Invisible Lissa

by Natalie Honeycutt

Lissa badly wants to get into Debra's exclusive fifth-grade lunch club, until she finds out what it is really like.

Genres: Childrens, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Contemporary

168 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Pastel Paperback · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who could forget Funchy Club? (Fun Lunch!)

For those of us who read this growing up, I'm sure that stuck with you.

I was a Lissa in elementary school. The one who was left out of things, and who had friends who kept a birthday party secret because they didn't want to invite me, only to let it slip eventually just to make me feel bad (it did. A LOT.)

This book really does break your heart quite a bit, especially when Lissa's BFF Katie has the excruciating phone call where she tells her she's been invited to Funchy Club and Lissa realizes she's going to be totally alone. The way I *hated* Katie in that moment. But the feeling of being left out is really real, and even Lissa can't blame her—she wants to join the club herself.

The ending is fantastic though. I love how Lissa stands up for herself. Girl power! And Katie sort of redeems herself.

Still a pretty great book, but if you were ever the one left out, it's gonna bring back some memories.

[Josiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Done well, realistic fiction is uniquely appealing. It's as though the author has created actual human beings rather than characters to fill a story. Judy Blume, Elissa Haden Guest, and Kevin Henkes are just a few who are particularly good at this, and Natalie Honeycutt shows similar aptitude in her 1985 debut novel, Invisible Lissa. Ten-year-old Lissa Woodbury isn't especially popular in her fifth-grade class. Debra Dobbins, who moved here to Westmont, California last year from Chicago, Illinois has no problem in the popularity department: she's attractive, fun, and charismatic, the sort of girl others gravitate toward. The trouble begins after Debra forms an independent cheerleading squad for the local youth soccer team. She holds tryouts and selects a few acrobatically inclined girls, including Lissa's best friend, Katie Hutchinson. Debra's mother makes fancy uniforms for the cheerleaders, and the whole experiment seems to go well until the first game, when Lissa's five-year-old brother Jason sneaks onto the field and starts performing beside the cheerleaders, leading to a comical mishap that has Debra's squad disinvited from future games. Debra accuses Lissa of putting Jason up to interfering with the show; she turns the girls in their class against Lissa, who is now less popular at school than ever.

Secret clubs during school hours aren't allowed, but when Debra forms a club behind their teacher Mr. Shipley's back, all the kids want to participate. Debra's friends are first to be included, but she's a lot slower to extend additional invitations to her "FUNCHY" club. The kids trip over themselves to please Debra, acting as willing servants. Lissa won't do that; she didn't like Debra in the first place, and the way she screamed at Jason during the soccer game, calling him a "retard" in reference to his speech impediment, magnifies Lissa's negative feelings. She knows Debra won't ask her to join FUNCHY, though in her heart of hearts Lissa longs for it, at least to find out what they talk about during their meetings at lunch. The number of kids not active in FUNCHY dwindles; even Joel Osborne joins, a redheaded boy Lissa doesn't talk to much at school but has fun with in the summer. Zack Brady isn't in FUNCHY, but he's the class clown and tends to annoy Debra. Katie isn't in either, because she's friends with Lissa, but is Debra starting to soften toward her? What will Lissa do if Katie becomes just another of Debra's fawning servants?

There's more to life, Lissa knows, than hoping Debra starts liking her. Lissa is proud of Jason's improvements at speech therapy; when he learns his "L" sound so he can say her name properly, it's a celebratory event for the Woodbury family. Lissa has few friends these days, but maybe Jason, irritating as a little brother can be, deserves to be numbered among them. Zack doesn't seem to care that Debra has left him out of FUNCHY, and encourages Lissa not to be bothered either. Being an outcast is liberating, he jokes. Lissa's connection to her best friend is disrupted when Katie accepts Debra's invitation to FUNCHY—members are sworn to secrecy, so Katie isn't allowed to talk with Lissa about the club—but Joel gets back in Lissa's good graces after a class report she gives about the local Ohlone Indians impresses Mr. Shipley so much that he arranges for her to do an encore presentation for the sixth-graders. Because it was a seashell mound she uncovered in the creek one summer with Joel that first interested Lissa in the Ohlone, she suggests it's only fair that they both give the report to the sixth-graders, and Joel happily agrees. Being excluded from FUNCHY still stings—Lissa skips lunch every day and instead reads by herself in the school library, not wanting to be pointedly ignored by Debra and the others—but there are reasons for optimism even if some of Lissa's friends have disappointed her. If Debra ever does invite Lissa, will she accept the offer? Or are there better places to be than in orbit of a Debra-centric solar system?

Ostracism hurts, even if it's from a group you don't like. Lissa's personality clashes with Debra's, so why would she enjoy being in a club together? Yet when almost all the other kids are in, it's lonely to be one of the last rejects. Does the fact that your peers value an experience make it worthwhile? Does Lissa want to be around Debra at all, considering how she insulted Jason for his speech problems and has treated Lissa like dirt ever since the unfortunate cheerleading incident? These issues aren't cut and dried, and the story acknowledges that. The realistic tone of Invisible Lissa is superb, and I'd rate the book two and a half stars; it wouldn't have taken much for me to round up to three. I look forward to reading more from Natalie Honeycutt later in her career. If she got better over time, her library of works may be a buried treasure waiting to be unearthed.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Original post at One More Page

I remember spotting this book in one of those small Book Sale branches how many years ago -- probably during freshman year in high school? I read a lot of middle grade fiction then, but I know I was reading more of Animorphs back then. I can't really remember why I got this, except maybe because it was cheap. And I'm glad I got it. :)

I think the main reason why I liked this book so much was because I could relate to Lissa. Like her, I used to give everyone in my class gifts during our yearly Christmas party. Well, okay, not everyone, but all girls in my class since they're easier to give gifts to. Like Lissa, too, I never got as many gifts as the ones I give out. It never bothered me, really, because I wasn't spending for my gifts, anyway. It extended outside of the gifts too -- I remember writing a retreat letter to everyone in my class. That was tiring. It's a good thing everyone else felt the need to return a retreat letter if you wrote them one.

Invisible Lissa is a very smart middle grade (or is this kid?) fiction that deals with serious issues that kids experience in school and at home. There's the normal school work, family issues and most importantly, bullying. I think the great cast of characters really helped that too. Lissa is a flawed but easy to relate to protagonist, and she's hardly angsty so I know she wasn't exaggerating any of her emotions. Debra Dobbins is the classic female bully, one who gets people to do the dirty job for her. The other characters were also a delight, from Joel (Lissa's guy best friend) to Jason (Lissa's younger brother) to Bernice the class drip and finally to my favorite character, Zack, who seemed like he liked Lissa, but it was never really revealed.

I don't know how fifth grade is in the US, but I feel that this painted a pretty accurate picture. I liked how Lissa's problems were resolved, because it didn't involve any shouting match (does that ever happen in real life?) nor was it very clean cut that everything went in Lissa's favor. Sure, it did work out for her, but there's much to say at what could happen next.

I have yet to read this again to see if my opinions of its greatness has changed (seeing as I think I already outgrew middle grade fiction), but as of now, this still remains to be one of my favorite books. :)

[Katt Hansen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put off writing about this book forever because I couldn't quite put my finger on why I didn't like it.

Lissa is a girl who gets on the wrong side of the new girl at school before she realizes just how much power that new girl has. What doesn't help is that the new girl is needlessly cruel about Lissa's little brother who has a serious speech impediment. This kind of bullying/teasing is so unbelievably cruel, that you can't help but feel enraged on Lissa's behalf.

Except, Lissa isn't the most likable character herself.

This is a difficult story because we aren't supposed to think that some kids get bullied for things they did, but sometimes, yes, Lissa is making this problem worse. To me this feels a lot like victim blaming, but then I'm not the best judge of this book.

The problem is, I was bullied a LOT in school. I had some things happen which were about the same level of cruel, some things which were worse. So when it comes to a book like this, being triggered can make reading further an unpleasant experience, especially when you start feeling as though the author is pointing out that it's the victim's own fault for being bullied. Yikes.

I have to remind myself this book was written at a different time. It's not all that well written in some regards, so perhaps I should be more forgiving. But while I can make exceptions to authors of other older books, for this book I didn't want to let the author slide. There isn't the best advice here in how to deal with this. No adult seems to take any of this seriously and the kids have to figure it all out for themselves.

Yeah, been there, done that.

So, what should I say?

Don't hunt down this book. It's not worth the effort. But if you see it, it would be interesting to find out what you think. Maybe I'm remembering this wrong after waiting so long to write the review, or I'm being unduly harsh because of my own experiences. What are your thoughts?

[Swankivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as a kid because I was hoping for some kind of science fiction about an invisible kid. Haha. But I read the back and I knew this wasn't in the SF genre; still, I thought it sounded like an interesting premise, since in elementary school I did a lot of feeling invisible myself.

Lissa starts feeling like the popular girl in her class, Debra, has a vendetta against her. This girl does everything she can to make sure Lissa doesn't feel included, which is really awful the whole way through because she just goes out of her way to exclude her and seems to gain power, socially, with everyone by basically threatening to excommunicate them too. That kind of power balance with kids is terrible, because nobody likes that kind of child but everyone wants to be liked by her.

I loved this book partially because when Lissa finally gets an invitation to join the lunch club that's been excluding her and finds out what the club is really like, she decides the whole thing disgusts her and kind of takes down the whole thing by criticizing it. It made me feel better as a kid about not being one of the popular kids. ;)

[Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Diary like account of 5th grade girls shunning another of their number until the underdog comes from behind.


Strengths: Interesting writing style. Strong writing and realistic language and actions.

Weaknesses: Very anti-adult and a bit dated.

[Khanh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Natalie Honeycutt’s Invisible Lissa follows the story of Lissa, a preteen girl desperate to belong and be seen. At school, the magnetic and popular Deborah becomes the center of attention, admired by nearly everyone. Lissa hopes to gain Deborah’s approval, especially when Deborah organizes a cheerleading group for an upcoming soccer game. Lissa executes the cartwheels and moves designed by Deborah perfectly during tryouts, but to her disappointment, she is not chosen—while her best friend Katie is.

Later in the story, Deborah forms a new, exclusive lunchtime club, accessible only by invitation. When Lissa finally receives her longed-for invitation, she is thrilled, believing her moment of acceptance has come at last. Yet once inside, she discovers what the club is truly about—and her excitement gives way to disgust and disillusionment.

The novel raises important themes: the fragile nature of friendships, the struggle to stand up for oneself, the insidious effects of jealousy, and the quiet but enduring love between siblings. These are meaningful topics, and I appreciate that the story tries to bring them forward for young readers.

However, I found the book’s execution lackluster. Many things happen to Lissa, but she is left to endure most of them without much support. Apart from her friends Katie and Joel, and her younger brother, very few people truly stand up for her. The adults, especially her parents, remain passive and oddly absent, offering no real guidance or reassurance—a lack that leaves the story emotionally thin.

The ending, too, was unsatisfying and disappointing, offering little resolution or sense of growth after all Lissa has endured. While I value the themes and message Honeycutt aimed to convey, the story itself left me wanting more.

[heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great middle grade book that was painfully accurate in what it's like to deal with a manipulative bully. Read it in 5th grade and it's just as good now.

[Madame Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sparkling story about a young girl named Lissa who doesn't bow down to conformity or bullying.

[Julie Decker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lissa has ended up on the wrong side of the popular girl, and the punishment is worse than death (if you're an elementary school kid): EXCLUSION. Throughout her days in the classroom, poor Lissa is targeted by the popular Debra, who goes out of her way to make her seem uncool and uses her social connections to make everyone else exclude her too. But when Lissa gets the inside story on Debra's lunch club, she wonders why she ever wanted to be liked by such petty people in the first place.

Most kids can relate to feeling left out, but this is an especially good book for children who have been bullied or chosen as a popular child's target. The author actually does a very good job capturing girl clique experiences--the cute little tokens they give the in-group, for instance, reminded me very much of what it was like in elementary school if you had someone to wear the other half of your BFF necklace--and unlike most books written by adults about childhood, it didn't really fall flat or trivialize what they go through. The ending, though it includes a payoff we all wish we could deliver to the mean girl of our school, didn't strike me as realistic, though; it probably would have been more inspiring to see a child staying true to themselves without such a solid "defeat" of the popular girl, so to speak.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book about middle-school bullying and ostracizing when I was in elementary school. I kept on thinking about it and remembering it, so I had to re-read it.

It holds up pretty well, although it's not as shocking as I remember it being when I was younger.

Also, if it was re-printed for modern audiences, they'd have to remove the word "Indian" and the word "retarded."

[wanderer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I owned this book and read it often as a kid. I'm pretty sure this is the book that taught me to eat celery sticks with cream cheese (we only ate it with peanut butter.) The ending is super: when Lissa finally, finally gets invited to the lunch club, she sees what a loser club it is, and has this totally cool reaction.

[Brianna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Eek, I hated this book! I read it a year ago and it had like no plot! Plus, it was disappointing because I thought she'd actually turn invisible or something. Hated this book. Practically the only book I've ever read that I didn't like. :P

[M (Inactive because school) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lissa was a great character. She's so young yet so invisible. She's become an outcast, a nobody because of the lunch club that the meanest girl in class made up. Great read. It comes with good lessons for kids who try to make friends..:)

[Judi Politte-Downs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a "middle school" book. That makes it a quick read but a very good reminder of what happens in middle school and also to all of us that things in life change. What seems awful at the moment can turn into something much better.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great classic preteen novel of the 1980's. This book shows just how cruel gradeschool girls can be to each other.

[Krishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

The description of this book on goodreads is incorrect. That's only part of it, and its not like what it seems. It's really funny, I recommend to all.

[Chrisie]

I remember reading this as a child and it was one of my favorite books.

[Anne Francia Chavez · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite pre-teen books. Funny and smart.

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite part was when lissa had a friend.the worst when she did not.the best character was lissa. the wors character was debra.i like this book because it is very interesting.Auryn 9 years

[Lindsay Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

GREAT book that shows the dynamics of relational bullying. Even though it was written in the 80's, the mean, jealous behaviors and bullying roles still ring true.

[Mas5thgrade2014 · Rating 4 out of 5]

She is so brave at times when needed.
KittyKatLove1313

[Clare]

Another childhood favorite

[Evan]

Interesting story good book to compete with friends.

[Partridge Public]

Honeycutt, Natalie