Invisibility by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer

YA Fantasy

Stephen is used to invisibility. He was born that way. Invisible. Cursed.

Elizabeth sometimes wishes for invisibility. When you’re invisible, no one can hurt you. So when her mother decides to move the family to New York City, Elizabeth is thrilled. It’s easy to blend in there.


Then Stephen and Elizabeth meet. To Stephen’s amazement, she can see him. And to Elizabeth’s amazement, she wants him to be able to see her—all of her. But as the two become closer, an invisible world gets in their way—a world of grudges and misfortunes, spells and curses. And once they’re thrust into this world, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how deep they’re going to go—because the answer could mean the difference between love and death.

** MINOR SPOILERS! **

I have a confession. I'm wary of books written by more than one author. I've read more than a few co-authored books that seemed more like writing experiments rather than fully realized novels. I saw David Levithan's name on this one, and that's why I decided to give it a try. I LOVED Levithan's Every Day, and the premise of that book (a being without a body) seemed similar to this one (an invisible boy). 

Also, the romance aspect drew me in. Girl who wants to be invisible + boy who actually is? Swoon! 

What I wasn't expecting was a good dose of fantasy. There are spellseekers and cursecasters in this version of modern day New York, and our main characters are thrust right in the middle of this fantastical world. I have to admit, I sighed when I found out that Stephen's invisibility was caused by his grandfather. Apparently, his grandfather was a cruel and vindictive man, and this was how he chose to punish his daughter. Her crime? Growing up and leaving the family home. WOW.

Luckily, it turns out that Elizabeth has major spellseeker skills. This is how she's able to see Stephen when no one else can. And this is how she'll be able to save Stephen. Stop his grandfather, and reverse the curse. Sounds easy, right? 

I'm not going to spoil the ending for you, but things didn't quite end the way I expected it to. And that's why I liked this book so much. There's definitely an opportunity for a sequel. I'm hoping that's the case.

Other reasons why I loved Invisibility? I got very attached to Stephen, Elizabeth, and Elizabeth's brother, Laurie. I even adored the mostly-off page Sean. They were all well-developed characters, people I could imagine passing on the busy streets of Manhattan. The writing was poetic, and I felt the loneliness and longing of these protagonists profoundly.