Synopsis:
Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.
Invisibility is a joint venture by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan. The premise of the book is unique and fresh and I quite enjoyed it. While it didn't end up being a mind-blowingly amazing read, it was a solid book that could easily have a sequel should the authors decide to go that route.
Invisibility introduces us to Stephen, a teenage boy who has been invisible his entire life. Since his mom passed away, Stephen has lived a very lonely existence--being part of the world, but not. Imagine his surprise when a new family moves into his apartment building and Elizabeth, the teenage girl, can see him. No one has ever been able to see him, not even his mother, so Stephen knows that Elizabeth seeing him must mean something. The two form a romantic relationship and eventually, Stephen tells her the complete truth about who he is. The pair decide to jump headfirst into investigating the world of cursecasters. What they find will change things for both of them... forever.
Turns out, Elizabeth is far more connected to Stephen's world than he ever thought possible. Will Elizabeth be able to use her gifts, with the aid of some allies, to free Stephen from his curse once and for all? Or will Stephen's grandfather destroy everything in his quest for the ultimate revenge on his family? It's a frantic race against time as good and evil collide in this fantastic magical tale by Cremer and Levithan.
This book has MAJOR potential, and there's a really good story underneath it all. I love the split POVs between Stephen and Elizabeth and the supporting cast of characters are great. My problem with this book is the pacing just seemed OFF sometimes. Like it would drag for awhile and then speed through things to the point where I often felt off-kilter and confused. I'd like to read another book in this world, a book that goes more in-depth into the world of cursecasters and spellseekers because
Invisibility felt kind of thrown together in a way. I also wasn't very satisfied with the ending of this one and I imagine there will be others left disappointed as well.
All in all? A decent book. 3 of 5 stars. There are things that could have made it better, but it had a good story, good romance, and characters worth caring for. It just needed a little more execution and I'm hoping that Cremer and Levithan will write a sequel to address those concerns. Guess time will tell! You be the judge when
Invisibility releases early in May. Enjoy! *XOXO*
Expected publication date: May 7, 2013 by Philomel
