She is Not Invisible

Sedgwick, Marcus. She is Not Invisible. Roaring Brook Press. 2014. 224p. ISBN 978-1-5964-3801-9. FIC SED on the library shelves

Do you believe in coincidences? Laureth’s father was a successful writer until he began losing himself in a book about coincidences and their meaning. Now, many years later, he still hasn’t published anything, and family life is hard. When sixteen year old Laureth receives an email from someone in New York who has found her father’s book, her mother shows no interest in worrying about her father. It’s up to her and to her seven year old brother to find her father by flying from London to New York. In a race against time, Laureth and Ben must investigate what happened to her father using the meager clues they have available before her mother discovers her children hopped on a plane and went to America.

Told from the perspective of Laureth, this is a mystery similar to countless others. What makes it different, however, is that Laureth is blind. Sedgwick crafts his book without relying on any visual descriptions. Laureth’s perception of the world around her relies on her sense of hearing, touch, and smell, and her brother’s vision to help her navigate this unfamiliar and threatening environment. Both Laureth and Ben are well rounded characters, and Laureth often expands on her feelings and thoughts, sharing with the reader a slice of her life in the world of darkness.

Review is also posted on Barnes and Noble's site.