She Is Not Invisible

“Coincidences mean you're on the right path.”

(Full disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review through Goodreads' First Reads program.)

She Is Not Invisible is not at all what I was expecting.

"Laureth Peak's father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers--a skill at which she's remarkably talented. Her secret: She is blind. But when her father goes missing, Laureth and her 7-year-old brother Benjamin are thrust into a mystery that takes them to New York City where surviving will take all her skill at spotting the amazing, shocking, and sometimes dangerous connections in a world full of darkness. She Is Not Invisible is an intricate puzzle of a novel that sheds a light on the delicate ties show more that bind people to each other."

Somehow from this blurb, I came away with the idea that She Is Not Invisible is set in Las Vegas. With supernatural/scifi elements, possibly involving a blind teenage protagonist endowed with special powers; cue images of Laureth cleaning up at the poker table while fleeing from the law/loan sharks/the mafia/some other Big Bad with her kidnapped younger brother in tow. Needless to say, this only resembles the actual plot in the slightest.

Along these lines, I feared that Sedgwick would engage in "magical" disabled person clichés (see, e.g., the Disability Superpower and Blind Seer tropes). Not only is this not the case, but Laureth actually pokes fun at these herself, as her younger brother Benjamin eagerly consumes an issue of Daredevil on the trans-Atlantic flight from the UK to NYC.

So. What is She Is Not Invisible really about, then? Sixteen-year-old Laureth's father is missing. A writer, he had traveled to Sweden (Switzerland? Belgium? No one seems to know!) to research his next book. A book he's been working on (some might say obsessing over) for the better part of a decade, much to his wife's chagrin. While cleaning out his email, Laureth finds a mysterious and troubling message from someone claiming to have found his notebook - in New York City. Dad's not answering his cell phone or responding to Laureth's texts, and Mom seems wholly unconcerned; hostile, even, as Dad's latest book has been a strain on the couple's finances and marriage. So Laureth sets out to find him - but not alone.

Laureth is blind, and while she gets around quite well, she knows that she can't navigate Heathrow Airport - let alone New York City - on her own. (There's actually a rather interesting discussion of whether visually impaired minors are allowed to fly on their own; the issue isn't specifically addressed on the airline's website, and none of the US Customs agents seem to know. Hence Laureth's decision to pass as sighted doesn't seem so ill-advised after all.) So she enlists the help of her seven-year-old brother Benjamin, whom she "abducts" to NYC.

Their very first lead is Dad's black notebook, which literally fell out of the sky and onto the head of one Mr. Michael Walker - who turns out to be a "posh" twelve-year-old boy with an almost comically old-fashioned way of speaking. From there, Laureth and Ben follow the clues contained within the notebook, hoping that it will lead them to their father. As news of their escapades breaks, they must also evade the police, as well as the criminals who are hot on their trail.

Sedgwick's books well-known for their darkness; and while it certainly has its moments, She Is Not Invisible is not nearly as grim as I'd expected. Dad's "state of mind" is a matter of much conjecture, and as they study his notebook for clues, Laureth starts to fear the worst: that her father had a psychotic break and hurt himself. After a series of strange coincidences, the idea of synchronicity begins to dominate his life, seemingly consuming him the way it did many others: Edgar Allen Poe. Carl Jung. Arthur Koester. Paul Kammerer. Wolfgang Pauli. Are these seemingly chance occurrences - all revolving around the number 354 - just incidental, or do they hint at some larger cosmic meaning? If laws govern the universe, then can coincidence even be said to exist at all? What does it all mean?

Ultimately, the solution to the puzzle is much more mundane than the individual pieces would have us believe. In this way, She Is Not Invisible reminds me of another missing persons mystery, Meg Rosoff's Picture Me Gone. I enjoyed them both immensely, though for different reasons.

She Is Not Invisible's greatest strengths are its children: Laureth, Benjamin, and Mike. Through Laureth, we get a sense - admittedly, only a fleeting and hazy one - of what it must feel like to be sightless in a sighted world: dealing with indifferent and even hostile people, butting up against harmful stereotypes, navigating unfamiliar situations and unknown social expectations. Forever struggling to make yourself seen and heard when others would rather not acknowledge your existence. (Hence the title of the book.)

In addition to ableism, Sedgwick also addresses racism in the form of Mr. Walker, who is black. When accosted by a knife-wielding stranger, Mike is told to scram - "We don't want your kind here." - a statement which leaves Laureth puzzled. And Ben, who has an uncanny knack for frying electronics ("The Benjamin Effect"), feels painfully isolated from his peers; whereas most kids his age are busy shooting each other up in video games, Ben can usually be found with his nose stuck in a book - one of the few forms of entertainment that he can't destroy.

Alienation and "othering" are key elements She Is Not Invisible; perhaps the characters who live within these pages will help foster empathy for the different, the marginalized, the dehumanized.

Although he ultimately dismisses the idea of coincidence, Sedgwick includes a fun and revelatory little puzzle in the Author's Note. Trust, love, and faith: these are the heart of She Is Not Invisible.

So, no. She Is Not Invisible is not what I was expecting. It's so much more.

Minor trigger warning for violence/threats of violence, including sexual harassment and allusions to sexual assault.

http://www.easyvegan.info/2014/06/23/she-is-not-invisible-by-marcus-sedgwick/ show less

Another great read from Marcus Sedgwick! I really enjoyed this right from the first page. I didn't know that this book would be so focused on coincidence, but I found that particularly interesting, the study and thought that has gone on around such a small, seemingly ordinary occurrence. Laureth and Benjamin were both strong characters, they came to life for me immediately. I especially enjoyed Benjamin's relationship with Stan and, in turn, how Laureth related to Benjamin through Stan. There are puzzles scattered through the text and it was fun, after I figured that out, to play along with Laureth.

“One final time I told myself I wasn’t abducting my little brother.”
Some books have first sentences that are so intriguing and raise so many questions, a reader can’t help but feel compelled to discover the answers. She Is Not Invisible, Marcus Sedgwick’s newest novel, sweeps up the reader right from the start as Laureth and her brother Benjamin embark on a trip both ordinary and perilous. They are traveling from London to New York, a flight they’ve done in the past with their parents. This time, it’s just the two of them and, because Benjamin is only seven and in her care while their mother is away, Laureth really can’t leave him behind. Besides, she needs his assistance if they are to discover the whereabouts of their show more dad. Despite her resolve and resourcefulness, her calm demeanor and intelligence, Laureth relies on the subtle help Benjamin provides because she’s trying to hide a disability that could deter them on their search. She is blind.
What a departure from Marcus Sedgwick’s previous work, especially his most recent, this year’s Printz award winner, Midwinterblood. She Is Not Invisible has a realistic voice and a contemporary setting. There is no drama behind Laureth’s blindness and because she’s the narrator, readers get a clear understanding that it’s just a small part of who she is as a person. The intimacy of Laureth’s true thoughts and fears and her ability to navigate through the world make her especially memorable. Also touching is her relationship with her brother Benjamin, a bright but lonely boy whose toy raven is his closest confidante. For its wholly unique and captivating characters, its matter-of-fact exploration in the life of a blind teen, and its loving treatment of a fractured but fixable family, She Is Not Invisible is a recommended read for fans who like character-driven books, realistic fiction and mysteries. show less

I love a good mystery. Especially a beautifully-written, well-plotted mystery like SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE by Marcus Sedgwick. Told from the point of view of a visually impaired teen, this is the story of a missing father, a family in trouble, and a daughter who has to have faith that she can fix things.

Laureth Peak is the daughter of a famed, but struggling novelist. Her dad is known for flights of fancy, but this last trip has left her mother in a tizzy, and Laureth wondering if she knows as much about her dad as she thought she did. When, while helping her dad with his fan mail, she discovers a letter from an American who has recovered her father's notebook, Laureth knows something's wrong. For one thing, the notebook was found in New show more York. Which is not where her father is supposed to be. For another, her father hasn't been returning her phone calls, which is unlike him.

So she buys herself and her much younger brother airline tickets to the states and leaves while her mother is out of town visiting family. Soon she's in a brand new American city, with only her bizarre little brother as a guide, trying to find her father, clue by clue, all while trying not to let her under-age-ness -- or her inability to see -- get in her way.

This is a beautiful story of family, of friendship, of trust and adventure. I love the way Sedgwick showed the world through the eyes of a blind girl. The way it was easy to forget sometimes, that she was different. The way she both took care of her brother, and the way the little boy took care of her. Her bravery, her mistakes, and her story are brilliant. And I cannot fathom a world in which this book does not get an Edgar nod. Because around every corner, even when you think you've figured something out, Marcus Sedgwick takes you for a ride. show less

SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE isn't a perfect book. It's got a meandering plot and a funky ending, but it's a book that I found to be a satisfying read. It had characters I liked, and most importantly it brought something extra to the table, so that I was happy to go along for the ride.

The something extra was some wonderfully pedantic conversation about Coincidence and the deep thinkers that have studied it.

Now don't worry, we're not talking boring math tables. We're talking about some very interesting facts about why some things that 'seem' like coincidences, aren't. And better yet, how some exceedingly brilliant guys in the past have become so enthralled by the study of coincidences, that they lost their grip-- losing their credibility in show more some cases, their minds in others, and even their lives as their obsession became too much and they took their own lives.

Our heroine, Laureth, points out that you only
need 23 people in a room (school or party) for
there to be a better than 50/50 chance that two of
these people have the same birthday!

and,

that if you work it out, and define a miracle as being a 1-in-a-million event,
that you can expect to experience 'a miracle' once every 35 days.

The topic of coincidences arises in SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE because Laureth and Benjamin's dad has become a bit obsessed with the topic himself. And as the book progresses, it's this that adds a creepy element, as we readers begin to wonder if Mr. Peak hasn't joined others in giving in to despair.

But I'm backing into the story. It doesn't begin with coincidences or anything other than a feeling Laureth has that something is terribly wrong. And when her mother makes it clear that she doesn't care one way or another if something is amiss with her dad, Laureth grabs her little brother and her mom's credit card and buys plane tickets from England to NYC.

One final time I told myself I wasn’t abducting my little brother.

Possible the best opening line I've read this year.

But in any case, you should know that Laureth is bringing her 8 year-old brother because she absolutely needs him. You see, Laureth is blind. Very capable, but at 16 years-old she doesn't feel competent to navigate airports and slums without her brother.

And this brings a second element that I enjoyed. Laureth's perceptions of the world, and her observations on how seeing-people view the visually impaired. That even in her school, there was a hierarchy based on how much limited-vision one had. I found her to be a smart character who was imminently believable.

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SHE IS NOT INVISIBLE is a YA mystery that would work for many middle-graders. (There's a bit of cursing)

I found it to be a satisfying read, although the ending seemed a bit abrupt and ill-fitted. The characters that were introduced were interesting. Laureth and her dad felt very real. Benjamin wasn't fleshed out as much, but he was sympathetic, as was the enigmatic Michael.

I'm already looking to see how I can squeeze into my schedule another book by this author. I like how he writes. show less

Laureth Peak is a blind 16-year-old who is convinced her father is in trouble because he hasn't contacted her in a few days and an intercepted email indicates he is in America instead of in Austria (or Switzerland) where he's supposed to be. When she can't convince her mom to take her concerns seriously, she lovingly abducts her 6-year-old brother Benjamin and flies to New York to find her father, a once successful author, who has become obsessed with the idea of coincidence (and the number 354).

While some of the plot is unrealistic, Sedgwick excels at characterization. Laureth is smart and capable but also very aware of her vulnerability. Benjamin is an adorable wing man, helping Laureth get through life without revealing that she's show more blind, and also lifting her spirits with his sense of humor and adventure.

A quick, enjoyable read, despite the somewhat abstruse exploration of coincidence. show less

This was the first book I read as part of 7 in 7 Readathon, where you read 7 things in 7 days. This tells the story of sixteen year old Laureth, who takes her seven year old brother to New York City in search of her father, who seems to have just vanished. What makes this story unique is its ability to make a less exciting story seem like one while playing to Laureth's strengths and not focusing solely on her blindness.

Did I forget to mention that part? Yeah. She's blind AF. But it works, in fact the story is better for it. Very interesting read.