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Invincible #1
Invincible
The Fault in Our Stars meets Go Ask Alice in this dramatic romance about a teenage girl who survives a terminal cancer diagnosis, only to get trapped in the deadly spiral of addiction. Fans of Gayle Forman and Sara Zarr will be swept away by this gritty romance, the first in a duology.
Evie is living on borrowed time. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer several months ago and told that by now she’d be dead. Evie is grateful for every extra day she gets, but she knows that soon this disease will kill her. Until, miraculously, she may have a second chance to live.
All Evie had wanted was her life back, but now that she has it, she feels like there’s no place for her in it—at least, not for the girl she is now. Her friends and her parents still see her as Cancer Girl, and her boyfriend’s constant, doting attention is suddenly nothing short of suffocating.
Then Evie meets Marcus. She knows that he’s trouble, but she can’t help falling for him. Being near him makes her feel truly, fully alive. It’s better than a drug. His kiss makes her feel invincible—but she may be at the beginning of the biggest free fall of her life.
Evie is living on borrowed time. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer several months ago and told that by now she’d be dead. Evie is grateful for every extra day she gets, but she knows that soon this disease will kill her. Until, miraculously, she may have a second chance to live.
All Evie had wanted was her life back, but now that she has it, she feels like there’s no place for her in it—at least, not for the girl she is now. Her friends and her parents still see her as Cancer Girl, and her boyfriend’s constant, doting attention is suddenly nothing short of suffocating.
Then Evie meets Marcus. She knows that he’s trouble, but she can’t help falling for him. Being near him makes her feel truly, fully alive. It’s better than a drug. His kiss makes her feel invincible—but she may be at the beginning of the biggest free fall of her life.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2015
30 people are currently reading
4630 people want to read
About the author
Amy Reed
23 books1,063 followersAmy Reed was born and raised in and around Seattle, where she attended a total of eight schools by the time she was eighteen. Constant moving taught her to be restless and being an only child made her imagination do funny things. After a brief stint at Reed College (no relation), she moved to San Francisco and spent the next several years serving coffee and getting into trouble. She eventually graduated from film school, promptly decided she wanted nothing to do with filmmaking, returned to her original and impractical love of writing, and earned her MFA from New College of California. Her short work has been published in journals such as Kitchen Sink, Contrary, and Fiction. Amy currently lives in Oakland with her husband and two cats, and has accepted that Northern California has replaced the Pacific Northwest as her home. She is no longer restless. Find out more at amyreedfiction.com.
BEAUTIFUL is her first novel.
BEAUTIFUL is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 197 reviews
December 10, 2014
My thanks to Katherine Tegen Books
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Point of View: Single (Evie)
Writing: First Person | Present Tense
Setting: California
Genre: Young Adult | Realistic Fiction
actual Rating: 2.5
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Generally, I thought this was a nice book. It was depressing and frustrating, still it did paint a vivid picture on how cancer could change not only the person having it, but also their family.
The book is divided into 2 parts - Then and Now. Part one was my favorite because Evie was such a sweet, caring and fun person back then. I couldn't stand her in the "Now" part. She was an asshole to everyone who cared for her. I supposed the character was realistic, but boy, I just wanted to smack her around a few times.
There will be a sequel as well. Which I hope I like more than this book.
June 19, 2015
WOW. What a Peter Van Houten ending!
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love"
"I love you. I love you. I love you. I love"
April 1, 2017
RECENZIA NA BLOGU
Now this was something! Nenechajte sa oklamať romantickou obálkou alebo anotáciou, ktorá vám sľubuje nového Johna Greena - toto je jedna z tých hnusných a neznesiteľných kníh s detailne vykresleným postupným prepadaním duševným problémom, ktoré sú ozajstné PROBLÉMY a nie len sexy trpiteľský look, na ktorý naša sedmokráska zbalí chalana. Niet divu ten nízky rating.
Viac neskôr na blogu. Neskôr a zrejme v budúcnosti aj veľmi často. 9/10
Now this was something! Nenechajte sa oklamať romantickou obálkou alebo anotáciou, ktorá vám sľubuje nového Johna Greena - toto je jedna z tých hnusných a neznesiteľných kníh s detailne vykresleným postupným prepadaním duševným problémom, ktoré sú ozajstné PROBLÉMY a nie len sexy trpiteľský look, na ktorý naša sedmokráska zbalí chalana. Niet divu ten nízky rating.
Viac neskôr na blogu. Neskôr a zrejme v budúcnosti aj veľmi často. 9/10
February 18, 2015
1.5 stars review
At first glance, I thought I was going to really love this book. The cover vaguely reminded me of the movie poster for “The Fault in our Stars” by John Green. Then I went to read the back cover to get a better understanding of the story before I assumed it was a TFIOS rip-off. Turns out the book is about a girl with terminal cancer who finds love. I decided to go into it with an open mind either way.
Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT TFIOS.
If you go into it with that mentality, you will be highly disappointed.
See, Evie has had nothing less than terminal cancer for about a year; beforehand, she was a happy cheerleader with the sweetest boyfriend and most supportive best friend anyone could ask for. Even when she was diagnosed, though, her boyfriend and best friend never fell short of being the people they always have been. Her friend visits her regularly and her boyfriend is as caring as ever. Of course, her parent worry and her sister is a little bitter over the lack of attention she is getting, but it is all as normal as it could be when you’re extremely terminal. Over her year at the hospital she has made two great friends, and frankly, she is liking their company a lot more than anyone of her old friends. They understand her situation and make it bearable.
Although, throughout the entire first half of the book, it just felt like Evie was wallowing in her own self-pity. She feels guilty about the struggles her family are going through with her condition, and she feels sorry her friends don’t understand her like they used to. Page after page it was the same depressing routine, and it just seemed like she couldn’t wait for this cancer to finally kill her. Then, POOF!! No more cancer and she can begin trying to adjust back to her life pre-sickness.
The love interest, Marcus, is finally introduced. I believe he was the only thing keeping her sane from her self-deprecating thoughts. Then she just starts going through this downhill spiral that seems to have no end. She has issues with drugs, she’s not trying in school, she is disrespectful to her parents. By this point, I had already lost hope in Evie and was just frustrated with her.
I was disappointed with her character development. I think she was selfish and careless and wanting too much too soon. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end for the second book, but after being so frustrated I don’t even know how the story will continue. - Bianca (OUaT' teen reviewer)
At first glance, I thought I was going to really love this book. The cover vaguely reminded me of the movie poster for “The Fault in our Stars” by John Green. Then I went to read the back cover to get a better understanding of the story before I assumed it was a TFIOS rip-off. Turns out the book is about a girl with terminal cancer who finds love. I decided to go into it with an open mind either way.
Disclaimer: THIS IS NOT TFIOS.
If you go into it with that mentality, you will be highly disappointed.
See, Evie has had nothing less than terminal cancer for about a year; beforehand, she was a happy cheerleader with the sweetest boyfriend and most supportive best friend anyone could ask for. Even when she was diagnosed, though, her boyfriend and best friend never fell short of being the people they always have been. Her friend visits her regularly and her boyfriend is as caring as ever. Of course, her parent worry and her sister is a little bitter over the lack of attention she is getting, but it is all as normal as it could be when you’re extremely terminal. Over her year at the hospital she has made two great friends, and frankly, she is liking their company a lot more than anyone of her old friends. They understand her situation and make it bearable.
Although, throughout the entire first half of the book, it just felt like Evie was wallowing in her own self-pity. She feels guilty about the struggles her family are going through with her condition, and she feels sorry her friends don’t understand her like they used to. Page after page it was the same depressing routine, and it just seemed like she couldn’t wait for this cancer to finally kill her. Then, POOF!! No more cancer and she can begin trying to adjust back to her life pre-sickness.
The love interest, Marcus, is finally introduced. I believe he was the only thing keeping her sane from her self-deprecating thoughts. Then she just starts going through this downhill spiral that seems to have no end. She has issues with drugs, she’s not trying in school, she is disrespectful to her parents. By this point, I had already lost hope in Evie and was just frustrated with her.
I was disappointed with her character development. I think she was selfish and careless and wanting too much too soon. There is a bit of a cliffhanger at the end for the second book, but after being so frustrated I don’t even know how the story will continue. - Bianca (OUaT' teen reviewer)
January 30, 2016
YA books about teens with cancer:
I was skeptical going into this book, but I decided to give it a chance. Maybe I’d be surprised. I was wrong. I should have went with my first instinct. I did NOT enjoy “Invincible.”
My main problem with this book is Evie, our narrator. Evie is many things: immature, annoying, childish, selfish…then again, isn’t that how addicts are supposed to be? Her inner monologue was so draining to read about because she was never not down. In some stories, there are moments where we see a bit of the character we sympathize with, or feel sorry for, or feel connected to. Moments where we can say, “Alright, I understand why you’re such an asshole.” Not Evie, she was terrible throughout the entire length of the novel. Bad decision after bad decision. No redeeming qualities or traits came forward. She was a awful friend, a bad daughter, and fucked up all her relationships single handedly. She never spoke up about the things that made her mad. She never told the people around her-who were only trying to help-what they were doing was bothering her.
The “romance” is this novel was lacking. It was the classic case of insta-love that fell flat. Marcus and Evie had a harmful, dysfunctional relationship.
This is one of those books you have to force yourself to finish. And once you finally get to the end, you’re left unsatisfied because it‘s so abrupt. I will not be picking up the sequel.
I must admit the cover is beautiful though.
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I was skeptical going into this book, but I decided to give it a chance. Maybe I’d be surprised. I was wrong. I should have went with my first instinct. I did NOT enjoy “Invincible.”
My main problem with this book is Evie, our narrator. Evie is many things: immature, annoying, childish, selfish…then again, isn’t that how addicts are supposed to be? Her inner monologue was so draining to read about because she was never not down. In some stories, there are moments where we see a bit of the character we sympathize with, or feel sorry for, or feel connected to. Moments where we can say, “Alright, I understand why you’re such an asshole.” Not Evie, she was terrible throughout the entire length of the novel. Bad decision after bad decision. No redeeming qualities or traits came forward. She was a awful friend, a bad daughter, and fucked up all her relationships single handedly. She never spoke up about the things that made her mad. She never told the people around her-who were only trying to help-what they were doing was bothering her.
The “romance” is this novel was lacking. It was the classic case of insta-love that fell flat. Marcus and Evie had a harmful, dysfunctional relationship.
This is one of those books you have to force yourself to finish. And once you finally get to the end, you’re left unsatisfied because it‘s so abrupt. I will not be picking up the sequel.
I must admit the cover is beautiful though.
If you're on Tumblr, follow my book review blog:
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Read
September 28, 2016Before you hear the description “cancer” and “teenagers,” let me assure you this isn’t what you think. Yes, Evie is a teenager with cancer. Well, she used to have cancer. Now she no longer has cancer but does have a strong dependence on opiates, a dead friend, and a life she no longer recognizes. She’s not the happy cheerleader she was prior to her diagnoses and she’s not the Cancer Kid she was when she was sick. No one seems to know what to do with Evie or how to treat her, least of all herself. So when she meets Marcus, it’s the perfect opportunity to start fresh. But Evie’s spinning out of control and she’s going to take everyone on her path down with her. In Invincible, Reed has given us a cast of characters all of whom are fundamentally good and fundamentally flawed. There’s no villain here, just everyone trying to do their best with the crap cards they have been dealt. The cliffhanger ending is bittersweet–-the reader longs for resolution but will anxiously anticipate getting started on the sequel, Unforgivable, which was released in June.
–-Katie MacBride
from The Best Books We Read In August 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/08/31/riot-r...
–-Katie MacBride
from The Best Books We Read In August 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/08/31/riot-r...
January 9, 2016
Inhalt: „Mal im Ernst, Evie, was haben wir schon zu verlieren?“
Was die krebskranke Evie noch will, ist eine letzte Reise. Noch einmal das Adrenalin in den Adern spüren. Noch einmal auf den Rat ihrer Freundin Stella hören: Lebe wagemutig. Aber die Flucht aus der Klinik wird alles verändern …
Evie fällt es unsagbar schwer, in die Welt der Gesunden zurückzufinden. Bis sie Marcus trifft. In seiner Nähe fühlt sie sich lebendig. In seinen Exzessen, seinen fantastischen Höhenflügen. Nur ahnt sie nicht, dass sie nur einen Schritt vor dem Abgrund steht … (Quelle: Klappentext)
Meine Meinung: Ich schlage das Buch auf, beginne zu lesen, lese weiter und weiter und weiter und bin verliebt in dieses sagenhaft schöne Buch. Bis es mir plötzlich nicht mehr gefällt. Genau das ist mein Fazit, wenn ich nur einen Abschnitt zu Abschied für immer und nie schreiben dürfte. Sehr begeistert von dem Klappentext habe ich mich riesig auf das Buch gefreut und wurde anfangs nicht enttäuscht. Ich habe mich direkt in Amy Reeds Schreibstil verliebt, der so wundervoll poetisch ist, dass man sich am liebsten jede Stelle im Buch als Lieblingsstelle anstreichen möchte. Faszinierend war es für mich, vom Leben von Evie, Stella und Caleb zu erfahren, die alle drei an Krebs erkrankt und in einer Klinik sind. Für alle drei sieht es nicht gut aus und trotzdem meistern sie diese schwierige Zeit mit einem Menge Humor. Caleb habe ich sofort in mein Herz geschlossen und bei Stella fiel es mir ein wenig schwerer. Dennoch wurde sie mir nach und nach auch immer sympathischer. Wer mich von Anfang an allerdings nicht begeistern konnte, war Evie. Sie hat von Anfang an eine überhebliche Art, stellt sich höher als ihre gesunden Mitmenschen. Ich konnte sie einfach nicht nachvollziehen.
Das alles verstärkt sich noch einmal, als Evie aus sonderbaren Gründen geheilt wird und nach Hause darf. Sie ist gesund und dennoch behandeln ihre Mitmenschen, ihre Familie, ihre Freundinnen aus der Schule und auch Will, ihr Freund, sie noch immer mit größter Vorsicht. Das passt Evie nicht. Das kann ich zwar verstehen aber ich kann auch das Verhalten ihrer Mitmenschen nachvollziehen. Besonders Will gibt sich die größte Mühe, wird aber entweder von ihr abgestoßen oder, wenn es die Situation wieder erfordert, wie ein Hund herbeizitiert. Evie verfällt den Drogen und verspielt viele Dinge. Sie wendet sich von Caleb und der Klinik ab und meldet sich dort nicht mehr. Menschen, die ihr helfen möchten sind nervig und der einzige der gut ist, ist Marcus, der sie nicht so behandelt wie alle anderen. Ist ja auch nicht so schwer. Denn Marcus weiß ja gar nicht, dass Evie krank war und fast gestorben wäre…. Letztendlich macht Evies Entwicklung viele, viele Schritte zurück und sie war ehrlich gesagt die Enttäuschung des Buches.
Ich kann diesen Kampf, den eine Person macht, die sich unerwartet von einer solch schweren Krankheit erholt, nachvollziehen. Es scheint nicht leicht zu sein und das mag ich auch nie behaupten. Allerdings hätte ich mir gegen Ende eine Steigerung erhofft. Mir hat es nämlich ehrlich gesagt sehr gefallen, von Evies Krankheit zu erfahren und mit den Problemen konfrontiert zu werden, die sie zu Hause erwarten. Aber an irgendeinem Punkt wollte ich einfach eine Wendung sehen. Abgesehen von Evie illustriert dieses Buch das Thema Krebs noch einmal von einer anderen Seite. Nicht nur die Kranken stehen im Mittelpunkt der Geschichte sondern auch deren Angehörigen. Dieser Aspekt sowie der tolle Schreibstil der Autorin haben mich das Buch wirklich lieben lassen. Ich bin nun gespannt auf den zweiten Teil der Dilogie, der aus Marcus Sicht erzählt wird. Obwohl ich sehr gehofft habe, dass sich Evie wieder für Will entscheidet, bin ich gespannt auf Marcus Geschichte und hoffe auf eine Entwicklung Evies.
Bewertung: Ich bin begeistert von der Story dieser etwas anderen Krebsgeschichte. Es war erfrischend etwas Neues zu lesen und Amy Reeds Schreibstil hat das ganze positiv unterstützt. Sehr gestört haben mich allerdings die Protagonistin Evie sowie deren fehlende Entwicklung. Ich möchte Abschied für immer und nie 3,5 Füchschen geben und werde sie auf 4 von 5 Füchschen aufrunden, denn den Schreibstil und die Idee der Autorin können für mich Evie wett machen.
Vielen herzlichen Dank an die Agentur Literaturtest für die Vermittlung des *Rezensionsexemplars.
Was die krebskranke Evie noch will, ist eine letzte Reise. Noch einmal das Adrenalin in den Adern spüren. Noch einmal auf den Rat ihrer Freundin Stella hören: Lebe wagemutig. Aber die Flucht aus der Klinik wird alles verändern …
Evie fällt es unsagbar schwer, in die Welt der Gesunden zurückzufinden. Bis sie Marcus trifft. In seiner Nähe fühlt sie sich lebendig. In seinen Exzessen, seinen fantastischen Höhenflügen. Nur ahnt sie nicht, dass sie nur einen Schritt vor dem Abgrund steht … (Quelle: Klappentext)
Meine Meinung: Ich schlage das Buch auf, beginne zu lesen, lese weiter und weiter und weiter und bin verliebt in dieses sagenhaft schöne Buch. Bis es mir plötzlich nicht mehr gefällt. Genau das ist mein Fazit, wenn ich nur einen Abschnitt zu Abschied für immer und nie schreiben dürfte. Sehr begeistert von dem Klappentext habe ich mich riesig auf das Buch gefreut und wurde anfangs nicht enttäuscht. Ich habe mich direkt in Amy Reeds Schreibstil verliebt, der so wundervoll poetisch ist, dass man sich am liebsten jede Stelle im Buch als Lieblingsstelle anstreichen möchte. Faszinierend war es für mich, vom Leben von Evie, Stella und Caleb zu erfahren, die alle drei an Krebs erkrankt und in einer Klinik sind. Für alle drei sieht es nicht gut aus und trotzdem meistern sie diese schwierige Zeit mit einem Menge Humor. Caleb habe ich sofort in mein Herz geschlossen und bei Stella fiel es mir ein wenig schwerer. Dennoch wurde sie mir nach und nach auch immer sympathischer. Wer mich von Anfang an allerdings nicht begeistern konnte, war Evie. Sie hat von Anfang an eine überhebliche Art, stellt sich höher als ihre gesunden Mitmenschen. Ich konnte sie einfach nicht nachvollziehen.
Das alles verstärkt sich noch einmal, als Evie aus sonderbaren Gründen geheilt wird und nach Hause darf. Sie ist gesund und dennoch behandeln ihre Mitmenschen, ihre Familie, ihre Freundinnen aus der Schule und auch Will, ihr Freund, sie noch immer mit größter Vorsicht. Das passt Evie nicht. Das kann ich zwar verstehen aber ich kann auch das Verhalten ihrer Mitmenschen nachvollziehen. Besonders Will gibt sich die größte Mühe, wird aber entweder von ihr abgestoßen oder, wenn es die Situation wieder erfordert, wie ein Hund herbeizitiert. Evie verfällt den Drogen und verspielt viele Dinge. Sie wendet sich von Caleb und der Klinik ab und meldet sich dort nicht mehr. Menschen, die ihr helfen möchten sind nervig und der einzige der gut ist, ist Marcus, der sie nicht so behandelt wie alle anderen. Ist ja auch nicht so schwer. Denn Marcus weiß ja gar nicht, dass Evie krank war und fast gestorben wäre…. Letztendlich macht Evies Entwicklung viele, viele Schritte zurück und sie war ehrlich gesagt die Enttäuschung des Buches.
Ich kann diesen Kampf, den eine Person macht, die sich unerwartet von einer solch schweren Krankheit erholt, nachvollziehen. Es scheint nicht leicht zu sein und das mag ich auch nie behaupten. Allerdings hätte ich mir gegen Ende eine Steigerung erhofft. Mir hat es nämlich ehrlich gesagt sehr gefallen, von Evies Krankheit zu erfahren und mit den Problemen konfrontiert zu werden, die sie zu Hause erwarten. Aber an irgendeinem Punkt wollte ich einfach eine Wendung sehen. Abgesehen von Evie illustriert dieses Buch das Thema Krebs noch einmal von einer anderen Seite. Nicht nur die Kranken stehen im Mittelpunkt der Geschichte sondern auch deren Angehörigen. Dieser Aspekt sowie der tolle Schreibstil der Autorin haben mich das Buch wirklich lieben lassen. Ich bin nun gespannt auf den zweiten Teil der Dilogie, der aus Marcus Sicht erzählt wird. Obwohl ich sehr gehofft habe, dass sich Evie wieder für Will entscheidet, bin ich gespannt auf Marcus Geschichte und hoffe auf eine Entwicklung Evies.
Bewertung: Ich bin begeistert von der Story dieser etwas anderen Krebsgeschichte. Es war erfrischend etwas Neues zu lesen und Amy Reeds Schreibstil hat das ganze positiv unterstützt. Sehr gestört haben mich allerdings die Protagonistin Evie sowie deren fehlende Entwicklung. Ich möchte Abschied für immer und nie 3,5 Füchschen geben und werde sie auf 4 von 5 Füchschen aufrunden, denn den Schreibstil und die Idee der Autorin können für mich Evie wett machen.
Vielen herzlichen Dank an die Agentur Literaturtest für die Vermittlung des *Rezensionsexemplars.
August 26, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales (http://darkfaerietales.com/)
Quick & Dirty: What do you do when you survive from terminal cancer but can’t cope with living?
Opening Sentence: “Let’s go to the cafeteria,” Stella says.
The Review:
Wow, bloody wow. How do I find words to describe this book? It’s touching, heartbreaking and so emotional. Needless to say, I adored it.
As you may already know, I try very hard not to read the synopsis of a book I am reviewing. Purely because I like the not knowing and guessing what will happen as the book progresses. Invincible is told from Evie’s perspective, a teenage girl suffering from cancer, I predicted that she would survive and there would be a love story, which leads us back to the ever popular The Fault In Our Stars. Although I was sort of right, there are zero similarities to TFIOS.
Evie’s friends, family, doctors, even Evie herself have accepted the harsh reality of her cancer and are practically saying their goodbyes in case it’s the last time they see her. Then overnight, the tables turn. Evie is miraculously recovering whereas her fellow hospital friend, Stella, takes a turn for the worst.
For so long, my life was on hold. Now my death is on hold, and it’s just as irritating. What a bizarre thing for life to feel so inconvenient. How unnatural to want to get it over with.
Unlike other illness focused stories, here we see what happens when a terminally ill person recovers, and in this case it’s as mentally and emotionally painful as contracting the disease in the first place.
No one knows what to do with me now that I’m alive. There’s no protocol for how to treat someone who comes back from the dead. There are so many books about grief and loss, about saying good-bye to the people you love. But there is no book about taking back that good-bye.
I loved and hated Evie’s character. She’s survived the worst but she’s wasting her life with alcohol and drugs, and destroying any lasting relationships she has. We can see this is an act of self-guilt and anger at her friend’s loss and because she thinks she’s the cause of it, not to mention that it’s almost as if they swapped places and Stella died in Evie’s place.
At the same time, there’s so much emotional trauma the girl is going through and she’s just not coping with it. I couldn’t help but sympathise, of course she would feel guilty at the miracle she didn’t ask for and doesn’t think she deserves. The writing is amazing, I could feel Evie’s heartache, which is probably why I connected with her character.
My two favourite characters were Stella and Caleb so it saddens me that Stella died early on and we didn’t see much more of Caleb once Evie makes her miraculous discovery. It’s so difficult to describe Stella’s character, she’s adventurous, brave, strong and completely crazy!
She held on to that poor giraffe’s head, screaming bloody murder until her mom finally managed to pull her down, and as she fell to the floor she made one last dramatic proclamation, calling everyone “heartless bloody dickholes.” Parents covered their kids’ ears; her mom swiped her on the side of her face with the back of her hand, and I decided Stella was both the most beautiful and bravest person I had ever seen in my life. She was showing all the fear and fury I felt but could never let out. She wasn’t pretending to be anything she wasn’t.
This is the kind of book that makes you wonder why you haven’t read it before now! Amy Reed is someone to watch out for.
Notable Scene:
“Evie,” he says, his voice cracking. There are tears running down his face. “You keep acting like you’re invincible, but your life is falling apart. I can’t stand around watching you self-destruct. I love you too much. Nobody’s invincible, not even you.”
FTC Advisory: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Invincible. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: What do you do when you survive from terminal cancer but can’t cope with living?
Opening Sentence: “Let’s go to the cafeteria,” Stella says.
The Review:
Wow, bloody wow. How do I find words to describe this book? It’s touching, heartbreaking and so emotional. Needless to say, I adored it.
As you may already know, I try very hard not to read the synopsis of a book I am reviewing. Purely because I like the not knowing and guessing what will happen as the book progresses. Invincible is told from Evie’s perspective, a teenage girl suffering from cancer, I predicted that she would survive and there would be a love story, which leads us back to the ever popular The Fault In Our Stars. Although I was sort of right, there are zero similarities to TFIOS.
Evie’s friends, family, doctors, even Evie herself have accepted the harsh reality of her cancer and are practically saying their goodbyes in case it’s the last time they see her. Then overnight, the tables turn. Evie is miraculously recovering whereas her fellow hospital friend, Stella, takes a turn for the worst.
For so long, my life was on hold. Now my death is on hold, and it’s just as irritating. What a bizarre thing for life to feel so inconvenient. How unnatural to want to get it over with.
Unlike other illness focused stories, here we see what happens when a terminally ill person recovers, and in this case it’s as mentally and emotionally painful as contracting the disease in the first place.
No one knows what to do with me now that I’m alive. There’s no protocol for how to treat someone who comes back from the dead. There are so many books about grief and loss, about saying good-bye to the people you love. But there is no book about taking back that good-bye.
I loved and hated Evie’s character. She’s survived the worst but she’s wasting her life with alcohol and drugs, and destroying any lasting relationships she has. We can see this is an act of self-guilt and anger at her friend’s loss and because she thinks she’s the cause of it, not to mention that it’s almost as if they swapped places and Stella died in Evie’s place.
At the same time, there’s so much emotional trauma the girl is going through and she’s just not coping with it. I couldn’t help but sympathise, of course she would feel guilty at the miracle she didn’t ask for and doesn’t think she deserves. The writing is amazing, I could feel Evie’s heartache, which is probably why I connected with her character.
My two favourite characters were Stella and Caleb so it saddens me that Stella died early on and we didn’t see much more of Caleb once Evie makes her miraculous discovery. It’s so difficult to describe Stella’s character, she’s adventurous, brave, strong and completely crazy!
She held on to that poor giraffe’s head, screaming bloody murder until her mom finally managed to pull her down, and as she fell to the floor she made one last dramatic proclamation, calling everyone “heartless bloody dickholes.” Parents covered their kids’ ears; her mom swiped her on the side of her face with the back of her hand, and I decided Stella was both the most beautiful and bravest person I had ever seen in my life. She was showing all the fear and fury I felt but could never let out. She wasn’t pretending to be anything she wasn’t.
This is the kind of book that makes you wonder why you haven’t read it before now! Amy Reed is someone to watch out for.
Notable Scene:
“Evie,” he says, his voice cracking. There are tears running down his face. “You keep acting like you’re invincible, but your life is falling apart. I can’t stand around watching you self-destruct. I love you too much. Nobody’s invincible, not even you.”
FTC Advisory: Katherine Tegen Books/HarperTeen provided me with a copy of Invincible. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
February 10, 2019
This wasn’t your average ‘cancer’ story, and I was surprised that it ended with a cliff-hanger!
"There are so many books about grief and loss, about saying good-bye to the people you love. But there is no book about taking back that good-bye."
Aside from the beautiful cover and the somewhat unmemorable description, Invincible was absolutely amazing. And powerful.
Anyway, Invincible tells the story of Evie, who is a cancer patient who has been given a terminal diagnosis, and who is trying to spend the remainder of her time as comfortable as she can. Her family is completely exhausted from all the treatments that she has undergone in the past year, since her original diagnosis, and when the cancer came back the second time, it caused some tension between them. Evie's boyfriend spends all the time he can with her, and has been there with her throughout her entire battle, holding her and making her feel loved. Evie is also friends with some of the other patients in the cancer ward at the hospital, including Stella - a girl who has shown Evie how to live her life with what little time she has left. But in the end, Evie has accepted that she is going to die, and she quits fighting.
And then the unthinkable happens - Evie's bloodwork comes back and there isn't a trace of cancer left in her body. She starts getting better, and she goes home - only to be faced with the fact that everyone she knows no longer treats her like a regular girl - but as a girl who battled cancer and had a brush with death. Even her boyfriend treats her as if she's fragile and sick, and Evie realizes that since she has beaten cancer, no one seems to know what to be like around her.
This book touched on so many different emotions and thoughts, that as a reader, I had to catch my breath. Seeing how Evie slowly slipped away in her mind and distanced herself from others as the cancer took over and death was just around the corner was startling. But it also made me question how I'd react, especially with all the other issues going on.
I like how this book focused on some of the unique types of friendships that you make when you are in a teen cancer ward.
The depictions of Evie's and her friends' struggles with cancer is vivid, heartbreaking, and never cliche. But Evie's journey through depression and addiction is what grabbed me and made me unable to put the book down.
Do yourself a favor and read this book and its sequel.
"There are so many books about grief and loss, about saying good-bye to the people you love. But there is no book about taking back that good-bye."
Aside from the beautiful cover and the somewhat unmemorable description, Invincible was absolutely amazing. And powerful.
Anyway, Invincible tells the story of Evie, who is a cancer patient who has been given a terminal diagnosis, and who is trying to spend the remainder of her time as comfortable as she can. Her family is completely exhausted from all the treatments that she has undergone in the past year, since her original diagnosis, and when the cancer came back the second time, it caused some tension between them. Evie's boyfriend spends all the time he can with her, and has been there with her throughout her entire battle, holding her and making her feel loved. Evie is also friends with some of the other patients in the cancer ward at the hospital, including Stella - a girl who has shown Evie how to live her life with what little time she has left. But in the end, Evie has accepted that she is going to die, and she quits fighting.
And then the unthinkable happens - Evie's bloodwork comes back and there isn't a trace of cancer left in her body. She starts getting better, and she goes home - only to be faced with the fact that everyone she knows no longer treats her like a regular girl - but as a girl who battled cancer and had a brush with death. Even her boyfriend treats her as if she's fragile and sick, and Evie realizes that since she has beaten cancer, no one seems to know what to be like around her.
This book touched on so many different emotions and thoughts, that as a reader, I had to catch my breath. Seeing how Evie slowly slipped away in her mind and distanced herself from others as the cancer took over and death was just around the corner was startling. But it also made me question how I'd react, especially with all the other issues going on.
I like how this book focused on some of the unique types of friendships that you make when you are in a teen cancer ward.
The depictions of Evie's and her friends' struggles with cancer is vivid, heartbreaking, and never cliche. But Evie's journey through depression and addiction is what grabbed me and made me unable to put the book down.
Do yourself a favor and read this book and its sequel.
April 28, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This wasn’t your average ‘cancer’ story, and I was surprised that it ended with a cliff-hanger!
Evie was a girl who felt really lost. I felt sorry for her in the beginning, and I agreed with her that her boyfriend Will worrying about her getting addicted to morphine when she was dying was a bit silly. I understood how she felt once she realised that she suddenly had a future. For her to try and get back what she had lost felt insurmountable to her, and it was easy to see why when people kept telling her how far behind she was, and how she suddenly needed to think about her future.
The storyline in this wasn’t your average cancer story, and it wasn’t your average addiction story either. Evie’s problems were so much more complex than that, after having no life, to suddenly having to think about her future was just so daunting, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I think I’d have felt overwhelmed as well.
There was some romance in this book, and I could once again see where Evie was coming from, and how difficult it was for her to come to the realisation that maybe her old boyfriend wasn’t right for her any more.
The ending to this was a little disappointing because we got a cliff-hanger! I wanted to know more about Evie’s story, and I wanted her to find some kind of peace! I can’t believe I have to wait until Summer 2016 to find out what happens! Argh!
6.5 out of 10
This wasn’t your average ‘cancer’ story, and I was surprised that it ended with a cliff-hanger!
Evie was a girl who felt really lost. I felt sorry for her in the beginning, and I agreed with her that her boyfriend Will worrying about her getting addicted to morphine when she was dying was a bit silly. I understood how she felt once she realised that she suddenly had a future. For her to try and get back what she had lost felt insurmountable to her, and it was easy to see why when people kept telling her how far behind she was, and how she suddenly needed to think about her future.
The storyline in this wasn’t your average cancer story, and it wasn’t your average addiction story either. Evie’s problems were so much more complex than that, after having no life, to suddenly having to think about her future was just so daunting, and I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. I think I’d have felt overwhelmed as well.
There was some romance in this book, and I could once again see where Evie was coming from, and how difficult it was for her to come to the realisation that maybe her old boyfriend wasn’t right for her any more.
The ending to this was a little disappointing because we got a cliff-hanger! I wanted to know more about Evie’s story, and I wanted her to find some kind of peace! I can’t believe I have to wait until Summer 2016 to find out what happens! Argh!
6.5 out of 10
April 22, 2015
Review also found at http://kristineandterri.blogspot.ca/2...
3.5 stars
received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication is April 28th 2015.
I did not realize at first however this is the second story of Reed's that I have read. You can find my review of Damaged here . Once I made the connection I can now see how similar the two stories are in style.
This is one of those stories that is hard to review because there is simply so much going on. The synopsis of the story only gives a portion of the plot away and I feel that if I spend any time discussing it that it could be seen as a spoiler or impact someone's outlook on the story.
The story starts out as advertised with Evie in the hospital battling cancer along with her other cancer patient friends. This part of the story is very touching as it explores the close relationship that is forged between those who are in a similar situation. It is also very sad as some of these stories inevitably are.
It is what happens after Evie comes home from the hospital that has me a little bit conflicted. I can honestly say that she was a horrible person. Although I can't pretend to know what it would be like to come out on the other side of an illness that you are not supposed to survive I do know what it is like to come out of an illness that limited my ability to enjoy life. I was grateful for those that helped me through it and I felt blessed that I had family and friends who had made sacrifices to assist me. I never once took it for granted as Evie did.
Ok...maybe I am judging. Others would argue that she was suffering from survivor guilt. That she did not feel worthy. I get it. What I don't get is how Evie could not take the advise of her dying friends last wish for her and that was to live large. I really couldn't see any justification for how she treated anyone in her life. It was downright vulgar.
I am going to stop here because this is the point where I risk giving away too much. All I can say is that the story does not end here. There is more to it than Evie surviving an illness that was supposed to kill her. It touches on many other socially relevant topics.
Also...it appears that there will be a part two to this sometime later this year. I am very curious how the story will progress as there are many different directions that can be taken from where it left off. All I hope is that we have a kinder Evie as she was too much for my sympathy in this one.
3.5 stars
received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication is April 28th 2015.
I did not realize at first however this is the second story of Reed's that I have read. You can find my review of Damaged here . Once I made the connection I can now see how similar the two stories are in style.
This is one of those stories that is hard to review because there is simply so much going on. The synopsis of the story only gives a portion of the plot away and I feel that if I spend any time discussing it that it could be seen as a spoiler or impact someone's outlook on the story.
The story starts out as advertised with Evie in the hospital battling cancer along with her other cancer patient friends. This part of the story is very touching as it explores the close relationship that is forged between those who are in a similar situation. It is also very sad as some of these stories inevitably are.
It is what happens after Evie comes home from the hospital that has me a little bit conflicted. I can honestly say that she was a horrible person. Although I can't pretend to know what it would be like to come out on the other side of an illness that you are not supposed to survive I do know what it is like to come out of an illness that limited my ability to enjoy life. I was grateful for those that helped me through it and I felt blessed that I had family and friends who had made sacrifices to assist me. I never once took it for granted as Evie did.
Ok...maybe I am judging. Others would argue that she was suffering from survivor guilt. That she did not feel worthy. I get it. What I don't get is how Evie could not take the advise of her dying friends last wish for her and that was to live large. I really couldn't see any justification for how she treated anyone in her life. It was downright vulgar.
I am going to stop here because this is the point where I risk giving away too much. All I can say is that the story does not end here. There is more to it than Evie surviving an illness that was supposed to kill her. It touches on many other socially relevant topics.
Also...it appears that there will be a part two to this sometime later this year. I am very curious how the story will progress as there are many different directions that can be taken from where it left off. All I hope is that we have a kinder Evie as she was too much for my sympathy in this one.
February 8, 2016
Un premier tome que j'ai beaucoup aimé. Le sujet est triste, l'histoire l'est tout autant. Les passages émouvants sont de la partie, j'ai eu quelquefois droit à la visite d'une petite larme aux coins de mes yeux. Le roman peut se diviser en deux parties, la première se déroule dans un hôpital, c'est la partie la plus touchante de l'histoire. La seconde partie se passe dans la vie de tous les jours, après l'hôpital. On y découvre une nouvelle facette de l'héroïne, une facette qui plaira ou non, qu'on ne peut pas comprendre selon moi à cause de tout ce qu'elle a vécue. Ce qu'elle commet alors encore une fois plaira ou ne plaira pas. Si Evie commet beaucoup de boulettes, j'ai trouvé qu'elle gardait des réflexions sensées et j'ai trouvé son cheminement intéressant, que je cautionnais ou non ce qu'elle faisait. Cette seconde partie n'est pas avare en émotion et la fin est juste terrible. Je suis plus que tentée par la lecture du deuxième tome.
Ma chronique complète : http://bloggalleane.blogspot.fr/2016/...
Ma chronique complète : http://bloggalleane.blogspot.fr/2016/...
October 1, 2017
**INVINCIBLE has a sequel so if you don’t like book that have a cliffhanger instead of an ending, you might want to skip.
When Evie doesn’t die of cancer as expected, she has difficulty readjusting to her old life.
I had a love/hate relationship with INVINCIBLE. I’m a cancer survivor and prefer a modicum of reality/research in cancer storytelling. One day Evie’s doctor says treatment isn’t working, the only hope a risky clinical trial with a 4-7% likelihood of survival. A week later she’s a walking miracle, cancer is gone. One day three teens with cancer are unhooking IVs, breaking out of the hospital to go on a joy ride and get high, the next a miracle. Cancer isn’t fun or romantic. While finding joy in unexpected places and creating some pleasant and even fun experiences make treatment bearable, the ways in which they happen aren’t the stuff of exciting fiction.
I did love how Amy Reed created Evie as a realistic and at times unlikable character. Evie’s and her friends’ wicked senses of humor at their illnesses was exactly how my friends and I got through difficult times. Cancer changes you and I imagine for a teenager finding her place in the world, those changes could be even more marked than an adult who had weathered the ups and downs of adolescence. I could see exactly why Evie lost patience with her creepy, controlling star athlete “perfect” boyfriend who just didn’t get it. I could understand her being drawn to Marcus, who knew the pain of extremely difficult life circumstances.
Reed’s compulsively readable writing gave a Evie a strong voice filled with humor, sadness, anger and shame. I liked the minor characters too.
If I had read INVINCIBLE before UNFORGIVABLE, book two, had been written or not realized the cliffhanger, I would have been livid. Fortunately, I’m about to start the sequel so no waiting a year for publication.
When Evie doesn’t die of cancer as expected, she has difficulty readjusting to her old life.
I had a love/hate relationship with INVINCIBLE. I’m a cancer survivor and prefer a modicum of reality/research in cancer storytelling. One day Evie’s doctor says treatment isn’t working, the only hope a risky clinical trial with a 4-7% likelihood of survival. A week later she’s a walking miracle, cancer is gone. One day three teens with cancer are unhooking IVs, breaking out of the hospital to go on a joy ride and get high, the next a miracle. Cancer isn’t fun or romantic. While finding joy in unexpected places and creating some pleasant and even fun experiences make treatment bearable, the ways in which they happen aren’t the stuff of exciting fiction.
I did love how Amy Reed created Evie as a realistic and at times unlikable character. Evie’s and her friends’ wicked senses of humor at their illnesses was exactly how my friends and I got through difficult times. Cancer changes you and I imagine for a teenager finding her place in the world, those changes could be even more marked than an adult who had weathered the ups and downs of adolescence. I could see exactly why Evie lost patience with her creepy, controlling star athlete “perfect” boyfriend who just didn’t get it. I could understand her being drawn to Marcus, who knew the pain of extremely difficult life circumstances.
Reed’s compulsively readable writing gave a Evie a strong voice filled with humor, sadness, anger and shame. I liked the minor characters too.
If I had read INVINCIBLE before UNFORGIVABLE, book two, had been written or not realized the cliffhanger, I would have been livid. Fortunately, I’m about to start the sequel so no waiting a year for publication.
June 29, 2018
my rating for this would be a 2.5 stars. i definitely adore amy reed's style of writing but this book just didn't work out for me.
May 1, 2015
This book is a Young Adult contemporary realistic romance. The narrator is Evie, a junior in high school.
This book is not a standalone and ends in a cliffhanger. I really wish that I had known this when I requested this book (love cliffhangers but need to know if the book is part of a series before I start the book).
The book is divided into two parts Then and Now.
The first section is Evie in the hospital. She has cancer and it's terminal. I do agree with the book blurb mentioning that Evie gets better. Otherwise truthfully I am not sure if I would have wanted to read the book. It would be too depressing.
The first section of the book in the hospital (the first 1/3 of the book) actually was very depressing. Even knowing what was going to happen I still found it difficult to read. It was sad. I'm not sure why, but I thought that the first part with her being sick would be much shorter. It did feel very realistic though. And I enjoyed her friends Stella and Caleb that lived in the hospital with her.
Also, I assumed that the second part of the book was going to be uplifting. But it was not. It was not really enjoyable to see what happened to Evie and her friends and family. But it did show the kinds of things families might go through if they were in a similar situation.
While the cancer part of the book felt so realistic and hard to read. Her being cured seemed unrealistic. Her body was full of cancer and all of a sudden there was no cancer?
Also, the book just ends. Okay so I had no idea that there was a sequel to this book. So I was expecting a resolution. But it wasn't there. And that made me so frustrated. I at least wanted to see how Evie figured things out and what happened to her.
The book did feel like a fairly realistic interpretation of a teenager with cancer. But I just felt frustrated with how the story played out.
Thank you to edelweiss and HarperCollins Children/Katherine Tegen Books for allowing me to read this book.
April 29, 2015
★★★★
All books where a character, whether main or otherwise has cancer is supposed to be likeable -- loveable even. But not in this! And that's what I liked about it the most(Although it was really frustrating) It made the book a bit more real.
Evie was this really nice dying girl that somehow manages to beat cancer after a long strenuous year. And what does she do with this miracle,
She becomes this selfish, inconsiderate, annoying, total douche, disrespectful to both everyone around her and her self. (Who smokes a cigarette after learning she no longer has cancer?!) And a drug addict(This bitch wanted to do meth, like WTH really?!?!!!!!!)
Obviously this girl has some real issues. She doesn't think she deserves to be alive and instead thinks it should have been her cancer buddy. She becomes a drug addict because she no longer likes her reality, friends, school and family. She pushes every one away, except Marcus. Who is pretty much the only thing keeping her from going over the edge.
To be honest I liked her better when she had cancer, anyone would, and yeah yeah that sucks to say but sadly its the truth. She turned out to be a total bitch.
Oh and I really hated who she turned her back on Caleb, after all he did for her. I was really upset over that one. Caleb was a total sweetheart and didn't deserve being treated like filth.
I love Marcus and Will. They both deserve better. Hopefully in the next novel her character will improve for the better.
I liked it!
All books where a character, whether main or otherwise has cancer is supposed to be likeable -- loveable even. But not in this! And that's what I liked about it the most(Although it was really frustrating) It made the book a bit more real.
Evie was this really nice dying girl that somehow manages to beat cancer after a long strenuous year. And what does she do with this miracle,
She becomes this selfish, inconsiderate, annoying, total douche, disrespectful to both everyone around her and her self. (Who smokes a cigarette after learning she no longer has cancer?!) And a drug addict(This bitch wanted to do meth, like WTH really?!?!!!!!!)
Obviously this girl has some real issues. She doesn't think she deserves to be alive and instead thinks it should have been her cancer buddy. She becomes a drug addict because she no longer likes her reality, friends, school and family. She pushes every one away, except Marcus. Who is pretty much the only thing keeping her from going over the edge.
To be honest I liked her better when she had cancer, anyone would, and yeah yeah that sucks to say but sadly its the truth. She turned out to be a total bitch.
Oh and I really hated who she turned her back on Caleb, after all he did for her. I was really upset over that one. Caleb was a total sweetheart and didn't deserve being treated like filth.
I love Marcus and Will. They both deserve better. Hopefully in the next novel her character will improve for the better.
I liked it!
April 24, 2016
Invincible is a book full of feeling, mourning, and regret. It's an excellent take on the darker side of being a cancer survivor and I enjoyed it a lot. Invincible also has a very diverse cast of characters; and that's great, it's done well, she did a good job with that... BUT I can't stop being irritated at her (or rather Evie's) thoughts about Cole, a secondary character who is a trans man.
I don't know if this was just for Evie's character or if this is how Reed really sees trans people, but Evie made comments in her head a few times along the lines of (paraphrasing here to the best of my memory) "He was so convincing as a boy, it was hard to believe he wasn't completely one, at least not physically". Other things like describing him as having a "surprisingly girlish voice", or another character, Caleb, trying to insist to Stella that she's a lesbian because of Cole's body, when Stella keeps saying "No I'm not [a lesbian], I have a boyfriend". A trans man is a man. You don't call them "convincing as boys, but not completely/actually boys". The book even mentions Cole takes weekly shots of testosterone, therefore the "girlish voice" is not only insensitive, but inaccurate.
I really did enjoy this book a lot aside from that, hence my 4/5 star rating. I'm looking forward to the sequel. But I really wish that Cole's character was handled better and Reed didn't word some things the way that she did. I hope in the future if she has more trans characters, or if Cole makes more appearances in Unforgivable, they're handled better.
May 21, 2016
I received a free copy via edelweiss for review purposes.
DNF 45%
It was probably wrong for me to go into Invincible thinking it would be like The Fault in Our Stars, because it's really not.
The story is split into two parts - then and now. At first, it was sad and heartfelt. That was the 'then'. Then she miraculously recovers from terminal cancer (that had made its way to her bones) within a few weeks. Then she turns cold and bitter. I didn't even make it to the point where they introduce the love interest.
I may pick it up again when I'm in the mood for a depressing angry read, but for now, no thanks.
DNF 45%
It was probably wrong for me to go into Invincible thinking it would be like The Fault in Our Stars, because it's really not.
The story is split into two parts - then and now. At first, it was sad and heartfelt. That was the 'then'. Then she miraculously recovers from terminal cancer (that had made its way to her bones) within a few weeks. Then she turns cold and bitter. I didn't even make it to the point where they introduce the love interest.
I may pick it up again when I'm in the mood for a depressing angry read, but for now, no thanks.
August 21, 2020
4.5 Stars
I made a big mistake while reading this book. I just read it without reading what it was about and didn't even look up the review on goodreads. Throughout the entire novel I thought this was a stand alone. It literally wasn't until I was up to the last page that I realize that either it was a series, or I was about to be throwing hands with the Author.
I really enjoyed this novel. It made me feel, I was angry, sad, happy, annoyed and even livid at times. I was rooting for the main character, then I wasn't, and then I was again. I went on a massive roller coaster with this book and I loved almost every second of it. There were parts that could have been better or not included... None the less I still enjoyed this novel and am so glad I read it.
I made a big mistake while reading this book. I just read it without reading what it was about and didn't even look up the review on goodreads. Throughout the entire novel I thought this was a stand alone. It literally wasn't until I was up to the last page that I realize that either it was a series, or I was about to be throwing hands with the Author.
I really enjoyed this novel. It made me feel, I was angry, sad, happy, annoyed and even livid at times. I was rooting for the main character, then I wasn't, and then I was again. I went on a massive roller coaster with this book and I loved almost every second of it. There were parts that could have been better or not included... None the less I still enjoyed this novel and am so glad I read it.
May 8, 2015
IN-CRED-I-BLE.
review to come, once i can calm down my mind.
review to come, once i can calm down my mind.
March 7, 2023
I probably shouldn't have read this at a time when my friend's daughter died (in remission from childhood cancer), coupled with someone close to me recovering from substance abuse. It all hit a little too close to home, really. I felt very, very sympathetic towards the mc (massive identity and guilt issues), but at the same time, 100000% understood the viewpoints of the family and friends.
Having said that, I do understand why is has the rating it has ... the ending isn't an ending (there is a book 2), so you don't feel ANY resolution at all. A smidge of insta-love with Marcus didn't help, and all I can say is that the mc needs to pull herself out of a pretty big spiral in book 2 to make any character development work.
CW: addiction, death, illness, drugs, alcohol, potential (unexplained or explored) suicide x2
Senior Fiction Y11 up
Having said that, I do understand why is has the rating it has ... the ending isn't an ending (there is a book 2), so you don't feel ANY resolution at all. A smidge of insta-love with Marcus didn't help, and all I can say is that the mc needs to pull herself out of a pretty big spiral in book 2 to make any character development work.
CW: addiction, death, illness, drugs, alcohol, potential (unexplained or explored) suicide x2
Senior Fiction Y11 up
December 14, 2025
the story had so many things I love but I didn't connect with the characters and that took away from the experience for me.
March 28, 2015
3.5 (liked it a lot)
I wanted to read Invincible because I am drawn to stories with illnesses and cancer. I started early in my reading life with Lurlene McDaniel and still seek out books with those types of feels. I have also enjoyed Amy's other books, so made sense to request and want to read this one.
I really like how strong she was and how she wanted to keep it together for her family. it's definitely hard seeing her in the position that she had accepted that she was going to die she just wanted to be strong for her family her mom her dad her sister as well as her best friends since kindergarten and her very loyal boyfriend all of which is stuck by her side throughout the whole treatment and diagnosis and spreading of the cancer.
I also like how this book focused on some of the unique types of friendships that you make when you are in a teen cancer ward. Stella and Caleb are two of which that have been by her side caleb has a brain tumor and Stella is also dealing with some chemotherapy and radiation and they've been and at the same time a lot. still is one of the people who tell it like it is and to is raucously funny. we get a lot of the humor from the book from Stella and also when please put on line of her pain meds and her whole view of the world seems to change. Everything becomes funny to her and she knows that there's pain but she just doesn't care about it and the world is painted in this picture of being high I guess is the best way to put it.
When the book begins when you see her in a position where she thought that she was going to die she had accepted it and she had declined further treatment. we know from the synopsis that she is going to get a whole new lease on life but I do appreciate getting to know her while she was in that really hard time in her life. I can't imagine living with a death sentence or with a choice of either giving up or being in extreme pain. with the years for life span in the hospital it feels like the whole world moved on without her and I totally cannot imagine how that would feel or how I would move on.
It was sad the loss that happened before Evie's miracle remission. She thought she was dying and then suddenly all traces are gone. She has a new lease on life, but she is carrying a lot of baggage with her. Between the loss of a friend and the way that she has felt pain, been on the door of death has changed her. She used to be a cheerleader and even while she was sick, she kept the upbeat persona.
There was such a change in her. She didn't know where she fit, and she felt so much differently than she did before. School, cheerleading and prom all seem so meaningless. She turns to her pills and alcohol in order to help dull the pain, first physically and then more and more so emotionally. Her parents, Will, and best friend are all so worried about her. She makes bad decisions, and although I could understand how she was feeling, she really didn't treat any of them well.
While I can see her draw to Marcus, someone who didn't see her go through the cancer, and someone who saw her as strong and tough. It rubbed me wrong because of how Will stuck by her side, and I felt like Evie kept leading Will on, while she was seeing, kissing and emotionally connecting with Marcus.
Honestly this book left her in a pretty bad place, and I felt for her so much. I was worried about how far depressed and uncaring she was.
Bottom Line: Emotional journey of Evie, a cancer patient, now cancer free trying to fit back into a life when she'd already accepted death.
I wanted to read Invincible because I am drawn to stories with illnesses and cancer. I started early in my reading life with Lurlene McDaniel and still seek out books with those types of feels. I have also enjoyed Amy's other books, so made sense to request and want to read this one.
I really like how strong she was and how she wanted to keep it together for her family. it's definitely hard seeing her in the position that she had accepted that she was going to die she just wanted to be strong for her family her mom her dad her sister as well as her best friends since kindergarten and her very loyal boyfriend all of which is stuck by her side throughout the whole treatment and diagnosis and spreading of the cancer.
I also like how this book focused on some of the unique types of friendships that you make when you are in a teen cancer ward. Stella and Caleb are two of which that have been by her side caleb has a brain tumor and Stella is also dealing with some chemotherapy and radiation and they've been and at the same time a lot. still is one of the people who tell it like it is and to is raucously funny. we get a lot of the humor from the book from Stella and also when please put on line of her pain meds and her whole view of the world seems to change. Everything becomes funny to her and she knows that there's pain but she just doesn't care about it and the world is painted in this picture of being high I guess is the best way to put it.
When the book begins when you see her in a position where she thought that she was going to die she had accepted it and she had declined further treatment. we know from the synopsis that she is going to get a whole new lease on life but I do appreciate getting to know her while she was in that really hard time in her life. I can't imagine living with a death sentence or with a choice of either giving up or being in extreme pain. with the years for life span in the hospital it feels like the whole world moved on without her and I totally cannot imagine how that would feel or how I would move on.
It was sad the loss that happened before Evie's miracle remission. She thought she was dying and then suddenly all traces are gone. She has a new lease on life, but she is carrying a lot of baggage with her. Between the loss of a friend and the way that she has felt pain, been on the door of death has changed her. She used to be a cheerleader and even while she was sick, she kept the upbeat persona.
There was such a change in her. She didn't know where she fit, and she felt so much differently than she did before. School, cheerleading and prom all seem so meaningless. She turns to her pills and alcohol in order to help dull the pain, first physically and then more and more so emotionally. Her parents, Will, and best friend are all so worried about her. She makes bad decisions, and although I could understand how she was feeling, she really didn't treat any of them well.
While I can see her draw to Marcus, someone who didn't see her go through the cancer, and someone who saw her as strong and tough. It rubbed me wrong because of how Will stuck by her side, and I felt like Evie kept leading Will on, while she was seeing, kissing and emotionally connecting with Marcus.
Honestly this book left her in a pretty bad place, and I felt for her so much. I was worried about how far depressed and uncaring she was.
Bottom Line: Emotional journey of Evie, a cancer patient, now cancer free trying to fit back into a life when she'd already accepted death.
May 2, 2016
Evie is living on borrowed time. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer several months ago and told that by now she’d be dead. Evie is grateful for every extra day that she gets, but she knows that soon this disease will kill her. Until, miraculously, she may have a second chance to live.
All Evie had wanted was her life back, but now that she has it, she feels like there’s no place for her in it—at least, not for the girl she is now. Her friends and her parents still see her as Cancer Girl, and her boyfriend’s constant, doting attention is suddenly nothing short of suffocating.
Then Evie meets Marcus. She knows that he’s trouble, but she can’t help falling for him. Being near him makes her feel truly, fully alive. It’s better than a drug. His kiss makes her feel invincible—but she may be at the beginning of the biggest free fall of her life.
Invincible is the story of Evie, a cancer survivor whose life is in a downward spiral. While in the cancer ward, Evie had two best friends. They had a bond, something which wouldn't form in the normal world, but thrived in that terminal place. The novel is divided into two parts - one before a death, and one after. Evie, in the after, achieves a miraculous recovery; this is after she had made peace with the fact of dying. Now, she doesn't know what to do with this life, as well as her guilt for the other life that was taken. She starts acting out, develops a prescription drug addiction, and even then she can't find peace. Finding Marcus gives her some measure of happiness, but she is constantly searching for reasons to live.
The fact with the book is, it started off really good. There is Evie, a girl who is sick and whose universe is now people who are dealing with the fact that she is sick. When she recovers, people are still treating her like she is made of glass. She abhors this, and on meeting Marcus, who knows nothing about her past, she finds within her a new girl who is brave and bold. But her problem lies in the fact that she feels guilty for being alive. I found that the author brought out this quite well - the despair, the loneliness, the emptiness, the hollowness that comes with not meeting expectations. But about two-thirds of the book, I was getting worn out by her spiral - once she wants people to care, then she doesn't want them to care. It was like her characterization wasn't set properly.
Then comes the fact that it is depressing, like, really depressing. I couldn't stand to be in the head of a girl so dead set on ruining her own life, and pitying herself for it (though this is a fact that we all humans do so frequently) - probably because it sometimes hits too close to home. But the final nail in the coffin was that ending - which was set up so obviously for a sequel, that there was no completion in it. There was no resolution, even for a two-part story, and that bugged me a lot. Yes, she does make a decision, but she had been making and remaking that decision over and over again. It got repetitive by the end, and by that time any empathy I had was lost. In short, I think it started off strong but got lost in the middle.
Received a free galley from Katherine Tegen Books, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
All Evie had wanted was her life back, but now that she has it, she feels like there’s no place for her in it—at least, not for the girl she is now. Her friends and her parents still see her as Cancer Girl, and her boyfriend’s constant, doting attention is suddenly nothing short of suffocating.
Then Evie meets Marcus. She knows that he’s trouble, but she can’t help falling for him. Being near him makes her feel truly, fully alive. It’s better than a drug. His kiss makes her feel invincible—but she may be at the beginning of the biggest free fall of her life.
Invincible is the story of Evie, a cancer survivor whose life is in a downward spiral. While in the cancer ward, Evie had two best friends. They had a bond, something which wouldn't form in the normal world, but thrived in that terminal place. The novel is divided into two parts - one before a death, and one after. Evie, in the after, achieves a miraculous recovery; this is after she had made peace with the fact of dying. Now, she doesn't know what to do with this life, as well as her guilt for the other life that was taken. She starts acting out, develops a prescription drug addiction, and even then she can't find peace. Finding Marcus gives her some measure of happiness, but she is constantly searching for reasons to live.
The fact with the book is, it started off really good. There is Evie, a girl who is sick and whose universe is now people who are dealing with the fact that she is sick. When she recovers, people are still treating her like she is made of glass. She abhors this, and on meeting Marcus, who knows nothing about her past, she finds within her a new girl who is brave and bold. But her problem lies in the fact that she feels guilty for being alive. I found that the author brought out this quite well - the despair, the loneliness, the emptiness, the hollowness that comes with not meeting expectations. But about two-thirds of the book, I was getting worn out by her spiral - once she wants people to care, then she doesn't want them to care. It was like her characterization wasn't set properly.
Then comes the fact that it is depressing, like, really depressing. I couldn't stand to be in the head of a girl so dead set on ruining her own life, and pitying herself for it (though this is a fact that we all humans do so frequently) - probably because it sometimes hits too close to home. But the final nail in the coffin was that ending - which was set up so obviously for a sequel, that there was no completion in it. There was no resolution, even for a two-part story, and that bugged me a lot. Yes, she does make a decision, but she had been making and remaking that decision over and over again. It got repetitive by the end, and by that time any empathy I had was lost. In short, I think it started off strong but got lost in the middle.
Received a free galley from Katherine Tegen Books, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.
May 29, 2015
Evie was diagnosed with terminal cancer months ago. She's exceeded the number of days the doctors had given her to live so now she's just grateful for every extra day she gets. Until she miraculously starts getting better. For so long she's been The Girl with Cancer to her family and friends and getting them to see her as just Evie seems impossible. Then she meets Marcus, someone who doesn't know her past, and he makes her feel alive.
This book ended up being a faster read than I thought it would, considering the subject matter. There was definitely a before and after feel to it, before the miracle vs after the miracle. The before parts, when Evie was in the hospital, were both heartbreaking and yet also fun. It was a children's cancer ward and the author did a good job of reminding the reader of that when things were getting too lighthearted. The bond that had developed between Evie and two other kids, Stella and Caleb, was really nice and fun to read. The whole 'before' part had a bit of a Red Band Society feel to it.
The 'after' part almost seemed like a completely different book. Evie was, understandable, such a different person from in the first part. She had accepted death and it didn't come. All of a sudden she had to deal with the fact that she did likely have a future and that she was expected to fit back into society outside the hospital walls. She wasn't adapting well and everyone just seemed to ignore it or make excuses. Part of me sympathized with Evie but the more she used her cancer as an excuse for her behavior, the more she lost me.
Besides cancer, the book also touched on drug use/addiction, depression and eating disorders. There were a lot of issues going on and it felt a little overwhelming. There wasn't enough time to give all the issues the attention they needed.
The theme of old vs new continued through the whole book. Old Evie vs new Evie, old friendships vs new friendships, old romance vs new romance. Will, her boyfriend who stuck by her through everything, started off as really sweet and thoughtful while she was in the hospital and he did his best to understand New Evie, but he came across as a little smothering and condescending at times. Marcus, the new boy Evie met, was more of a mystery. He didn't know about her past so he could easily accept New Evie. I could see why Evie wanted and needed someone who didn't know about the cancer and who wouldn't treat her like she was about to break.
This was the first book in, I believe a duology, so it will be interesting to see what happens to Evie, Marcus and everyone else in the second book.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
This book ended up being a faster read than I thought it would, considering the subject matter. There was definitely a before and after feel to it, before the miracle vs after the miracle. The before parts, when Evie was in the hospital, were both heartbreaking and yet also fun. It was a children's cancer ward and the author did a good job of reminding the reader of that when things were getting too lighthearted. The bond that had developed between Evie and two other kids, Stella and Caleb, was really nice and fun to read. The whole 'before' part had a bit of a Red Band Society feel to it.
The 'after' part almost seemed like a completely different book. Evie was, understandable, such a different person from in the first part. She had accepted death and it didn't come. All of a sudden she had to deal with the fact that she did likely have a future and that she was expected to fit back into society outside the hospital walls. She wasn't adapting well and everyone just seemed to ignore it or make excuses. Part of me sympathized with Evie but the more she used her cancer as an excuse for her behavior, the more she lost me.
Besides cancer, the book also touched on drug use/addiction, depression and eating disorders. There were a lot of issues going on and it felt a little overwhelming. There wasn't enough time to give all the issues the attention they needed.
The theme of old vs new continued through the whole book. Old Evie vs new Evie, old friendships vs new friendships, old romance vs new romance. Will, her boyfriend who stuck by her through everything, started off as really sweet and thoughtful while she was in the hospital and he did his best to understand New Evie, but he came across as a little smothering and condescending at times. Marcus, the new boy Evie met, was more of a mystery. He didn't know about her past so he could easily accept New Evie. I could see why Evie wanted and needed someone who didn't know about the cancer and who wouldn't treat her like she was about to break.
This was the first book in, I believe a duology, so it will be interesting to see what happens to Evie, Marcus and everyone else in the second book.
*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2015
I didn't love this book, and I didn't hate it.
Oh where to begin. The book started out with this Evie, Junior in highschool popular cheerleader, perfect relationship, perfect life. She was diagnosed with cancer in her hip. In and out of hospitals she becomes friends with Stella, this fierce, badass chick, and Caleb this sweet kid with a brain tumor. She starts fitting in better with the hospital life than her regular life. Her friends and family stick by her side though.
So she ends up being diagnosed with like a month left to live. Stella takes her out of the hospital one night for one last adventure before she passes.
by some miracle a couple weeks later she is miraculously healed. She goes home and tries to fit back into life but she can't adjust. She turns to drugs and just pushes everyone away. Her parents, her best friend that stuck by her side, and her boyfrriend that was always there.
Evie had no character growth, I just grew to hater her more and more. She was ungrateful, she was rude, she was just flat out a bitch. She didn't try at all.
The book leaves you at a major cliffhanger for the second book in 2016. Which of course I have to read to see what happens.
Oh where to begin. The book started out with this Evie, Junior in highschool popular cheerleader, perfect relationship, perfect life. She was diagnosed with cancer in her hip. In and out of hospitals she becomes friends with Stella, this fierce, badass chick, and Caleb this sweet kid with a brain tumor. She starts fitting in better with the hospital life than her regular life. Her friends and family stick by her side though.
So she ends up being diagnosed with like a month left to live. Stella takes her out of the hospital one night for one last adventure before she passes.
by some miracle a couple weeks later she is miraculously healed. She goes home and tries to fit back into life but she can't adjust. She turns to drugs and just pushes everyone away. Her parents, her best friend that stuck by her side, and her boyfrriend that was always there.
Evie had no character growth, I just grew to hater her more and more. She was ungrateful, she was rude, she was just flat out a bitch. She didn't try at all.
The book leaves you at a major cliffhanger for the second book in 2016. Which of course I have to read to see what happens.
December 26, 2015
*2.5/5*
Voilà un livre que j’attendais avec impatience et surtout dont j’attendais beaucoup. Et finalement, il m’a apporté bien peu par rapport à ce que j’en espérais. Les romans ayant pour thème les ados et le cancer, ce n’est plus nouveau maintenant. Le premier qui nous vient immédiatement à l’esprit c’est bien entendu le splendide Nos étoiles contraires de John Green mais aussi Je veux vivre de Jenny Downham, La fille qui ne croyait pas aux miracles de Wendy Wunder ou encore Loin de tout de J.A. Redmerski (même si là on sort du Young Adult pour le New Adult). Je m’arrête là mais je pourrais en citer d’autres.
Tout ça pour dire, que même si ce n’est pas un thème récurrent, c’est quand même un thème plus que souvent utilisé et forcément, plus nous lisons des romans d’un même thème, plus nous en attendons beaucoup et plus nous sommes critique. En tout cas, c’est le cas pour moi, il faut que le roman puisse se départager des autres, qu’il ait quelque chose en plus comme l’a Nos étoiles contraires (même si je ne compare jamais avec l’incomparable roman de John Green). Et ce truc, Invincible ne l’a absolument pas pour moi, et ce pour plusieurs raisons. [...]
La suite ici: http://lune-et-plume.fr/invincible-de...
Voilà un livre que j’attendais avec impatience et surtout dont j’attendais beaucoup. Et finalement, il m’a apporté bien peu par rapport à ce que j’en espérais. Les romans ayant pour thème les ados et le cancer, ce n’est plus nouveau maintenant. Le premier qui nous vient immédiatement à l’esprit c’est bien entendu le splendide Nos étoiles contraires de John Green mais aussi Je veux vivre de Jenny Downham, La fille qui ne croyait pas aux miracles de Wendy Wunder ou encore Loin de tout de J.A. Redmerski (même si là on sort du Young Adult pour le New Adult). Je m’arrête là mais je pourrais en citer d’autres.
Tout ça pour dire, que même si ce n’est pas un thème récurrent, c’est quand même un thème plus que souvent utilisé et forcément, plus nous lisons des romans d’un même thème, plus nous en attendons beaucoup et plus nous sommes critique. En tout cas, c’est le cas pour moi, il faut que le roman puisse se départager des autres, qu’il ait quelque chose en plus comme l’a Nos étoiles contraires (même si je ne compare jamais avec l’incomparable roman de John Green). Et ce truc, Invincible ne l’a absolument pas pour moi, et ce pour plusieurs raisons. [...]
La suite ici: http://lune-et-plume.fr/invincible-de...
April 17, 2016
With an influx of YA fiction that involves at least one character battling cancer, how do we choose ones that are worth our time?
That I can't answer for you. But what I can do is recommend this one. By no means is it the next Fault In Our Stars but I did find it refreshing that the main protagonist Evie doesn't hide her struggle at all. Some may argue she becomes a bit dramatic after certain heartbreaking events, but I think her actions are anything but rash. She beautifully wrecks herself in such a way that breaks the reader. I found myself wanting to strangle her at times but then I also found myself wanting to embrace her brittle bones into a hug, while telling her it would all be okay.
I did get annoyed at how she treated Will and her long time friends. Sure, her life changed after her diagnosis but it's hard when you have a friend battling such a life-altering disease. Trying to find the right words to say isn't easy when your life is seemingly perfectly woven together and the person on the other side is desperately trying to hold on to the threads of life.
I like how the story progresses. There is no fluff. Amy Reed gets straight to the point. While it's not my all time favorite novel, the ending did leave me wanting more. Luckily the sequel comes out this summer!
That I can't answer for you. But what I can do is recommend this one. By no means is it the next Fault In Our Stars but I did find it refreshing that the main protagonist Evie doesn't hide her struggle at all. Some may argue she becomes a bit dramatic after certain heartbreaking events, but I think her actions are anything but rash. She beautifully wrecks herself in such a way that breaks the reader. I found myself wanting to strangle her at times but then I also found myself wanting to embrace her brittle bones into a hug, while telling her it would all be okay.
I did get annoyed at how she treated Will and her long time friends. Sure, her life changed after her diagnosis but it's hard when you have a friend battling such a life-altering disease. Trying to find the right words to say isn't easy when your life is seemingly perfectly woven together and the person on the other side is desperately trying to hold on to the threads of life.
I like how the story progresses. There is no fluff. Amy Reed gets straight to the point. While it's not my all time favorite novel, the ending did leave me wanting more. Luckily the sequel comes out this summer!
May 17, 2016
I feel like it took me wayyyy longer to finish this book than it probably should have so I don't really have a huge grasp on how I felt about it. It was good and that's all I can really say. I really felt Evie's emotions. Like her parents were being reasonable and she was being a brat but I felt her side of things and I felt angry with everyone too even though they were just trying to help her. I'm really looking forward to the second book. Hopefully I'll be able to finish it more quickly
*UPDATE 5/17*
I read the first couple pages of the second book and found that a year later I'm no longer interested in this meh book. Plus it's in the POV of the guy. It reminded me of the If I Stay dualogy and I did not enjoy the second book of that one so I've decided not to waste my time.
*UPDATE 5/17*
I read the first couple pages of the second book and found that a year later I'm no longer interested in this meh book. Plus it's in the POV of the guy. It reminded me of the If I Stay dualogy and I did not enjoy the second book of that one so I've decided not to waste my time.
June 20, 2015
Received a copy from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. INVINCIBLE by Amy Reed is a raw, emotional look at terminal illness, the road to recovery, and the dangers of substance abuse. Reed's writing style is fascinating. I love the way the style changes based on the emotional state of the narrator. The characters felt very real. This isn't your typical YA teen romance. Don't be expecting some swoon-worthy romance or an easy read. Definitely held my attention to the very end. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
Wow. INVINCIBLE by Amy Reed is a raw, emotional look at terminal illness, the road to recovery, and the dangers of substance abuse. Reed's writing style is fascinating. I love the way the style changes based on the emotional state of the narrator. The characters felt very real. This isn't your typical YA teen romance. Don't be expecting some swoon-worthy romance or an easy read. Definitely held my attention to the very end. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
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