She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick Review

She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick
Published By: Indigo on July 3, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery/Thriller
Pages: 354
Format: Paperback Edition
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 

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 that bind people to each other.

~~

"Love is a funny thing, and once again I really don't mean it's amusing. I mean it's odd. Strange. Weird. There was a time not so long ago, because I can remember it, when Mum and Dad loved each other. It was obvious, in the things that they did, and the way they were, and the way they called each other 'honey'." 

    In the end of 2013, I came up to finding a list on Buzzfeed that showed the top twenty books that will sure be hits of 2014. This one was actually on it, and I've been wanting to read it for the longest time. Where in the world would you find a mysterious thriller showing the point of view of a young blind girl?

     I must say that I was pretty disappointed with this one, compared to all of the wonderful things said about Marcus Sedgwick and his writing. You may say I was the black sheep, but I'm actually very glad to have had the experience to read such a novel with a fantastic concept. There were just the minor things that set me off and disappointed me. Other than that, I was as happy as a sheep getting its wool shaved off. Okay, I'm over exaggerating about that joke there. But, you get what I mean.

      Sedgwick is an excellent writer, don't get me wrong. He has a majestic way of captivating readers with his crazy but believable concepts, and you feel like you want to get to know the characters so well that they'll be your new best buddies.

   

A fraud? A loser? Hah, naw.

     This is about exactly what I first mentioned. Laureth and her brother are off to New York from their home in England to find their father—since Laureth received an email stating that someone's found her father's notebook—one that he's sure to never lose or forget anywhere. 

       Did I mention that Laureth's blind and her brother is so young and they're off in the unknown? No, not really. 

        That's basically the simple plot, but it made a huge difference and the meaning is so deep and found and relieved with gorgeousness. The concept was actually something I never really had a strong encounter with and I must say that whatshisname Sedgwick has stunned me in that aspect and is sure to stun millions of others who are willing to begin reading a contemporary that is so strange in its nice way.

         "Sight must have its advantages. Like, I'm never going to drive a car, well not on public roads at least. But I can live with that. I've never wanted to be able to see, not really, but right then I knew that if I could see, I wouldn't have had to bring Benjamin with me, and then, I felt awful."

           The book stayed the same way the whole time through. I felt the same thing from beginning to end, and there weren't any omg-so-amazing moments as I expected there'd be. I sat there after finishing, thinking, "Why wasn't this to my advantage in any way?" I wanted more jazz, and more action. Was this really supposed to be a hardcore mystery?

            Laureth was honestly awesome. Because of her disability, I wasn't feeling intended to feel guilty, she just had us reading in a whole new perspective, from the eyes of a blind person. At the same time, she didn't intend to feel sorry for herself either, and she cared about the people around her. Just look at the risks she took to keep her brother safe and to find her father. She was honestly a dreamer and I loved her personality and self-being. Her attitude was a hit.

              But throughout this whole "journey" or "story" or whatever you intend to call this novel, my favourite character remaining throughout had to be little Benjamin, Laureth's brother. He was such a perfect spirit and was so adorable! You don't really realize it until the end, but he made a total difference in Laureth's life and helped solve the mystery quicker than she could've ever imagined.

              And one last thing—did you know that this book had to do with books? A lot of crazy awesome things were mentioned about fiction and coincidences, and I just loved it. This book was my environment at moments, but I wanted more.

'Yes,' said Dad. 'Oh. Coincidences in fiction just do not work. And even in real life, they tend to fall into two sorts. The ones that are so pathetic that they don't excite anyone but you, and the ones that are so incredible that they are literally just that; unbelievable. Even to members of your own family.'

            Huh—I don't know. Do you ever get a feeling that you knew what was going to happen but then you didn't really know? Of course you did—that's what I was feeling with this book. I wish that I could've seen fireworks and sparks with my love, but this mystery wasn't everything I was planning it to be. I did love and enjoy the culture and impact on readers, though!