Scan barcode
A review by bethanymiller415
Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson
2.0
In Invisible Things, the sequel to The Explosionist, sixteen-year-old Sophie is living with her friend Mikael’s family in a flat above the Institute for Theoretical Physics in Denmark. The Institute is run by Niels Bohr, and many of Europe’s most prominent scientists work there. He and the other scientists are working on designing the atomic bomb, which they hope will put an end to war. Sophie’s parents, who were killed in an explosion while working for physicist Alfred Nobel when Sophie was a baby, had worked on the original plans for this project. Sophie believes that Nobel is the key to discovering what (or who) really caused the explosion that killed her parents. When Sophie’s great-aunt Tabitha dies, a family secret is revealed that changes everything for Sophie.
Invisible Things is not a bad book; however, I found it very annoying for several reasons. First, there is no indication anywhere on the book jacket that it is a sequel, so the unsuspecting reader will spend the first few chapters feeling vaguely confused because the author assumes the reader’s familiarity with the characters and events from the previous book. Second, the book is an alternate history (something else that you would not know by looking at the book jacket), but it takes a while for that to become clear especially as there are real historical figures and events present in the book. For both of these reasons, many teen readers will put this book down before they get through the first chapter. Third, the conclusion of the book is very unsatisfying; the author builds suspense but the exciting climax that the reader is hoping for never really happens. Recommended as an additional selection only where The Explosionist was popular.
Invisible Things is not a bad book; however, I found it very annoying for several reasons. First, there is no indication anywhere on the book jacket that it is a sequel, so the unsuspecting reader will spend the first few chapters feeling vaguely confused because the author assumes the reader’s familiarity with the characters and events from the previous book. Second, the book is an alternate history (something else that you would not know by looking at the book jacket), but it takes a while for that to become clear especially as there are real historical figures and events present in the book. For both of these reasons, many teen readers will put this book down before they get through the first chapter. Third, the conclusion of the book is very unsatisfying; the author builds suspense but the exciting climax that the reader is hoping for never really happens. Recommended as an additional selection only where The Explosionist was popular.