zoesnicholson 's review for:

She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick

3.0

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I have been so utterly enthralled by everything Marcus Sedgwick has written before - [b: The Ghosts of Heaven|21469108|The Ghosts of Heaven|Marcus Sedgwick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1409674391l/21469108._SY75_.jpg|40787024] and [b: Midwinterblood|10836471|Midwinterblood|Marcus Sedgwick|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1319727124l/10836471._SY75_.jpg|15750616] most notably - that this felt a bit disappointing because I know that Sedgwick can do so much better than this.

Laureth has a special gift for recognizing patterns and coincidences, so when her father disappears, she knows something's off. To find him, she will have to follow a path of clues and puzzles. The only problem? Laurel is blind. She must use her four senses and the assistance of her little brother if she ever expects to see her father again.

Laureth is a well-written protagonist. There are so many blind characters in fiction and so many of them are stereotyped or portrayed with the upmost inaccuracy; but Laureth felt especially real to me. She spends a lot of time discussing and thinking about how people treat those with disabilities differently, and I found those conversations extremely insightful.

One of the things that bothered me about this novel was how much suspension of disbelief was required to really enjoy it. There are so many moments in the story that felt almost a bit fake (most notably that Laureth's brother has a "curse" where he occasionally breaks all electronics when he touches them). I wish those moments were a bit more grounded and realistic.

I am Not Invisible is an entertaining book about coincidence and chance, but, unfortunately, it just simply doesn't have the magic of Sedgwick's previous books.