Invisible

Invisible tells the story of seventeen-year-old Dougie, a "troubled" young man whose only friend is Andy Morrow. Doug spends most of his time building a remarkably detailed train model, talking to Andy, and peeping on his crush, Melissa, who calls him a worm.

START SPOILER The first twist in the book is almost painfully obvious... to the point I wonder if Hautman did this on purpose. Andy, clearly, isn't still alive. The mysterious references to an incident at the Tuttle House, the fact no one talks to Andy, etc. are all clues that Andy isn't really there. END SPOILER

However, even knowing this, the book is weirdly captivating. I'm used to YA protagonists being relatable, or at least someone you're rooting for. Dougie is most decidedly show more not. I was torn between wanting to be sympathetic - Dougie's obsessive behavior and inability to lie speak to an almost autistic understanding of the world - but clearly Dougie has some major issues that profoundly affect his ability to function in the real world.

Overall, a decent, compelling book, and one that's not afraid to take chances - which, for a YA book, is refreshing in and of itself. show less

I liked the audacious what-if that Hautman employed in Rash, so I tried this as a second read. It's a less splashy premise, but will probably stay with me longer. As it soaks in, I'm appreciating the subtlety more.

Don't read the blurbs or reviews. Yes, there's something going on, but no, not everyone is going to see it right away. Just read the book. It's dark, which I generally avoid, but it's Hautman, so it's pretty much brilliant. And it's short, so if it turns out that you don't like it, you won't have wasted much time (but maybe I will have re-evaluate our friendship...).

It's unusual to find a book with an eccentric protagonist who is so unlikeable. Doug's mother thinks he is "troubled," because he is completely solitary, except for his friend Andy, and occasional visits to his therapist (though he doesn't take his medication.) He spends most of his time working on a railroad, and playing with fire (literally.) There is a reveal about Andy which really isn't much of a surprise; what is surprising is how little I liked or cared about Doug. He is worthy of pity, but that isn't much of a reason for the book itself.

This was a quick read and mildly interesting. I liked some of the random thoughts of the obviously mentally ill main character, like him wanting to count to 180,000 by 17s, things like that kept the book entertaining and gave it a bit more personality. Outside of that, the story itself was kind of ho hum with a plot twist that was very obvious from the beginning and when revealed, it was done so matter of factly that it was almost as if the author was saying "of course you saw this coming, I meant for you to" (which I actually kind of enjoyed). I also almost liked the way it ended until it went just that one step too far and became almost cartoonish. Grab it from the library for something quick and painless to read.

This was a quick read and mildly interesting. I liked some of the random thoughts of the obviously mentally ill main character, like him wanting to count to 180,000 by 17s, things like that kept the book entertaining and gave it a bit more personality. Outside of that, the story itself was kind of ho hum with a plot twist that was very obvious from the beginning and when revealed, it was done so matter of factly that it was almost as if the author was saying "of course you saw this coming, I meant for you to" (which I actually kind of enjoyed). I also almost liked the way it ended until it went just that one step too far and became almost cartoonish. Grab it from the library for something quick and painless to read.

This was a quick read and mildly interesting. I liked some of the random thoughts of the obviously mentally ill main character, like him wanting to count to 180,000 by 17s, things like that kept the book entertaining and gave it a bit more personality. Outside of that, the story itself was kind of ho hum with a plot twist that was very obvious from the beginning and when revealed, it was done so matter of factly that it was almost as if the author was saying "of course you saw this coming, I meant for you to" (which I actually kind of enjoyed). I also almost liked the way it ended until it went just that one step too far and became almost cartoonish. Grab it from the library for something quick and painless to read.