jane's lack of motivation to stop being invisible. It makes the reader ask, how much is too much?
I will admit that the pacing was a little off for me. The events mentioned in the synopses don't occur until much later in the book, while most of the book focuses on Jane's inability to see herself as anything other than invisible. I think the greatest irony here is how someone who considers herself invisible has the power to be the most visible person in the room.
I loved Jane's nemesis. He is everything that she isn't, and in a way, I like that he is made this way. He is the catalyst for the change in her personality, and we see it in their interactions. In this, Bates is a genius because instead of having one grand moment where Jane comes out of her shell, we watch her gradually break free of her silence. These two characters are great together because they show each others' weakness--one can't seem to not be blunt, while the other skirts around her words.
Invisible is just one of those books that you begin reading and before you even know it, you're hooked. The characters work great together, Bates sets up the story well so that more books can be added to the series, and the dialogue is so witty and quick that the reader will be laughing along with the awkwardness that Jane sometimes adopts. She may appear weak and shy, but she's a powerhouse waiting to happen. After all, having so much build up inside has to count for something, right?
I would recommend Invisible to readers who are looking for a light contemporary read. If you want to laugh, feel the frustration of high school, and want a character who slowly learns to speak up for herself, then you might want to check this one out. Plus, I promise you that there is a very entertaining book store owner in this one.
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