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Invisible Ellen by Shari Shattuck
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Invisible Ellen (edition 2014)

by Shari Shattuck

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13021208,757 (3.67)12
Fiction. Literature. Mystery. HTML:"Invisible Ellen is a heartfelt and moving portrait of life on the sidelines.  It is a book for anyone who has ever felt they didn't count.  And who hasn't felt that way at least once?  A lovely, compelling novel about a woman you won't soon forget."
â??Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Fly Away


In the bestselling tradition of Jennifer Weiner, a clever, funny yet poignant novel about the friendship between two absolutely unforgettable women.

For many of us, there comes a moment when we wish we were invisible.

For Ellen Homes, not only does she wish it . . . she actually lives it.

She spends her days quietly observing but unobserved, watching and recording in her notebooks the lives of her neighbors, coworkers, and total strangers. Overweight, socially stunted, and utterly alone, one night Ellen saves a blind young woman from being mugged. 

Then everything changes.

Character-driven, poignant, and leavened with touches of humor and witty dialogue, Invisible Ellen is a remarkable novel about personal transformation, morality, the power of friendship, and the human need for connection with othe
… (more)
Member:PaperbackPropensity
Title:Invisible Ellen
Authors:Shari Shattuck
Info:Putnam Adult (2014), Hardcover, 304 pages
Collections:Your library
Rating:***1/2
Tags:None

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Invisible Ellen by Shari Shattuck

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English (22)  Piratical (1)  All languages (23)
Showing 1-5 of 22 (next | show all)
Ellen, who grew up in the foster system and group homes, has always felt invisible. She works nights at Costco and doesn’t have any friends. When a blind woman on her bus is attacked, Ellen intervenes to help out, and the blind woman (Temerity) and Ellen become fast friends. In fact, they start (mostly at Temerity’s urging) getting themselves involved in various neighbours’ and coworkers’ lives, including the single pregnant neighbour, the neighbour who has been shot, and a coworker who is being sexually harassed by the boss.

I listened to the audio, and though it started off well, I tended to lose interest as we went along. There was a lot going on, and I had to wonder about the two of them sticking their noses into everyone’s business. Overall, I’m rating it ok for me. ( )
  LibraryCin | Oct 7, 2023 |
2.5 It was okay. I couldn't really connect w/ the MC or the story so it ended up being kind of meh. ( )
  NCDonnas | Jan 2, 2021 |
2.5 It was okay. I couldn't really connect w/ the MC or the story so it ended up being kind of meh. ( )
  NCDonnas | Jan 2, 2021 |
This was just an average read for me. I have never read Shari Shattuck before and I probably won't go out of my way to start reading her after this.

The book started off really well but ended up sliding right into a so-so read. The main character, Ellen Homes has perfected the art of being invisible and does her best to hide away from the world. One night she saves a blind woman named Temerity from a mugging and the two forge a fast friendship.

I will say that this was a fast read but in the end it was not anything spectacular. I initially loved the first few books by Jennifer Weiner that this author was compared to. However, maybe the blurb comparing this book to Jennifer Weiner's works meant some of her more recent books since those for me ended up being a so-so read too.

Though I did love the overall premise but after the characters of Ellen and Temerity meet up this book just slid into one cliche after another. There was nothing exciting or new in this book and I found my attention wandering while reading. The author turning Ellen and Temerity into some sort of dynamic duo caused me to keep hearing the theme song for the 1960s Batman in my head (FYI I had more fun humming the theme song while reading this book then just reading this book). ( )
  ObsidianBlue | Jul 1, 2020 |
This is a great read about an introverted woman who steps out of her shell to do the right thing and how it affects her life. The characters are great, I love Temerity, she is just what Ellen needs. A fun, feel good story! ( )
  mjolorenz | Jun 30, 2017 |
Showing 1-5 of 22 (next | show all)
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Fiction. Literature. Mystery. HTML:"Invisible Ellen is a heartfelt and moving portrait of life on the sidelines.  It is a book for anyone who has ever felt they didn't count.  And who hasn't felt that way at least once?  A lovely, compelling novel about a woman you won't soon forget."
â??Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of Fly Away


In the bestselling tradition of Jennifer Weiner, a clever, funny yet poignant novel about the friendship between two absolutely unforgettable women.

For many of us, there comes a moment when we wish we were invisible.

For Ellen Homes, not only does she wish it . . . she actually lives it.

She spends her days quietly observing but unobserved, watching and recording in her notebooks the lives of her neighbors, coworkers, and total strangers. Overweight, socially stunted, and utterly alone, one night Ellen saves a blind young woman from being mugged. 

Then everything changes.

Character-driven, poignant, and leavened with touches of humor and witty dialogue, Invisible Ellen is a remarkable novel about personal transformation, morality, the power of friendship, and the human need for connection with othe

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