REVIEW: Invisibility by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer

Title: Invisibility
Author: David Levithan and Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Pages: 358, Hardcover
Source: Audiobook, Library

Summary from Goodreads:

Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

So I think Invisibility deserves a little more credit than it has been receiving around the blogosphere. I picked this one up with really low expectations because many of my reader friends wound up disappointed. So perhaps having no expectations is the secret to enjoying this book because I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. No, it did not move me to great lengths, or elicit heaps of emotion. No it is not a work of art and there is definitely some juvenility to it. BUT I did find myself liking it for all it's simplicity. There were even a few nail-biting moments towards the end.  So I am rounding up to 3 stars.

To David Levithan and Andrea Cremer’s credit, they did come up with a neat idea. Simply put, Stephen has been cursed so that he is Invisible. But suddenly Elizabeth shows up and she can see him. Soon she realizes no one else can and in a quest for answers, together they discover this world of Cursemakers and Spellseekers and how tightly their lives are wound up in it. The plot was simple but fun. I just wish the book wasn’t so romance-focused. Yes, there is insta-love. And I am still undecided about the ending. I wouldn’t have minded seeing more of the Cursemakers, whom I found to be an especially intriguing, if not repulsive, lot (thinking back on the park and final scene). But we still got a good glimpse at a variety of curses. A bit of action too. Again, I enjoyed this one.

I think I also read this book at the perfect time. While Kinslayer was ripping my heart to shreds slowly but surely, Invisibility provided an interesting but relatively predictable respite.

This book is probably geared toward a younger audience. It does not pack the punch or exceptional qualities to make it stand out in the sea of YA or fully engage an older audience. But I think it is still a good read. So maybe give this one a try, especially if you were on the fence. I liked it more than I thought I would. Just don't expect a superior book in terms of writing, characters, plot, etc. Pick this one up for some easy, fun reading.

REVIEW #170: Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan

Title: Two Boys Kissing
Author: David Levithan
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: August 27, 2013
Pages: 208, Hardcover
Source: Library, Audiobook

Summary from Goodreads:

New York Times  bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.

While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

I applaud David Levithan for writing this book.

Two Boys Kissing follows several young gay men, all with a different story to tell. At the heart of the book you find Craig and Harry who are trying to set a world record for the longest kiss, and send a message by being the first same sex couple to do so. This part of the story is influenced by true events. Craig and Harry are, in part, reacting to the beating of a fellow schoolmate, Tariq, who stands and supports his friends during their daring display. Elsewhere, a pink-haired boy and a blue-haired boy meet at a gay prom. While Avery and Ryan try to begin a relationship, Peter and Neil have managed to form a steady relationship. Then there is Cooper. He feels alone and unloved and gets swept away in a tragic virtual existence as he searches for some answers as to who he should be. Each boy has his own challenges and struggles to overcome. A different experience with close ones and the outside world. With this, David Levithan paints a picture of what it means to be gay in a world that still struggles with homosexuality. 

And all these stories are told by "a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS". If you saw my status update, I failed to read this synopsis before starting this one and had no idea who the “we” was that kept being referred to. Gillian kindly educated me. While it took a little bit to get used to this narration I do feel like it benefited the book in the end. It gave us yet another perspective, and showed the differences between generations. As a society, I believe we have come a long way in our acceptance of others, but we still have a very long way to go as evidenced by the truth that is in these pages and that we see every day. This narration also deepened the level of emotion portrayed, especially near the end. 

Two Boys Kissing tells a story that needs to be told. A story that everyone should hear. It saddens me that we live in a world with such hate. That people are ostracized, belittled, judged, and tormented for being different. And it frustrates me that the ones who really need to read this book probably never will.

I really do think this book was beautiful. Even if I couldn’t relate to this book I still understand its significance and the message that these words contain. I really hope that this book will reach those who need it the most. 

Final note about the audiobook – it was a little difficult to follow in the beginning because of the various perspectives and the third party narration but once I picked up on who the key players were I had no problem keeping up with it.

I'm Waiting On Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine to shine a spotlight on upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating!

This week I chose...

Title: Invisibility
Author: Andrea Cremer & David Levithan
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: May 7th 2013

Summary from Goodreads:

Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth

I have not read anything by David Levithan but I really enjoyed Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series! I also find it interesting to read book that are co-authored :) Not to mention, the whole idea of being invisible definitely sounds intriguing.

What are you waiting on?