Things Not Seen

The book moved from a two or three-star rating down to one because of the ending, which has one of my least favorite ableist tropes of all time: the magic cure. Sure, it tried to spin it to be more sci-fi, but the sting's still the same.

content warnings:
ableism
sexist remarks

Bobby Phillips wakes up one average morning to find that he's become invisible. Trying to cope with his drastically changed life, he meets Alicia, a girl who's blind, and who helps him feel okay with himself and his odd disability.

This book could've been a lot more wonderful (in my opinion) if it was taken in a different direction--maybe a touching coming-of-age story about the strange friendship between Bobby and Alicia. Instead, the story was so laden with the show more "science" about how Bobby went invisible in the first place and how to remove his disability that the book didn't go anywhere and just stagnated.

On the plus side, I'm glad the book includes more characters with disabilities than most YA (or otherwise) books I've read. Alicia, the love interest and one of the MCs, is blind, and the MC is invisible (a fictional disability if I can say so). Alicia's storyline is for the most part well-written. Her reactions to insensitive remarks about her eyes is very believable and written with sensitivity. She's easily the strongest character. I'm very glad that she was written the way she was, especially when a lot of other things in the book was handled really awfully.

Which brings me to what I didn't like so much: Bobby. The narrator and MC. He's incredibly hard to sympathize with. He's selfish to a disgusting extent, only cares about Alicia as far as how she makes him feel, judges every woman by how "pretty" they are, and doesn't really care about his parents--even when they might be in danger of being arrested. He's so full of angst that I was so sick of him and his PoV. I couldn't imagine spending more books with him narrating.

OK. Now to my main irritant: the rampant ableism. Here are some quotes taken directly from the book:

"There are little white scars below both eyebrows, but nothing you'd notice, nothing to keep her from being pretty."

"Her eyes still work fine for crying."

"But so what? 'See you 'round. See you later.' Everybody says stuff like that." (after Alicia reacts to him saying this)

I could accept that this was simply one of Bobby's faults. He's a teenager in high school, and he's ableist. But he never understands later on in the book. He never actually gets that his previous actions maybe weren't the best. He never becomes more aware of his actions/words and remains just as insensitive as he was in the beginning.

I can't bring myself to like this book. And I can't stand the narrator, so I don't think I could read any of the sequels. show less

Another wonderful Andrew Clements story that asks readers to think more deeply about identity and life-purpose through a unique and humorous storyline. He yet again captures the heart and mind of a high school student as they begin to encounter the struggles of growing up. These internal struggles are highlighted by the bizarre situation the character finds himself in when he becomes invisible! This sudden and life-changing event pushes him to rethink his entire life, reflect on who he is, how he is connected to the people around him, and who to trust with decisions that will impact the rest of his life. Even as an adult, I find Andrew Clement's writing to be funny, thoughtful, and often inspiring. I can't wait to share this book with show more other readers in my classroom and beyond. show less

What a touching and original novel. It had a fresh, strong narrative voice and a compelling plotline that isn't necessarily brand new, but done it a totally new way.

Bobby Phillips wakes up one morning to find that something impossible has occurred; he can't see himself anymore. Somehow, he has become invisible. At first it seems it could be temporary, and surely Bobby's supportive physicist Dad and warm Mom can do something. But as hours pile up and Bobby and his family begin to realize the implications of his bizarre condition, things get serious.

But when Bobby finally snaps and decides to go to the library to escape, invisible or no, a chance meeting changes everything. Because suddenly there's one unlikely person who seems calm and show more understanding enough to help an invisible fifteen-year-old boy. Her name is Alicia...and she's blind.

The development of both Bobby and Alicia's characters, as well as their totally unique relationship of blind girl and invisible boy, is very well done. It's interesting how Clements addresses Bobby's condition in a scientific rather than magical way, and when the eventual cause is discovered, it's very original and unexpected. All in all, this is a startlingly real novel with great characters and real emotion; the end almost brought me to tears. There are a couple companion books to it, and I hope to read those and see these characters again. show less

Bobby Phillips is an average fifteen-year-old boy. Until the morning he wakes up and can't see himself in the mirror. Not blind, not dreaming. Bobby is just plain invisible...

There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to Bobby's new condition; even his dad the physicist can't figure it out. For Bobby that means no school, no friends, no life. He's a missing person. Then he meets Alicia. She's blind, and Bobby can't resist talking to her, trusting her. But people are starting to wonder where Bobby is. Bobby knows that his invisibility could have dangerous consequences for his family and that time is running out. He has to find out how to be seen again before it's too late.

Intelligent SF for teens? A fable for all ages about people who are "different" - ? An adventure for MG readers? Never mind the labels, just read it. I did, twice, and now I'm going to read the second, which I own, and try to find the third....

(But don't worry if you don't want to start a series - the first stands alone just fine.)

Author Clements has crafted a novel with a unique combination of fantasy-science fiction combined with an urban-contemporary setting involving two middle-grade/junior high students. The Sci-Fi aspect is cleverly written in a very plausible setting such that it is easy to involve the reader in the plot without any sense that the story is implausible.

This is a comfortable story for the Tween and slightly older age-group: the pace is reasonably even and some angst builds without overwhelming the story. The narrative plays through a few heavy-handed episodes, some rather unbelievable (an exaggerated police search, some arrogant government officials). Nevertheless, overall the novel is engaging and generates sympathy for Bobby and Alicia show more (the main protagonists). Perfect reading for a young teen wanting to escape feeling misunderstood by all the adults in their life. show less

The first page is electrifying. Bobby, 15, looks at himself in the bathroom mirror and there's nobody there. No, he isn't blind. He can see. He can feel his body. But he's invisible. This is sf just on the edge of reality. Everything else is normal, and Bobby's first-person narrative takes readers through his experiences of telling his frantic parents but otherwise trying to keep it a secret. He walks outside in his Chicago neighborhood (swathed in clothes, he looks like a person). He hangs out in the university library, naked and unseen. He acts as spy in Sears corporate offices when he needs to. Of course, he can't go to school, but he's always felt pretty invisible there anyway, especially with the popular crowd. The plot details show more don't bear scrutiny, but Clements has lots of fun with the invisibility stuff in story and metaphor. Are there other invisible people like Bobby? Who would know? Can he find out what caused his condition and reverse it? But with all the play, there's an underlying realistic theme that's heartbreaking: Bobby meets a blind girl Alicia, who lost her sight suddenly one day. Her condition can never be reversed. To her, Bobby will always be--no matter what--invisible. He confides in her; they laugh, quarrel, help each other, and fall in love. Clements isn't heavy-handed, but readers will easily be able to imagine what it must be like to have the world disappear. Category: Books for Older Readers--Fiction. 2002, Putnam, $15.99. Gr. 7-10. Starred Review
(Hazel Rochman (Booklist, Apr. 15, 2002 (Vol. 98, No. 16))
Won Best Books for Young Adults, 2003 ; American Library Association-YALSA; United States show less