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Me & My Invisible Guy
The cheerleader who has everything . . . ?
Mallory Dane has a great family (at least on the surface), is popular at school (as long as she doesn’t make waves), and dates an amazing boyfriend, Todd (who happens to be completely made up). Boys—and sex—are something Mallory just can’t deal with, so she created her “invisible guy” to avoid it all. But when Liam Crawford comes along—a real guy, flesh and bones and strumming his guitar—Mallory starts questioning her fictional relationship.
Is she really willing to give up Todd for Liam? And can she make amends for the lies she’s told—even to her best friend, Tess? What if your biggest, most embarrassing secret was broadcast to the whole world? Letting go of her secret will be easier said than done, and Mallory will risk everything—her family, Tess, cheerleading, her reputation, and most of all, her heart.
Mallory Dane has a great family (at least on the surface), is popular at school (as long as she doesn’t make waves), and dates an amazing boyfriend, Todd (who happens to be completely made up). Boys—and sex—are something Mallory just can’t deal with, so she created her “invisible guy” to avoid it all. But when Liam Crawford comes along—a real guy, flesh and bones and strumming his guitar—Mallory starts questioning her fictional relationship.
Is she really willing to give up Todd for Liam? And can she make amends for the lies she’s told—even to her best friend, Tess? What if your biggest, most embarrassing secret was broadcast to the whole world? Letting go of her secret will be easier said than done, and Mallory will risk everything—her family, Tess, cheerleading, her reputation, and most of all, her heart.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 5, 2013
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365 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
January 23, 2013
*I received a free copy of this book via Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!!*
I don't usually dislike 'issue' books (ie: books that bring up a buzz worthy issue, like pre-marital sex, homosexuality, underage drinking, suicide, etc), but I REALLY dislike when books get preachy with me and this book got very preachy. I am also not a fan of faith-based books and this book came across very much like a faith-based book that's been toned down somewhat to try and appeal to the mainstream.
Me & My Invisible Guy is about a popular cheerleader named Mallory. All of her friends have had sex with their boyfriends at some point and Mallory is too embarrassed to admit she is a virgin and doesn't want to have sex, so she created a fake boyfriend (Todd) and has told all of her friends that she and Todd have had sex.
There are reasons why Mallory doesn't want to have sex and I don't really want to get in to them because it will spoil parts of this novel for those who plan to read it. I'll just say that I understand and respect her reasons.
When a new guy, Liam, moves to the area, Mallory is instantly attracted to him and ends up having to dump her fake boyfriend so that she can have a 'real' relationship. This happens early on and Mallory spills the beans about her fake boyfriend to Liam pretty early on, so I don't think it's much of a spoiler to mention that.
Liam is a very religious guy who is also a virgin and doesn't believe in sex before marriage.
One of the girls at his church, Lexi, who is also a classmate of Liam/Mallory, has a crush on him and doesn't approve of Mallory dating him. Mallory is a cheerleader and supposedly had sex with Todd, so she is one of "those" girls that Liam shouldn't be dating. Lexi constantly inserts herself in Mallory and Liam's new relationship and causes problems for them. She keeps trying to steal Liam and even goes so far as to tell Liam how slutty Mallory is so that he won't date her. She also makes snotty comments to Mallory and vaguely threatens her.
Eventually, once Mallory's secret comes out, Lexi apologizes.... but the big issue I had with this is that she apologizes for midjudging Mallory, not for treating her badly to begin with. Basically, what Lexi said is that because Mallory is a virgin, it's okay for them to be friends now. And that Mallory isn't one of "those" girls, so Lexi can be nice to her. I'm fairly certain the Bible talks about not judging others and how that's God's job - so I really would have preferred Lexi actually feel bad for mistreating and judging ANYONE, but instead she just feels bad for mistreating Mallory because Mallory wasn't the slut she originally thought.
As for the faith stuff... it was a bit much. I don't know how to describe it other than it just felt like I was reading something that belongs on a Christian Books for Teens list. While those books often have a purpose of the main character 'finding God' and changing his/her life, which wasn't 100% the case here, we do have a LOT of Christian preachiness going on here which was overwhelming. While I'm not anti-religion, I don't like it this hardcore in my novels.
Another main problem with this book is that I feel it tried to tackle too many issues at once. We have abstinence, bullying, STDs, suicide, abusive alcoholic parents, and overbearing military parents (who disown their kids if they don't follow the chosen path of armed forces). Not to mention tackling the family issues that arose in the aftermath of the suicide thing. While I feel like the author handled these topics respectfully (which is always appreciated), it seemed too much.
Overall though, the book wasn't bad. I liked Mallory a lot. She came across like a very real teenager - something rare in YA these days! I probably will not read anything by this author in the future, mostly because of the religious stuff, but she has some talent and if reading faith-based stuff is your thing you'll probably like her book.
I don't usually dislike 'issue' books (ie: books that bring up a buzz worthy issue, like pre-marital sex, homosexuality, underage drinking, suicide, etc), but I REALLY dislike when books get preachy with me and this book got very preachy. I am also not a fan of faith-based books and this book came across very much like a faith-based book that's been toned down somewhat to try and appeal to the mainstream.
Me & My Invisible Guy is about a popular cheerleader named Mallory. All of her friends have had sex with their boyfriends at some point and Mallory is too embarrassed to admit she is a virgin and doesn't want to have sex, so she created a fake boyfriend (Todd) and has told all of her friends that she and Todd have had sex.
There are reasons why Mallory doesn't want to have sex and I don't really want to get in to them because it will spoil parts of this novel for those who plan to read it. I'll just say that I understand and respect her reasons.
When a new guy, Liam, moves to the area, Mallory is instantly attracted to him and ends up having to dump her fake boyfriend so that she can have a 'real' relationship. This happens early on and Mallory spills the beans about her fake boyfriend to Liam pretty early on, so I don't think it's much of a spoiler to mention that.
Liam is a very religious guy who is also a virgin and doesn't believe in sex before marriage.
One of the girls at his church, Lexi, who is also a classmate of Liam/Mallory, has a crush on him and doesn't approve of Mallory dating him. Mallory is a cheerleader and supposedly had sex with Todd, so she is one of "those" girls that Liam shouldn't be dating. Lexi constantly inserts herself in Mallory and Liam's new relationship and causes problems for them. She keeps trying to steal Liam and even goes so far as to tell Liam how slutty Mallory is so that he won't date her. She also makes snotty comments to Mallory and vaguely threatens her.
Eventually, once Mallory's secret comes out, Lexi apologizes.... but the big issue I had with this is that she apologizes for midjudging Mallory, not for treating her badly to begin with. Basically, what Lexi said is that because Mallory is a virgin, it's okay for them to be friends now. And that Mallory isn't one of "those" girls, so Lexi can be nice to her. I'm fairly certain the Bible talks about not judging others and how that's God's job - so I really would have preferred Lexi actually feel bad for mistreating and judging ANYONE, but instead she just feels bad for mistreating Mallory because Mallory wasn't the slut she originally thought.
As for the faith stuff... it was a bit much. I don't know how to describe it other than it just felt like I was reading something that belongs on a Christian Books for Teens list. While those books often have a purpose of the main character 'finding God' and changing his/her life, which wasn't 100% the case here, we do have a LOT of Christian preachiness going on here which was overwhelming. While I'm not anti-religion, I don't like it this hardcore in my novels.
Another main problem with this book is that I feel it tried to tackle too many issues at once. We have abstinence, bullying, STDs, suicide, abusive alcoholic parents, and overbearing military parents (who disown their kids if they don't follow the chosen path of armed forces). Not to mention tackling the family issues that arose in the aftermath of the suicide thing. While I feel like the author handled these topics respectfully (which is always appreciated), it seemed too much.
Overall though, the book wasn't bad. I liked Mallory a lot. She came across like a very real teenager - something rare in YA these days! I probably will not read anything by this author in the future, mostly because of the religious stuff, but she has some talent and if reading faith-based stuff is your thing you'll probably like her book.
February 13, 2013
I love the idea of a popular cheerleader making up a fake boyfriend so she doesn't have to deal with the stress and drama of the real thing. However, what the description on the back of the book doesn't tell you is how religiously focused the story is. I don't mind religion in a book, but when it is thrown at you at every turn the story gets...preachy. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. Me & My Invisible Guy turned into a PSA for abstinence and waiting until marriage.Every problem/evil in the book stemmed from the various characters fornicating. Mallory made up Todd so she wouldn't be pressured to have sex and wouldn't be ostracized when all of her friends are "doing it". Once all of Mallory's lies are found out the whole school turns on this pretty, sweet, nice, and popular cheerleader. Her squad turns on her and her friends turn on her. I don't know about your high school or your group of friends, but I don't remember any of us being that invested in the sex life or lack there of in the cheer leading squad. I'm not saying that bullying like this doesn't happen, but this was a little much and in the end the publicity that it garnered was way overblown.
Onto the next problem I had with the book as a whole. The subject of waiting to have sex. Not one person who has sex was OK. Miraculously by the end of the book these promiscuous but lovable characters were all happy since they were going to quit being "sluts" and not have sex. I'm sorry, but I believe that sex isn't an evil thing. It's a personal decision that shouldn't be made lightly, but not condemned either. If you decide to wait it doesn't make you a "prude or high and mighty" and if you do decide to have sex it doesn't make you "cool or a slut" either.
Don't get me wrong, Me & My Invisible Guy wasn't a horrible book. The slight redemption came in the form of a couple of characters. In particular, the character of Tessa, Mallory's best friend, is pretty awesome. She is probably the most emotionally real and relatable person. She had problems, tried to take care of them herself, got angry when she felt betrayed, and then got over it. She was herself and didn't feel sorry nor apologize for being that person. Darby was an interesting character in the first half of the book. Too bad she got a complete personality change in the second half. This change wouldn't have been bad if it had been more gradual. There should have been a more natural progression. Mallory herself was an OK character. I really felt sorry for her. her parents were too worried about her other sister that they gave up her her life in order to watch Darby and paid absolutely no attention to her. Even in the end she was still on the back burner family wise. Last but not least...well anyways there was Liam the love interest. Let's just say that I liked Todd better.
Overall, Me & My Invisible Guy by Sarah Jeffrey was just an OK book. In trying to convey that it is normal and nothing shameful in being a virgin it condemns the other side of the coin. If you are looking for a good reinforcement for the abstinence stance this is the book for you. If you are looking for a realistic book about young women's decisions involving their sex lives...pass this one by and keep browsing. I give this book a 2 1/2 STAR rating.
Onto the next problem I had with the book as a whole. The subject of waiting to have sex. Not one person who has sex was OK. Miraculously by the end of the book these promiscuous but lovable characters were all happy since they were going to quit being "sluts" and not have sex. I'm sorry, but I believe that sex isn't an evil thing. It's a personal decision that shouldn't be made lightly, but not condemned either. If you decide to wait it doesn't make you a "prude or high and mighty" and if you do decide to have sex it doesn't make you "cool or a slut" either.
Don't get me wrong, Me & My Invisible Guy wasn't a horrible book. The slight redemption came in the form of a couple of characters. In particular, the character of Tessa, Mallory's best friend, is pretty awesome. She is probably the most emotionally real and relatable person. She had problems, tried to take care of them herself, got angry when she felt betrayed, and then got over it. She was herself and didn't feel sorry nor apologize for being that person. Darby was an interesting character in the first half of the book. Too bad she got a complete personality change in the second half. This change wouldn't have been bad if it had been more gradual. There should have been a more natural progression. Mallory herself was an OK character. I really felt sorry for her. her parents were too worried about her other sister that they gave up her her life in order to watch Darby and paid absolutely no attention to her. Even in the end she was still on the back burner family wise. Last but not least...well anyways there was Liam the love interest. Let's just say that I liked Todd better.
Overall, Me & My Invisible Guy by Sarah Jeffrey was just an OK book. In trying to convey that it is normal and nothing shameful in being a virgin it condemns the other side of the coin. If you are looking for a good reinforcement for the abstinence stance this is the book for you. If you are looking for a realistic book about young women's decisions involving their sex lives...pass this one by and keep browsing. I give this book a 2 1/2 STAR rating.
March 27, 2016
Rating: 3.5 Stars
This was a cute story. It had a lot of heart. Our main character, Mallory, is dealing with a lot of pressure at school and at home and in order to deflect any unwanted attention, she creates an imaginary boyfriend. The web of lies she creates starts to come undone and she becomes public enemy number one. This story is about a lot of things -- trust, forgiveness, honesty, healing. It is a clean teen type book with religious undertones (not the main focus, but part of the story for some of the characters), and I think it had a good message. It was sort of like a LifeTime movie to me -- you have a lot of build up and then the resolution comes in the last 10 minutes. Overall, a cute read.
This was a cute story. It had a lot of heart. Our main character, Mallory, is dealing with a lot of pressure at school and at home and in order to deflect any unwanted attention, she creates an imaginary boyfriend. The web of lies she creates starts to come undone and she becomes public enemy number one. This story is about a lot of things -- trust, forgiveness, honesty, healing. It is a clean teen type book with religious undertones (not the main focus, but part of the story for some of the characters), and I think it had a good message. It was sort of like a LifeTime movie to me -- you have a lot of build up and then the resolution comes in the last 10 minutes. Overall, a cute read.
January 3, 2013
Thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Children's Publishing for providing me with the ARC of this book.
Summary
High school junior and cheerleader Mallory Dane has a secret. Actually, she has a few, though they aren't all hers to tell.
Her secret is Todd, her boyfriend that doesn't really exist. Though Mallory is tired of her fictional relationship with her made-up boyfriend, she can't seem to admit to anyone, even her best friend Tess, that she has been lying.
Then there's Liam Crawford, the new student that Mallory can't stop thinking about. Mallory must make a choice: keep Todd and all of her lies, or tell Liam the truth and start a relationship with a real person. But her secret isn't the only one on the line, and if she isn't careful, Mallory may end up revealing the secrets of those closest to her and lose more than her fictional boyfriend.
My Impression
Though I wasn't really surprised about Mallory's initial motivation for creating Todd, I was surprised about the number of other secrets she had to deal with. Mallory's home life is anything but perfect, and the same can be said for her friend Tess. Not only does Mallory have to keep her family's (and particularly her sister Darby's) situation a secret from everyone, she also tries to help Tess out with her own family situation without revealing her friend's secret. I liked that this book was about more than just the lies Mallory told about Todd, and that not all of the secrets were something as simple as a fictional boyfriend.
At the same time, there are always consequences for keeping secrets. This book does a really good job of showing the fallout that can come from telling the truth, as well as the social pressures and stigmas that are a part of high school.
One topic of this book is abstinence and the role that sex plays in the lives of teenagers, as well as the peer pressure to lose your virginity. While the topic was relevant to Mallory and the plot of this story (I won't reveal how), I was worried that the "moral of the story" was that abstinence is the way to go. The book shows a lot of sides to the topic, such as how there are not necessarily always bad implications to having sex and how there are negative connotations sometimes associated with being abstinent. After finishing the book I still feel that the book was a bit heavy-handed with its attempt to promote abstinence; however, I think the main goal in this book's use of the topic was not to criticize teenagers who do have sex, and that its main purpose is to criticize the social pressure to have sex.
Why I Picked Up This Book
I found this book on NetGalley, and I was intrigued by Mallory and her "relationship" with Todd.. I wanted to know what would cause a girl who seemed to have it all to lie about something like a relationship.
Summary
High school junior and cheerleader Mallory Dane has a secret. Actually, she has a few, though they aren't all hers to tell.
Her secret is Todd, her boyfriend that doesn't really exist. Though Mallory is tired of her fictional relationship with her made-up boyfriend, she can't seem to admit to anyone, even her best friend Tess, that she has been lying.
Then there's Liam Crawford, the new student that Mallory can't stop thinking about. Mallory must make a choice: keep Todd and all of her lies, or tell Liam the truth and start a relationship with a real person. But her secret isn't the only one on the line, and if she isn't careful, Mallory may end up revealing the secrets of those closest to her and lose more than her fictional boyfriend.
My Impression
Though I wasn't really surprised about Mallory's initial motivation for creating Todd, I was surprised about the number of other secrets she had to deal with. Mallory's home life is anything but perfect, and the same can be said for her friend Tess. Not only does Mallory have to keep her family's (and particularly her sister Darby's) situation a secret from everyone, she also tries to help Tess out with her own family situation without revealing her friend's secret. I liked that this book was about more than just the lies Mallory told about Todd, and that not all of the secrets were something as simple as a fictional boyfriend.
At the same time, there are always consequences for keeping secrets. This book does a really good job of showing the fallout that can come from telling the truth, as well as the social pressures and stigmas that are a part of high school.
One topic of this book is abstinence and the role that sex plays in the lives of teenagers, as well as the peer pressure to lose your virginity. While the topic was relevant to Mallory and the plot of this story (I won't reveal how), I was worried that the "moral of the story" was that abstinence is the way to go. The book shows a lot of sides to the topic, such as how there are not necessarily always bad implications to having sex and how there are negative connotations sometimes associated with being abstinent. After finishing the book I still feel that the book was a bit heavy-handed with its attempt to promote abstinence; however, I think the main goal in this book's use of the topic was not to criticize teenagers who do have sex, and that its main purpose is to criticize the social pressure to have sex.
Why I Picked Up This Book
I found this book on NetGalley, and I was intrigued by Mallory and her "relationship" with Todd.. I wanted to know what would cause a girl who seemed to have it all to lie about something like a relationship.
didn-t-finish
January 25, 2013DNF
I'm not rating this one because I wasn't able to get past 15%. I wanted to give it a fair chance, but it just wasn't for me.
Mallory is a popular cheerleader with problems at home. Her older sister is having some issues and things with her parents are tense. She's made up a fake boyfriend, Todd, complete with Photoshopped pictures of the two of them, to bring some sense of normality to her life. No one, including her best friends, know the truth.
This book is written for those with very short attention spans. A lot of very short scenes in a row just left me feeling like I was swept up in a windstorm. I never really felt grounded in the story or engaged by the main character. Also, things felt like they were starting to get a little churchy - which is a turnoff.
The mystery surrounding Mallory's sister Darby is intriguing, and I like the way information is laid out - we're organically led into the "mystery" of what exactly is wrong with her. However, it's just not enough to keep me going. I found myself skimming through even the shortest of scenes because there seemed to be a lot of extra fat and uninteresting exposition marbled into the meat.
The story may pick up a bit later, but I need to move on.
ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
I'm not rating this one because I wasn't able to get past 15%. I wanted to give it a fair chance, but it just wasn't for me.
Mallory is a popular cheerleader with problems at home. Her older sister is having some issues and things with her parents are tense. She's made up a fake boyfriend, Todd, complete with Photoshopped pictures of the two of them, to bring some sense of normality to her life. No one, including her best friends, know the truth.
This book is written for those with very short attention spans. A lot of very short scenes in a row just left me feeling like I was swept up in a windstorm. I never really felt grounded in the story or engaged by the main character. Also, things felt like they were starting to get a little churchy - which is a turnoff.
The mystery surrounding Mallory's sister Darby is intriguing, and I like the way information is laid out - we're organically led into the "mystery" of what exactly is wrong with her. However, it's just not enough to keep me going. I found myself skimming through even the shortest of scenes because there seemed to be a lot of extra fat and uninteresting exposition marbled into the meat.
The story may pick up a bit later, but I need to move on.
ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.
January 29, 2015
I actually enjoyed this book. I know that some people did not like how God was thrown around a lot in the book. But I didn't mind it at all, its more realistic then some of the other books that I've read. Don't get me wrong, I read all types of books and we all know that likelihood of it happening is slim, lol. But this is more realistic, issues that girls do go through and the pressure that many teens face now. Mallory and Darby are great examples of what girls of all ages go through. Give it try you might even like it.
February 7, 2013
Sigh, the ups and downs of adolescence. I wish I had this book 15 years ago
March 17, 2019
La descripción me llamó la atención, pero después de leer los primeros dos capítulos consideré dejar de leerlo porque pensé que no me iba a gustar. Menos mal que seguí leyendo porque conforme avanzan los capítulos, la historia se pone cada vez más interesante.
Este libro me hizo pensar en todas las pequeñas mentiras que decimos para zafar de ciertas situaciones y como a veces estas pequeñas mentiras se tornan en tremendos desastres.
No me esperaba toda la parte religiosa en la historia pero no me molestó, es más me resultó muy interesante que se toque ese tema.
Me gustó que cada personaje le aportó algo importante a la historia y no estaban solo de relleno, pero sin dudas Tess fue mi favorita, y me hubiese gustado saber que fue de ella y su hermana. Creo que eso fue lo único que no me gustó de este libro, no me gusta quedarme con dudas sobre qué fue del futuro de los personajes. Pero dejando ese detalle de lado, me encantó.
Este libro me hizo pensar en todas las pequeñas mentiras que decimos para zafar de ciertas situaciones y como a veces estas pequeñas mentiras se tornan en tremendos desastres.
No me esperaba toda la parte religiosa en la historia pero no me molestó, es más me resultó muy interesante que se toque ese tema.
Me gustó que cada personaje le aportó algo importante a la historia y no estaban solo de relleno, pero sin dudas Tess fue mi favorita, y me hubiese gustado saber que fue de ella y su hermana. Creo que eso fue lo único que no me gustó de este libro, no me gusta quedarme con dudas sobre qué fue del futuro de los personajes. Pero dejando ese detalle de lado, me encantó.
September 24, 2025
As someone who is a fan of dumb teen romance books, I was immersed in this book! Though it definitely felt a bit flawed...
It doesn't bring up god much until lime halfway through where it decides it wants to be a Christian book.
Also, Mallory talks about being sad about not going to homecoming but it doesn't become a thing in the book at all.
Overall enjoyable if you view it as some wattpad-esc book.
It doesn't bring up god much until lime halfway through where it decides it wants to be a Christian book.
Also, Mallory talks about being sad about not going to homecoming but it doesn't become a thing in the book at all.
Overall enjoyable if you view it as some wattpad-esc book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2019
An interesting read. A clean romance but a lot of undertones as she made up this boyfriend so her friends wouldn't push her on the issue of sex as well as the fact that her sister got an STD in college and her life was pretty much ruined... But we see good character development with her and even her sister. It did better than I expected given that synopsis.
August 3, 2019
Not really for me, but I could see how some younger reads could relate.
November 27, 2017
In all honesty, I chose to read Me & My Invisible Guy based on the negative reviews that I read concerning the novel here on Goodreads. And, I absolutely loved it. People aren't judging this novel based on the quality of Sarah Jeffrey's writing; they're responding negatively to the message she's delivering to her audience. That being said, I'm an advocate for the message the author delivers, and I have been for a very long time.
Though Goodreads doesn't identify this novel as being in the Christian Fiction genre, I believe that it loosely fits that category. As I recall, I read a few reviews for this book that said Jeffrey "shoved religion down readers throats, and got too preachy about abstinence". That is a false accusation. Yes, God is mentioned in the novel. Many of the characters are indeed Christians. However, the main character, though she is considering turning her life over to God bit by bit, never fully makes the decision to give her life to God by the end of the novel. I am a Christian; I know what overly-preachy is like, and I'm aware that some people go too far as to "shoving Christianity down others throats". I want others to seek God's love in their lives too, but I won't force that decision upon anyone. Sarah Jeffrey puts the idea of God on the table throughout the novel, but she doesn't badmouth non-Christians. Overall, the Christian faith plays a role in this novel because of the issue of abstinence.
Abstinence is the main issue that is discussed within this adorable little novel. The main character, Mallory, has decided to stay pure in her relationships. I wish I had come across Me & My Invisible Guy a few years ago, because I made the same type of decision after visiting a youth event with a church. To learn more about purity, you can check out http://www.silverringthing.com/ if you want. The author introduces the topic in a way that's easy to relate to, offers opposing viewpoints, and includes reasons why abstinence is a good idea. Other issues that come into play in this novel include domestic violence, lying, bullying and suicidal behavior. The author tied all of these issues into the novel with an amazing result, and it really made me think about things in my own life.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was cute, a bit romantic, and including important topics that I think all young adult readers can relate to. The language is clean, except for a few minor words. I recommend it to teens 13+, because the topics may be a little difficult to grasp for younger kids.
Though Goodreads doesn't identify this novel as being in the Christian Fiction genre, I believe that it loosely fits that category. As I recall, I read a few reviews for this book that said Jeffrey "shoved religion down readers throats, and got too preachy about abstinence". That is a false accusation. Yes, God is mentioned in the novel. Many of the characters are indeed Christians. However, the main character, though she is considering turning her life over to God bit by bit, never fully makes the decision to give her life to God by the end of the novel. I am a Christian; I know what overly-preachy is like, and I'm aware that some people go too far as to "shoving Christianity down others throats". I want others to seek God's love in their lives too, but I won't force that decision upon anyone. Sarah Jeffrey puts the idea of God on the table throughout the novel, but she doesn't badmouth non-Christians. Overall, the Christian faith plays a role in this novel because of the issue of abstinence.
Abstinence is the main issue that is discussed within this adorable little novel. The main character, Mallory, has decided to stay pure in her relationships. I wish I had come across Me & My Invisible Guy a few years ago, because I made the same type of decision after visiting a youth event with a church. To learn more about purity, you can check out http://www.silverringthing.com/ if you want. The author introduces the topic in a way that's easy to relate to, offers opposing viewpoints, and includes reasons why abstinence is a good idea. Other issues that come into play in this novel include domestic violence, lying, bullying and suicidal behavior. The author tied all of these issues into the novel with an amazing result, and it really made me think about things in my own life.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel. It was cute, a bit romantic, and including important topics that I think all young adult readers can relate to. The language is clean, except for a few minor words. I recommend it to teens 13+, because the topics may be a little difficult to grasp for younger kids.
February 23, 2013
Another recommended to me impulse buy (starting to think I need to make a shelf for that, tbh.)
Another story that didn't really know what it wanted to be, so it tried to be everything. It almost succeeded. The almost is what kept me reading despite the issues - because even if it kept going from theme to theme, they were still brought together to a logical and fulfilling resolution. I was still cheering for Mallory, and her sister, her friends, her family, and I wanted to see if everything tied up. Surprisingly, it did.
I should put a warning on - if you're turned off by books that mention God, or have characters whose faith is a strong part of their character makeup, this probably isn't for you. I didn't find it overly preachy at all - and it could have been. Just putting that out there.
Still trying to figure out what the underlying theme was supposed to be. Lying is bad and will mess things up faster than you can blink? Premarital sex is bad and will mess things up exponentially, too? Lack of religion in your life can leave you empty/not all religious people are fanatical? Standing up for what you believe in is more important than being popular? Making the right decision is more important than making the wrong one for the right reasons?
Those are the main areas of the storyline as Mallory's story moves through a few months of her life that upend a life that's about as stable as lake ice in November. Sure it looks frozen solid, but one wrong move and it all goes to hell fast. The first crack splinters and leads to more and more until she's drowning in it.
The synopsis is pretty spot on for the story - the plot doesn't center around Mallory's relationship with her fake boyfriend, but on the fallout of what happens when she "breaks up" with him and still the truth gets out. One truth, then another, and another. Crack, crack, splinter, splash.
I did like the way Mallory stood up to every crack in the ice. Once she had made her decision, and her 12 steps, to stop lying - she really did stick to her plan. She did backslide once (which, to my mind, made it more realistic) but rectified it almost immediately. And though she kept trying to be everything to everyone, and sometimes did the right thing only because her hand was forced...once she did, she stuck to her reasoning. Even when it meant losing everyone.
Even then, she didn't back down. She owned it.
The love story was more a secondary thing - important, and even adorable - but this was more Mallory's story than it was Mallory and Liam's. And it really was a good one, even if it had a little trouble staying on course at times.
Another story that didn't really know what it wanted to be, so it tried to be everything. It almost succeeded. The almost is what kept me reading despite the issues - because even if it kept going from theme to theme, they were still brought together to a logical and fulfilling resolution. I was still cheering for Mallory, and her sister, her friends, her family, and I wanted to see if everything tied up. Surprisingly, it did.
I should put a warning on - if you're turned off by books that mention God, or have characters whose faith is a strong part of their character makeup, this probably isn't for you. I didn't find it overly preachy at all - and it could have been. Just putting that out there.
Still trying to figure out what the underlying theme was supposed to be. Lying is bad and will mess things up faster than you can blink? Premarital sex is bad and will mess things up exponentially, too? Lack of religion in your life can leave you empty/not all religious people are fanatical? Standing up for what you believe in is more important than being popular? Making the right decision is more important than making the wrong one for the right reasons?
Those are the main areas of the storyline as Mallory's story moves through a few months of her life that upend a life that's about as stable as lake ice in November. Sure it looks frozen solid, but one wrong move and it all goes to hell fast. The first crack splinters and leads to more and more until she's drowning in it.
The synopsis is pretty spot on for the story - the plot doesn't center around Mallory's relationship with her fake boyfriend, but on the fallout of what happens when she "breaks up" with him and still the truth gets out. One truth, then another, and another. Crack, crack, splinter, splash.
I did like the way Mallory stood up to every crack in the ice. Once she had made her decision, and her 12 steps, to stop lying - she really did stick to her plan. She did backslide once (which, to my mind, made it more realistic) but rectified it almost immediately. And though she kept trying to be everything to everyone, and sometimes did the right thing only because her hand was forced...once she did, she stuck to her reasoning. Even when it meant losing everyone.
Even then, she didn't back down. She owned it.
The love story was more a secondary thing - important, and even adorable - but this was more Mallory's story than it was Mallory and Liam's. And it really was a good one, even if it had a little trouble staying on course at times.
January 22, 2013
My Thoughts: Another 2013 debut! We are introduced to Mallory who is a cheerleader, somewhat popular, and from a normal family. She has a mom, dad, and an older sister named Darby.
Mallory has went through a lot of things. To deal with some of them, she makes up a fake boyfriend. His name is Todd and he is pretty amazing for a fake boyfriend. She has lied so much about him it almost seems believable at times. She writes details about him in her little notebook so she doesn't ever mess up. She plans trips to go see him, she has pictures of them both (photoshoped of course). Its pretty convincing to the outside eye.
But then she starts to like another boy. A real life boy who goes to her school. His name is Liam! Liam was so nice and adorable. He goes to church, likes music, and is pretty amazing. Mallory isn’t sure what to do but she has to act fast before someone else snags him up!
Mallory’s life isn’t perfect. She has to deal with her sisters issues, her best friend Tess’s issues. She sure does have a lot going on! And then it comes out to the whole school. She is a virgin so that makes things even worst. Everyone finds out and it sucks for her.
This was a cute novel. I liked it I really did but I didn’t love it. The characters felt a little underdeveloped but the issues were pretty deep with everyone and really makes you think.
Overall: I liked certain aspects of it, and felt a little out off about other things. I just felt like it could have been a little shorter and would have been ok with me. Being a virgin is cool Mallory! The relationship between Mallory and Liam was a little too fast. They instantly liked one another and that bugged me a little bit. I guess they didn’t have enough tension for me. HA.
I think this was still a nice read and I liked it enough. It was just ok but I did like certain points of it. This is probably more of a 3.5 for me. It was ok but a little better than ok but I didn’t love it.
Cover: I really like the cover. I like the colors and the way she is touching her hair! I think it fits pretty well.
What I’d Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
Mallory has went through a lot of things. To deal with some of them, she makes up a fake boyfriend. His name is Todd and he is pretty amazing for a fake boyfriend. She has lied so much about him it almost seems believable at times. She writes details about him in her little notebook so she doesn't ever mess up. She plans trips to go see him, she has pictures of them both (photoshoped of course). Its pretty convincing to the outside eye.
But then she starts to like another boy. A real life boy who goes to her school. His name is Liam! Liam was so nice and adorable. He goes to church, likes music, and is pretty amazing. Mallory isn’t sure what to do but she has to act fast before someone else snags him up!
Mallory’s life isn’t perfect. She has to deal with her sisters issues, her best friend Tess’s issues. She sure does have a lot going on! And then it comes out to the whole school. She is a virgin so that makes things even worst. Everyone finds out and it sucks for her.
This was a cute novel. I liked it I really did but I didn’t love it. The characters felt a little underdeveloped but the issues were pretty deep with everyone and really makes you think.
Overall: I liked certain aspects of it, and felt a little out off about other things. I just felt like it could have been a little shorter and would have been ok with me. Being a virgin is cool Mallory! The relationship between Mallory and Liam was a little too fast. They instantly liked one another and that bugged me a little bit. I guess they didn’t have enough tension for me. HA.
I think this was still a nice read and I liked it enough. It was just ok but I did like certain points of it. This is probably more of a 3.5 for me. It was ok but a little better than ok but I didn’t love it.
Cover: I really like the cover. I like the colors and the way she is touching her hair! I think it fits pretty well.
What I’d Give It: 3/5 Cupcakes
________
Taken From Princess Bookie
www.princessbookie.com
February 9, 2013
The book was just okay; it could have been better, could have been worse. The first half of the book was better than the second half, due to having the mystery of what is wrong with her sister and how it then relates to Mallory having created a fake boyfriend. It is after the mystery is revealed and the author begins to preach to me that I then came pretty close to just turning off my kindle and never finishing the book. I don't have a problem with religion; I only have a problem with it when I feeling as though it is being forced down my throat.
I also had a problem with the story feeling rushed to be finished up, especially with the side stories of other characters in the book and felt that I would have in enjoyed the book more if they had been left incomplete with more development that left it open for the reader to interpret.
This is an issue book (a somewhat overbearing issue book...) with the main focus being on abstinence. However, Jeffrey added in STDs and suicide to support the character's decision to be abstinent. She then continues to throw in the issue of single mothers/alcoholic parents (and their abusive boyfriends), bullying, and overbearing/controlling military parent (with a spouse who is unwilling to tell them to shut up and leave the poor kid alone and let them follow their own dreams). The book just became too short to even begin to cover these issues as well as abstinence is covered throughout the book.
I felt that Jeffrey did quite well in her character development and kept the character's interesting, yet realist. Mallory was a somewhat relatable teen, in that she has the burden of feeling as though she has to fit in with everyone, and act, and be a certain way. I also felt that Tess was quite understandable, in how she felt that she had no other way to handle her family issues than by herself. Liam, however, was annoying... I could not relate to him at all. I didn't really even like his character and quite honestly, couldn't care about his chocolate eyes.
I also had a problem with the story feeling rushed to be finished up, especially with the side stories of other characters in the book and felt that I would have in enjoyed the book more if they had been left incomplete with more development that left it open for the reader to interpret.
This is an issue book (a somewhat overbearing issue book...) with the main focus being on abstinence. However, Jeffrey added in STDs and suicide to support the character's decision to be abstinent. She then continues to throw in the issue of single mothers/alcoholic parents (and their abusive boyfriends), bullying, and overbearing/controlling military parent (with a spouse who is unwilling to tell them to shut up and leave the poor kid alone and let them follow their own dreams). The book just became too short to even begin to cover these issues as well as abstinence is covered throughout the book.
I felt that Jeffrey did quite well in her character development and kept the character's interesting, yet realist. Mallory was a somewhat relatable teen, in that she has the burden of feeling as though she has to fit in with everyone, and act, and be a certain way. I also felt that Tess was quite understandable, in how she felt that she had no other way to handle her family issues than by herself. Liam, however, was annoying... I could not relate to him at all. I didn't really even like his character and quite honestly, couldn't care about his chocolate eyes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2013
Right from the beginning I understood the reason why Mallory had created Todd. She tells us why and I sympathized with her despite the fact that I knew it was wrong for her to lie to her friends and family. The catch though is that Mallory knows it is wrong for her to lie to her family and friends and wishes she was strong enough to tell them the truth throughout the novel.
Mallory is the type of girl that you see in high school and think, “Wow, her life must be perfect. She must have it all together.” The truth though is that Mallory’s home life is far from ideal and so is her best friend’s. She has other secrets that she has to hide and a sister who she has to handle with extreme care. She wants to help her best friend Tess so bad, but has to deal with the fact that Tess thinks she doesn’t need help. I enjoyed the fact that the book was not just about Mallory’s lies about Todd, but about the reasons she told these lies in order to cope with the things she was going through at home. The book does, however, address the consequences of Mallory’s lies in a way that does not endorse lying.
One of the bigger topics in this book was abstinence and the role that sex plays in the lives of today’s teenagers and the pressure to lose your virginity to fit in.
Though the book does address both sides of the story, I think it pushed abstinence as a the answer a bit too much at the reader.I know the book was criticizing the pressure of society on teens to have sex and not the teens who do have sex, but it still seemed a bit too much for me. Overall though I felt the book was enjoyable and would definitely give this author another try.
Mallory is the type of girl that you see in high school and think, “Wow, her life must be perfect. She must have it all together.” The truth though is that Mallory’s home life is far from ideal and so is her best friend’s. She has other secrets that she has to hide and a sister who she has to handle with extreme care. She wants to help her best friend Tess so bad, but has to deal with the fact that Tess thinks she doesn’t need help. I enjoyed the fact that the book was not just about Mallory’s lies about Todd, but about the reasons she told these lies in order to cope with the things she was going through at home. The book does, however, address the consequences of Mallory’s lies in a way that does not endorse lying.
One of the bigger topics in this book was abstinence and the role that sex plays in the lives of today’s teenagers and the pressure to lose your virginity to fit in.
Though the book does address both sides of the story, I think it pushed abstinence as a the answer a bit too much at the reader.I know the book was criticizing the pressure of society on teens to have sex and not the teens who do have sex, but it still seemed a bit too much for me. Overall though I felt the book was enjoyable and would definitely give this author another try.
June 9, 2013
This book was a random impulse buy for me a few short weeks ago and I finally got around to reading it. I liked the premise of the story. A girl; popular no less, creating this make believe boyfriend so that she would still be able to fit in with her friends and all the things they were experiencing in their lives with dating and such. The idea of it being easier for her then dating someone for real. It interested me, but the one thing I found that put me off by novels end was the amount of God focus this book ended up having.
It became less about the invisible boy and more about this new boy she'd met, and from there the focus became on her sister and the problems there, alongside of the God focus. I find nothing wrong with a god centered novel, as I've read a lot of Christian love stories and such in my lifetime, but this one came relatively out of nowhere and then got stronger and stronger so that by novels end it was almost being thrown in your face with every other paragraph.
It may have been easier to take had it been there from the very beginning and not focused on quite as much as it was here.
Over all though, this novel was good for the age group it was written for and I would most definitely recommend it, to my own young teen or others. It's also a book that I could definitely see myself reading again, maybe the second time around the things that bothered me this time wouldn't quite bother me as much.
Either way, it was a cute read.
It became less about the invisible boy and more about this new boy she'd met, and from there the focus became on her sister and the problems there, alongside of the God focus. I find nothing wrong with a god centered novel, as I've read a lot of Christian love stories and such in my lifetime, but this one came relatively out of nowhere and then got stronger and stronger so that by novels end it was almost being thrown in your face with every other paragraph.
It may have been easier to take had it been there from the very beginning and not focused on quite as much as it was here.
Over all though, this novel was good for the age group it was written for and I would most definitely recommend it, to my own young teen or others. It's also a book that I could definitely see myself reading again, maybe the second time around the things that bothered me this time wouldn't quite bother me as much.
Either way, it was a cute read.
May 29, 2013
OMG I wrote an entire review and my laptop froze... so here we go again!
I was so excited about this book. The description seemed like a very cute YA romance. Unfortunately it was cute, but not at all what I thought it would be.
This book exaggerated the teen world so much. It made all teens out to be liars, with broken homes, who sleep around. There were were also a lot of crazy story lines competing against one another.
The relationship and emotion between Logan and Mallory was lukewarm and at times awkward. The friendship between Tess and Mallory was a little strained.
This book did have many valuable lessons that I think all teens should learn. But it was very religious and came off as a sermon for abstinence. Don't get me wrong... I don't have a problem with abstinence, especially for teens, but this book got a bit preachy.
I wanted to like this book so much after reading the description, but unfortunately I was disappointed.
I was so excited about this book. The description seemed like a very cute YA romance. Unfortunately it was cute, but not at all what I thought it would be.
This book exaggerated the teen world so much. It made all teens out to be liars, with broken homes, who sleep around. There were were also a lot of crazy story lines competing against one another.
The relationship and emotion between Logan and Mallory was lukewarm and at times awkward. The friendship between Tess and Mallory was a little strained.
This book did have many valuable lessons that I think all teens should learn. But it was very religious and came off as a sermon for abstinence. Don't get me wrong... I don't have a problem with abstinence, especially for teens, but this book got a bit preachy.
I wanted to like this book so much after reading the description, but unfortunately I was disappointed.
May 23, 2014
This book is a didactic pro-abstinence cautionary tale. Not only is this book totally agenda driven, it's shockingly poorly written. Incredibly serious situations are glossed over or downplayed in favor of the main character being primarily concerned with getting a boyfriend. And the boyfriend she wants is pushy, unreliable, creepy, controlling and boring. None of the character have any depth or development, the whole book is just telling and not showing and it's just dull and stupid.
Also, apparently everyone that goes to the school with the main character, as well as the local media REALLY care about her virginity--like to the point where she almost gets kicked off the cheerleading squad for violating the Code of Conduct with her filthy, fake boyfriend lies. Seriously? What?
This is the type of book that one of my mom's church friends would have given her to give to me. It's Go Ask Alice for the teen sex set and it's complete garbage.
Also, apparently everyone that goes to the school with the main character, as well as the local media REALLY care about her virginity--like to the point where she almost gets kicked off the cheerleading squad for violating the Code of Conduct with her filthy, fake boyfriend lies. Seriously? What?
This is the type of book that one of my mom's church friends would have given her to give to me. It's Go Ask Alice for the teen sex set and it's complete garbage.
March 15, 2013
I guess I'll be generous & give it 2 stars, but only cuz of Tess' character and the ending. Other then that, it was probably more 1&1/-2 stars. The characters were really flat and one dimensional and I didn't feel connected in any way, shape or form. The story was a good idea but was written in a way that made it predictable and even made me roll my eyes at a couple parts. Also, I felt like I was punched in the face with religion, which I don't like. I have no problem with people's religious views, just DON'T push them on me. And if you're going to do that, then label your book "religious fiction" so I have a heads up. I hate negative reviews, but sadly I didn't like this book like I wanted to.
June 8, 2013
So.Very.Lame.
Generally I give 2 stars to books which were stupid but yet competent enough to make me finish them, however, even finishing this couldn't change my mind, hence the 1 star.
Mallory goes to a high school where you have to be a non-virgin so that guys don't disturb you (Is that really that bizarre in American high schools? I wouldn't know). Being a virgin, she creates an imaginary boyfriend to stay out of boy trouble since her sister already got STD for having sex at college. Later everybody finds out about it and then she's screwed (Her locker's painted with the horrible word, Virgin, true lol moment for me).
Much of it didn't make any sense but that could be because I live in Bangladesh. Point is that the book didn't work for me.
Generally I give 2 stars to books which were stupid but yet competent enough to make me finish them, however, even finishing this couldn't change my mind, hence the 1 star.
Mallory goes to a high school where you have to be a non-virgin so that guys don't disturb you (Is that really that bizarre in American high schools? I wouldn't know). Being a virgin, she creates an imaginary boyfriend to stay out of boy trouble since her sister already got STD for having sex at college. Later everybody finds out about it and then she's screwed (Her locker's painted with the horrible word, Virgin, true lol moment for me).
Much of it didn't make any sense but that could be because I live in Bangladesh. Point is that the book didn't work for me.
February 10, 2013
I have to say this book wasn't fantastic. It's alright. I felt the relationship with Liam and Mallory was way too fast and lacking for love. Which makes it a typical teen book. And the fact that the idea of abstinence spreads like fire through school because of one girls story, is unrealistic to me. Don't get me wrong it's a great message for guys and girls alike...but I started to feel like once all the secrets in the book were out the way...that the last few chapters were all propaganda-ish. I guess this is a book that would be better suited and more entertaining for someone who is still in high school.
May 14, 2013
Haven't given any book a 5 this month because every book I've read seemedd to have something missing but I've not been able to put my finger on it. I believe this book's title was misleading since the author spent so little time on developing the invisible guy and jumped right into the "real" one. This is not a book I would typically read but I decided to step out of my rut for a few books and see what the rest of the world was reading. I enjoyhing the book, the author had a few twists that kept me guessing, and the writing was good. Another easy read that I went through in a few hours. Actually enjoyed the ending and didn't really need anything added.
May 26, 2013
This book was very different from the books I'm used to reading. It had a spiritual element alongside the usual teen angst. Since it was a spiritual book, there was literally NO sexual encounters. The main characters barely even kissed on the lips, which was fine because it was a nice change of pace from the other YA books I read. There were quite a few different storylines included, but the only thing I had an issue with was really the title. It's called Me and My Invisible Guy, but really, the invisible guy disappears two chapters into the book. Other than that, it was a cute book and definitely different for me.
March 29, 2013
When I first read the description of this book I wasn't sure how I felt about, but I thought what the heck. Oh man I am glad I did. This book is beyond amazing! It has such a deeper meaning that a girl who makes up an invisible boyfriend. Don't think twice, buy and read this now. You won't regret it. Not only is it a cute love story but it is a story about friendship and family. How the choices we makes not only affects us but everyone around us. This is such an amazing novel and honestly it should be in everyone's TBR.
April 27, 2013
This book was a fairly good read for teens. It follows a highly popular cheerleader through her daily life. One thing to note is that she is not the average cheerleader. She has an older sister who tried to commit suicide and their family is trying to pick up the pieces afterwards. The main character is going through all sorts of issues both at home and at school. This book covers issues such as sexual activity in high school, suicide, broken homes, alcoholism, and religion. This coming of age book is a good read for high schoolers.
March 16, 2015
Check out full review on blog
http://www.booksrfab.blogspot.com
When I read the premise for this book on Amazon it sounded so good and I thought for sure I would enjoy this book. But sadly that never happened. The bbok started out extremely slow and never really picked up. Also, I was frustrated with just about ever character in the book. I think if the book had been a bit longer with more detail and dpeth the book would have been better. You would have been able to delve into Mallory's world more.
It's sad not enjoying a book as much as you had hope but this book just wasn't for me. :(
http://www.booksrfab.blogspot.com
When I read the premise for this book on Amazon it sounded so good and I thought for sure I would enjoy this book. But sadly that never happened. The bbok started out extremely slow and never really picked up. Also, I was frustrated with just about ever character in the book. I think if the book had been a bit longer with more detail and dpeth the book would have been better. You would have been able to delve into Mallory's world more.
It's sad not enjoying a book as much as you had hope but this book just wasn't for me. :(
April 15, 2016
At first I thought this book would be a stupid teen high school book with stupid drama but by the end it really was pretty good. I think it made light some of the serious topics but I guess that made the book easier to read. The only thing that bothered me was the title because it described only a small part of the story and didn't the main story wasn't even focused on this invisible guy so I felt like the title could have been different. Otherwise it was a quick and easy read and flowed pretty well.
May 19, 2013
This was a good quick read. If you add up the time I was reading, it would be only a few hours.
But this book was incredibly moving. It taught us readers many things.
At first it seemed pretty cliché so I wasn't really sure if I would continue. But I'm surely glad that I did.
Although there were many very obvious parts to the story and cliché parts, I still give this five stars.
I can't really tell why i liked the book so much. You would just have to read it.
But this book was incredibly moving. It taught us readers many things.
At first it seemed pretty cliché so I wasn't really sure if I would continue. But I'm surely glad that I did.
Although there were many very obvious parts to the story and cliché parts, I still give this five stars.
I can't really tell why i liked the book so much. You would just have to read it.
November 16, 2013
Very good YA. Some difficult teen issues handled well. I am happy that the adults became involved and that the issues weren't neatly wrapped up in the last paragraph. These issues needed some time to resolve and it was handled well. I would recommend this to anyone that enjoys reading YA or has a teen going through a difficult time. There is a lot of discussion about teen sex so not recommended for younger readers.
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