The unseen: DON'T TELL THEM YOU CAN SEE

by Kavya Minnie Carman, Anjali VanDrie (Editor)

Two years after the Great Blinding plunged the world into darkness, seventeen-year-old Avery’s sight inexplicably returns. But her relief turns to dread when she sees the same ominous message “DON'T TELL THEM YOU CAN SEE." Others who can see again live in terror of The Watchers, a shadowy group determined to control them. Teaming up with fellow survivors, Avery uncovers the dark truth behind the Great Blinding—a conspiracy to suppress knowledge and control humanity. As they prepare to expose The Watchers, Avery and her allies face a deadly battle. Will they succeed, or will the truth remain buried in darkness?

Genres: Dystopia, Fantasy, Mystery Thriller, Romance, Booktok, Mystery, Fiction

328 pages, Paperback

Published November 24, 2025

Reviews

[X]

I am proud of this author for writing a complete novel at 14 and hope that she keeps writing and improving long into the future, and that she does not get discouraged by long-or-short-winded Goodreads reviews, especially in the early days of publication.

This book is based off a popular internet prompt that (I believe?) originated on Reddit, although the author got it off Pinterest. The author wrote her own spin on it, using the prompt as the inciting incident at the beginning of her story (like one would for a short story in English class) before expanding into a classic dystopian underground revolution story. I don’t mind this because as someone who grew up reading fanfiction, I recognize that sometimes the same old tropes can be done in new ways, or in the same old way, and as long as you’re the type to enjoy that trope, you’ll usually find some enjoyment in it.

This is ya-fiction and reads like it. Even if written to be an adult character, each character voice is YOUNG and similar in tone (with slight variations depending on archetype). This would likely be enjoyed far more by someone who is actually a teenager (not me) and should be advertised heavily towards that audience rather than saying that all-ages can enjoy it equally. If you’re an adult about to read this book, be prepared for shallow characters and to use the plot/world as your reason to keep reading. The plot and world aren’t anything spectacular, it’s all kind of a net of tropes woven together, but I do feel like that’s the most compelling and intriguing portion of the story, even if sometimes there’s some occurrences that feel a bit too easy and coincidental for the characters. Still, there’s worse books out there; this book wouldn’t be out of place in the teen section of a library.

Again, this author was 14 when she wrote this book and I feel that with time and practice, worldbuilding and intricate plot will be her biggest strengths in other works she publishes in the future. Just keep writing and do not get discouraged by criticism. There is such an abundance of negative discourse about books that authors are bound to hear far more unpleasant things about their books than positive, and it’s so important to continue to write the books that you would want to read (which are not necessarily the books you want to write) in the face of all that.

[Jessica]

1/5/2026 saw this on tiktok so will read this once more ppl have read it based on reviews

[Jennifer Dziak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This author is a captivating storyteller and I'm so glad I took a few hours to read her work. I was honestly entertained throughout the novel, even though its aimed for a younger audience. I'm really excited to see what the author continues to write as she ages!! I would say I wish she had an editor, though. I almost DNF because the amount of spelling or punctuation errors were overwhelming. Nearly every page had one error or more, which amounts to *hundreds* by the end of the book. At the very least, using Word spell check would've prevented a lot of them. For many readers, those errors (especially at that frequency) can be very distracting. OVERALL: The Unseen had a strong narrative from beginning to end, a bit of 'expected' twists perfectly balanced with unexpected twists, themes of betrayal and resilience and revolution, plus well-developed characters. I would totally recommend it (or even read it again!)

[mina (obsessed)⋆. 𐙚 ˚ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️
Okay y’all I genuinely don’t know what to think now 🥹 if this book doesn’t get a sequel I might js as well start spiraling!! That aside I will say writing this at 14? Actually impressive?! Obviously there were a bunch of grammatical errors but ykw I didn’t care bc I still thoroughly enjoyed this book!!

Avery (fmc) is actually my pookie like poor girl is js julliette 2.0 with the experimental stuff atp 😭😭 although her obliviousness when it came to dolion (lwk mmc) actually pissed me off time to time though

Dolion (lwk mmc) y’all I’m highkey down bad for this man like idk what it is abt him but I need it 😝🫰🏻 that thing at the end tho..I expect some groveling bc what?! 🥹😭

I honestly really liked the side characters as well..I even started to like Peyton a bit..IM SURPRISED TOO TRUST ME!!
NOW…one thing I will never forgive miss ma’am for is the death of a certain someone who had NO BUSINESS dying AT FREAKING ALL!? Like I actually sobbed (which I also didn’t expect to do during this book)

I will now go look up on this author’s socials whether this is getting a sequel before I start crashing out again bc that end was way to open 🫰🏻

[Jessie]

I did end up DNFing the book. I like the premise of the book but couldn’t get past all the spelling errors. Would love the opportunity to read it again if the author comes out with a proofread version but in the meantime, it will be a no for me just due to that. Still recommend that y’all give it a read to form your own opinion!

[Sophia Allen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel bad leaving this review after learning the author is 14…great concept for a book just executed very poorly with some big plot issues in my opinion. Uglies meets Fourth Wing vibes. The editing needs WORK.

[Megan Jarvis · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is why you take TikTok with a grain of salt. This was only a little over 200 pages and did not have enough time to storytell, world build, it lacked good writing. It actually lacked so much. The characters felt bland, it revealed too much too soon and because of all of those things I had to give it only 1 star. Usually 1 star is a DNF for me which this wasn’t but it was simply just not good.

[Jess Serinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5

[MJ 🪻 · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to DNF this book . I couldn't get past all the grammar & spelling errors .

[Carrie Wilhite · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️⭐️💫

for a 14 year old to have written this book is absolutely awesome. there was actually lots of potential as the story was simple to follow and had high stakes. enjoyable read and some sections had great description of what was happening. i do wish it was a bit more thrilling, especially in the first 10% of the book

but overall, the formatting, spelling, and dialogue issues kept throwing me out of the novel and truly made my reading experience not so great. get an editor and it’ll truly be 10 times better. keep it up!

[Chantal Magi · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know this is a debut novel for a 14yr old aspiring author who most likely self-published this book, but this was terribly done. I'm sorry. The editing was atrocious with all of the spelling and grammar mistakes. I wanted to pull out my red pen and mark it up and send it back to the author. And the font size and page layout was done poorly. The story jumped so quickly it made no sense most of the time. There was no clear climax to the story and the ending was rushed and confusing. The storyline had potential for success if it had been done correctly-but sadly it was not. I definitely will not be recommending this to anyone.

[Saaniya Saleem · Rating 2 out of 5]

Do not feel discouraged for a 14 year old the author came up with a great premise. I look forward to what she writes in the future with more experience

[Katja Munns · Rating 3 out of 5]

For a 14 year old author it’s quite good. Could have had more to it and not done as quick or such a quick ending. But to publish a book at this age is good

[Rebe · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was nice.
Somethings were written weird but if you take this book and correct the spelling errors and some chapters(not the whole chapter just a part of it) it would be a great book. I really liked the concept and for a 14 year old i think it’s pretty good.

[Hummingbird🧸🥭🍩 · Rating 2 out of 5]

✨Before I start I want you to know that I think this author did so good and I’m exited to read more of her work! For being 14 when she wrote this I think it’s really good! ✨

It did take me a bit to get through the book because of grammatical errors and plot holes, but with someone to proof read this would be even better.

The FMC Avery was really hard for me to really enjoy. She just seemed like a pick me at times, and was sort of annoying to me with her “I’m not like other girls” mentality. Her friend Zayland was more enjoyable and entertaining for me, but I also really like that type of side character. I do feel like the characters acted immature at times, but I kind of expected that.

The world building was tough to follow for me, and I was just a bit confused the whole time. Some of the things that happened seemed very predictable and… set up I guess. Again with someone proof reading or editing, this would be even better.


Finally I think that With editing this book would shine even more. I would definitely recommend to younger readers who are into fantasy/dystopian books. Don’t take my review as a recommendation to not read this book, give it a shot!

My final rating is 2.5 stars ⭐️⭐️

✨need to make it clear that I think this author is really amazing! I hope she didn’t give up on her writing because she really is good. I’m exited to read more of her work as she gets older!✨

[Myah Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐
Did this book need way more editing and revising before it was published? yes. Am I still impressed that a 14 year old wrote this? also yes.

I honestly really enjoyed this book and thought it was unique. The plot was very interesting and kept me entertained. I hope this young author keeps writing because I think she's definitely going places!

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really developed story to be written by someone who is only 14. I hope the author continues to write. This book is a concept i would’ve never considered, breeding questions of the possibilities of our own world, government and meaning of the spiritual world. This would be a really good movie, too!

[jess · Rating 2 out of 5]

i have found out this author is 14 years old and i will say i am impressed at the fact she even had this vision for a book at that age. this book was like birdbox meets the rain and i did really enjoy the concept of the storyline i just don’t think it was executed as well as it could have been. it felt quite rushed and it was hard to keep up with some of the characters and the purpose they served. i was shocked that one of the characters was killed off as i did not think it would go that way so that was a good little twist. the hunger games mention was good because we all love the hunger games out here. i think the only negative to this book was the spelling errors which stood out to me quite abit because i was having to re read sentences. i would be very proud if i was this author because to have published a book at 14 is so impressive.

[Riley Schmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

So goooood, It took awhile to get into but once I got like deep into the book, I was hoooked!!! Cant believe how goood this was

[Tillie Hayes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know the author is 14 but honestly this was not good. Spelling errors, plot holes… really not good. The idea behind this book could have been so good but it was really let down but imo unnecessary stuff about a Christmas ball. The book of short and for most of it it’s just talking about a brunch! Londons character is super cringe also. I guess maybe that’s cause it’s YA and I’m not a huge fan but it felt like an adult trying to be relatable was writing it

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @ page 83/35%.

I don’t usually rate or leave reviews on books I DNF but I felt compelled to with this for some reason.

I feel bad because I know the author is young and I always want to support new and young authors. And in no way do I want to come off as mean or insensitive.

However…

While I think there is potential, the grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, structural/formatting issues, plot holes, and lack of cohesive storytelling made this a challenge to get through. I think this was a great start but, it needs some serious editing and revisions.

The “action” starts immediately (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing) but in this, it left little to no room for world building or backstory. I was left with more and more questions as I continued reading but didn’t feel compelled enough to continue reading in hopes of answers. I struggled to connect with any of the characters. And there was, in my opinion, too much “telling” and not enough “showing”. It all felt very superficial.

I LOVE a dystopian and I was totally hooked by the premise of the story but unfortunately, it did fall flat for me. I found that there were far too many issues that should’ve been resolved before official publishing. But I do truly hope the author can continue to develop and sharpen her skills.

[Karson Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw this book being advertised by the author on her TikTok a few months back and it seemed like it had a nice plot to it so I added it to my TBR list. I knew the author was young but that didn’t sway my decision in wanting to read it. It just so happened my book club picked it for the month a few months after seeing it. Here are my thoughts:
-at the end of the book she says that her aunt was her editor…. I’m unsure of her professional qualifications but she should have gotten a different editor or maybe a few more opinions. I highlighted every typo (or started to and then stopped because there were so many, and then picked back up again)…. For example: She used the world “barley” instead of “barely” at least 3 times that I counted
-I felt like she was describing the Great Hall in Harry Potter at times.
-I felt like she was imagining a Divergent romance between Tris and Four with the way she described some characters and the scenes
-It does have a fantastic plot but I would like to see more description and diving into more points that were confusing. Definitely needs more editing.

[scarlett · Rating 1 out of 5]

I understand that this author is young; however, I will not review this kindly. I DNF'd this very fast. I have no idea who edited this, if at all, but there are terrible spelling and grammar errors. Characters are bland. The story is boring. I really could go on and on. I've seen people trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, but we are literally the same age, and I would never release or write this. The concept is semi-interesting, but this is definitely one of those recycled Pinterest/Reddit prompts that I have seen a thousand times. I would say that it has potential, but then I'd be lying. I will admit that the author does, though. I think with more work (and perhaps an English class), she truly could be a decent writer. Anyway, this is me begging everyone to please properly review and read over your books before you publish them. Thank you, and goodnight.

[Julie Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The potential is definitely there for this story. However, I felt like I was reading a work in progress, rather than a final copy. I know the author is very young, and I believe this is her first book, so I think she has tons of potential and very interesting ideas. I just feel like this book needs some fine-tuning. Some parts of the story felt rushed, and other parts were dragged out too much. Also found it hard to follow along a couple of times with the timeline switches during her flashbacks, as well as knowing which characters were speaking due to the layout of the story.

[⁺༻☙𝒮 ❧ ⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved everything abt the book it’s my Roman Empire just lost a star cuz it was rushed at the end would have been better if there was a second book with details instead of the rush overall it’s an amazing book for a book slump I would write a proper review for the book as soon as I am free and I just wanted to mention that I am so proud of the author since she’s 14

[Ivy Pineda · Rating 1 out of 5]

amazing premise with sloppy writing, it is written like a wattpad fan fiction, complete with a smattering of grammatical errors. edit- i have just found out that this is a rip off of jose saramago’s nobel prize winning “essay on blindness”. do with that information what you will.

[Mia · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5

[Megan Fraser · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars
I didn’t hate it, but didn’t love it unfortunately.

[Kelcy Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

still didn't find out stuff. it was OK. not how I imagined it at all

[Narmene Bensaber]

LOL no one told me a 14-year-old wrote this. With that in mind, I’m not going to review. Nice work! 😊