What teen hasn’t felt invisible at times? In his new novel,
Marcus Sedgwick has created a character who fights for acknowledgment – Laureth
wants her voice to be heard so badly that she takes her 7 year old brother,
Benjamin, and travels from the UK to the US without her parents’ consent.
Are you asking why take a 7 year-old with you? Well, Laureth
actually needs him to help her navigate the world … the opening scene in the
airport cleverly describes Laureth’s disability and her reliance on Benjamin. From there, Laureth describes the feelings, sounds
and smells of air travel and New York as we are swept along into the adventures
and sometimes naïve choices of these likeable siblings. I found She is
Not Invisible to be a very quick read and readers who prefer mystery
and suspense, especially with strong female characters, will enjoy it. We all see a book differently and this novel can
be read and re-read at several levels. Those with a bent towards psychology may
find the discussions of coincidence and synchronicity in Dad’s notebook to be
intriguing whereas others may find they need to suspend belief at certain
points. She is Not Invisible will be available in the US on April 22nd and has already earned starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist and others I will recommend She is Not Invisible in future booktalks, especially for Sophomores. For other titles by Marcus Sedgwick, a Printz Award winner, please look for Revolver and Midwinterblood.
