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Invisible Girl
When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by her abusive mother and taken in by Annie?s Beverly Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark complexion and accent stick out like a sore thumb in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance. These are girls who seem to live life in fastforward, while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet when a new rival moves to town, threatening Annie?s queen-bee status, Stephanie finds herself taking sides in a battle she never even knew existed, and that feeling invisible is a wound that can only be healed by standing up for who she is. Brilliant newcomer Mary Hanlon Stone delivers a compulsively readable insider?s view of growing up in a world where money and privilege don?t always glitter.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 8, 2010
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1111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 26, 2010
With her father unable to cope with her alcoholic, abusive mother’s abandonment, 14-year old Stephanie is sent to live in Los Angeles with family friends who have a daughter, Annie, her same age. Once in L.A., Stephanie struggles to hide her background and fit in with Annie’s clique of mean-girls and alpha males. While many of our Middle School readers can probably relate to Stephanie’s struggle with her own identity and fitting in with the popular crowd, the story is full of sexually explicit slang words and acts, as well as teen characters whom partake in excessive drinking and smoking, and not in a manner that furthers the story. Also, Stephanie’s character feels uneven. When the story starts off, she is so emotionally scarred that she wets her pants and resorts to hiding in a closet, clutching her Nancy Drew novels, to hide from her drunken mother. But within 30 pages, she becomes more concerned with impressing Annie’s friends by inventing facebook and texting fiascos, then the dissolution of her family. Plus, I just couldn’t quite accept the fact that as an Italian American from Boston, she would be so uncomfortable with the color of her skin. While published reviews were mixed, readers (many of whom are teens) on goodreads.com rated the book highly, making me think this book might be more appropriate for and find a larger audience in the Teen collection.
March 24, 2010
This book is a book you can relate to, no matter who you are, whether you are invisible, or loved by everyone around you. You could feel sympathy for Stephanie, and connect with her. This is the type of book you get into from the first sentence to the last. I have only positive feedback on this book. I thought Amal's character, was genius. She was stereotyped as "thinks she's all that" by stephanie and her "group", yet Amal is the most moral, ethical, sweet character, I feel. I suggest this book to all who are looking for a good read. I've read it multiple times, still exciting every single time.
September 18, 2010
Just didn't do it for me.
Girl from abusive broken home gets sent live with wealthy family friends in CA. Hmmm, it's a stretch but could happen.
To her surprise she's considered "worthwhile" and lies her way into a life of parties, popularity, and country club poolside "fun". With no money, with raggedy clothes, with nothing going for her... she becomes cool? Yeah, right.
And the Nancy Drew piece was taken to a place beyond overkill. (And I love Nancy, so that's saying something.)
I gave up about 100 pages in, so take my review with a grain of salt.
Girl from abusive broken home gets sent live with wealthy family friends in CA. Hmmm, it's a stretch but could happen.
To her surprise she's considered "worthwhile" and lies her way into a life of parties, popularity, and country club poolside "fun". With no money, with raggedy clothes, with nothing going for her... she becomes cool? Yeah, right.
And the Nancy Drew piece was taken to a place beyond overkill. (And I love Nancy, so that's saying something.)
I gave up about 100 pages in, so take my review with a grain of salt.
August 14, 2011
This book begins with a rather intense beginning which might put off many people from reading it. Afterwards the story changes tone and has more of a traditional teen novel feel. Stephanie is put into an environment where she doesn't belong, so she desperately tries to fit in. The good news is that despite her attempts at the beginning, by the end of the novel, she finds her own way to feel comfortable in her skin.
I liked this novel and couldn't stop reading until I finished it. However, I gave the book a 3 star rating because it suffers from too many themes. I'm not sure why this has become an issue with me, but sometimes I think that a book, especially if it is under 300 pages, does not need to discuss multitude of themes. It might be better for a writer to focus on a few and do a better job of exploring those themes. OR If you are going to talk about a lot of themes, at least do it in a subtle manner. I know teen readers aren't always that sharp, but sometimes even authors can underestimate their readers.
In Invisible Girl, there is the desire to fit in coupled with the abandonment by essentially both parents. Add in the history of child abuse and an element of religious/cultural tolerance. It's a lot. However, I was intrigued that Stephanie was attracted to an angry boy. This hints of future relationships that might repeat the cycle of abuse if she's not careful. This element is gives slightly more depth and future to the story other than a simple story of low self esteem.
I liked this novel and couldn't stop reading until I finished it. However, I gave the book a 3 star rating because it suffers from too many themes. I'm not sure why this has become an issue with me, but sometimes I think that a book, especially if it is under 300 pages, does not need to discuss multitude of themes. It might be better for a writer to focus on a few and do a better job of exploring those themes. OR If you are going to talk about a lot of themes, at least do it in a subtle manner. I know teen readers aren't always that sharp, but sometimes even authors can underestimate their readers.
In Invisible Girl, there is the desire to fit in coupled with the abandonment by essentially both parents. Add in the history of child abuse and an element of religious/cultural tolerance. It's a lot. However, I was intrigued that Stephanie was attracted to an angry boy. This hints of future relationships that might repeat the cycle of abuse if she's not careful. This element is gives slightly more depth and future to the story other than a simple story of low self esteem.
April 24, 2010
The first chapter of this book had powerful imagery, unfortunately the remainder of the book kind of fizzled out for me. I thought Mary Hanlon Stone really captured the abused and tortured soul of a fourteen year old Stephenie, but there ended up being that same old rich-mean-girl-picks-on-below-standard-character-scenario that seems to be the norm for YA books now a days.
Even though I mentioned that Stone depicted Stephenie well, her character did start to bother me. I really wanted to shake her a few times and say "wake up." There is that small side of me that commends Stone for her writing ability, because I wanted to hit Stephenie myself, that only means to me that a really good writer can make the reader feel something, whether it's negative or positive, either way it's a good quality.
The main protagonist Stephenie may have had personal growth reaching the end, but it was lost on me. I felt the book was too melancholy and by the close of the last page, I just felt depressed, so I didn't enjoy the journey quite as much. I also thought, the book ended with not a lot of closure, too many loose ends. There doesn't seem to be any room or reason for a second book, so I was left feeling less than satisfied with the resolution.
I do love happy endings, but I don't always need one, but I do like to know that the conclusion was final.
Even though I mentioned that Stone depicted Stephenie well, her character did start to bother me. I really wanted to shake her a few times and say "wake up." There is that small side of me that commends Stone for her writing ability, because I wanted to hit Stephenie myself, that only means to me that a really good writer can make the reader feel something, whether it's negative or positive, either way it's a good quality.
The main protagonist Stephenie may have had personal growth reaching the end, but it was lost on me. I felt the book was too melancholy and by the close of the last page, I just felt depressed, so I didn't enjoy the journey quite as much. I also thought, the book ended with not a lot of closure, too many loose ends. There doesn't seem to be any room or reason for a second book, so I was left feeling less than satisfied with the resolution.
I do love happy endings, but I don't always need one, but I do like to know that the conclusion was final.
May 11, 2010
I didn't know much about this book before going in. I was both pleasantly surprised and a bit disappointed.
Immediately starting the novel we find out how tough's Stephanie life is. Her mother is abusive and her father lacks a backbone who can't do anything right for Stephanie; it leaves her feeling like she doesn't belong, like she's not wanted. This is where the author does a great job: she writes emotions and characters that shine.
The Californian teenagers were horrible and manipulative to outsiders: the typical mean teenagers. Stone's great portrayal of how terrible people can be to others who don't fit the mold, who look like they don't belong. In contrast was Amal. She was herself, sweet, and Southern--the one that complimented Stephanie.
Because the book is about Stephanie's journey, the plot is so slow that I had to put it down a couple of times. Plus, it felt like I've read this type of book before--and I have. And the ending was too open-ended; it was too abrupt and the ending did not meet my expectations.
Overall, Invisible Girl even though it was slow and gave me feelings of deja vu,
Immediately starting the novel we find out how tough's Stephanie life is. Her mother is abusive and her father lacks a backbone who can't do anything right for Stephanie; it leaves her feeling like she doesn't belong, like she's not wanted. This is where the author does a great job: she writes emotions and characters that shine.
The Californian teenagers were horrible and manipulative to outsiders: the typical mean teenagers. Stone's great portrayal of how terrible people can be to others who don't fit the mold, who look like they don't belong. In contrast was Amal. She was herself, sweet, and Southern--the one that complimented Stephanie.
Because the book is about Stephanie's journey, the plot is so slow that I had to put it down a couple of times. Plus, it felt like I've read this type of book before--and I have. And the ending was too open-ended; it was too abrupt and the ending did not meet my expectations.
Overall, Invisible Girl even though it was slow and gave me feelings of deja vu,
May 18, 2011
Wow... I am very surprised on how bad this was from beginning to the end. It starts with the main character sitting in a closet hiding from her abusive mother, but without any pants because she peed in them, and while reading Nancy Drew to calm her down. This could have been a very jaw dropping beginning but instead came off as weird. I thought about giving up on the book at that point, but thought that it couldn't get worse from there. I was soo wrong! Then her mother walks out and her dad sends her away the next day to a family friend on the other side of the country, who Steph doesn't even know. Very weird. Then it was a series of drinking, smoking, puking, and off-the-wall observations about breasts. Again very weird. The ending, believe it or not, was in a Muslim mosque (????). ANd what was up with the Word Warriors???
Overall, the author should have chosen a theme and stuck with it. There was too much going on and nothing taken in depth. The L.A. cliche was annoying. And I absolutely hated the stereotypes. Was it meant to be a "mean-girls" story, or realistic fiction, or .... well, I could go on about how ridiculous it all was. Overall, a huge disappointment!
Overall, the author should have chosen a theme and stuck with it. There was too much going on and nothing taken in depth. The L.A. cliche was annoying. And I absolutely hated the stereotypes. Was it meant to be a "mean-girls" story, or realistic fiction, or .... well, I could go on about how ridiculous it all was. Overall, a huge disappointment!
March 22, 2010
I liked the book from the start because it got into the story immediately. You immediately feel the character's pain. You feel for her and feel sad that at such a young age she has to go through so much torment. At the same time, it was a hard book for me to read, because I don't do well with abuse, especially involving children. It was also a tough read, not only for the abuse, but the reminders of high school. She has awful self-esteem and reliving some of that pain of laughter and feelings of being too different, being older now, is not something I like to think about. That being said, the writer does well with bringing up these feelings to life on paper. In the end, I really enjoyed this book and do think it is a good book for high school kids, especially ones beginning a new school to read.
March 24, 2010
Invisible Girl was a book that i could really relate to. Stephanie, the main character struggles through daily teenage drama, and many teenagers can relate to it, and learn from her mistakes as well. As i read the book, i really felt as if i was Stephanie, going through all this drama Annie puts up with.
I learned that one lie leads to another, and ends up causing a lot more problem then you thought it would. Also, to be yourself, and to not be something or someone your not. People should like you for who you are.Overall, i LOVE LOVE LOVE, this book <3
I learned that one lie leads to another, and ends up causing a lot more problem then you thought it would. Also, to be yourself, and to not be something or someone your not. People should like you for who you are.Overall, i LOVE LOVE LOVE, this book <3
April 8, 2010
Don’t plan on picking up ‘Invisible Girl’ unless you have the time to finish it. If not, you run the risk of running very late for whatever it is you have previously planned. (In my case, I missed the first 30 minutes of a good friend’s twins’ Bar Mitzvah.)
We’ve all seen the ‘fish-out-of-water’ device. In this story, however, the tension is so tangible, you can’t help but follow along, step by step, as 14 year-old Stephanie is thrust from her deeply-troubled, working-class home in Boston to the ultra-hip, superfast, first-class digs of family friends in Encino. As a mom, I know if you back a kid into a corner, he or she will lie. I cringed as Stephanie’s dishonesty was bound to boomerang back at her. The storytelling is raw and honest and as I finished the last page, I couldn’t help but wonder: had I inadvertently overlooked ‘invisible girls’ in my own day-to-day life?
This writer has fun with words. The kids’ dialogue is totally entertaining, especially when you see a smart character using words to slice another person into pieces while another character manages to use words to shield her from life’s harsher side.
The story did a superb job of showing that there are all kinds of moms in this world; there was a mother who clearly wasn’t, another who fell far short of the title, and finally one who was life-savingly amazing.
Eudora Welty is reported to have said that the purpose of good literature is to break down walls. In a straightforward manner,that is precisely what ‘Invisible Girl’ manages to do.
Cynthia Baseman
Author, "Love Mom: A Mother's Journey from Loss to Hope"
We’ve all seen the ‘fish-out-of-water’ device. In this story, however, the tension is so tangible, you can’t help but follow along, step by step, as 14 year-old Stephanie is thrust from her deeply-troubled, working-class home in Boston to the ultra-hip, superfast, first-class digs of family friends in Encino. As a mom, I know if you back a kid into a corner, he or she will lie. I cringed as Stephanie’s dishonesty was bound to boomerang back at her. The storytelling is raw and honest and as I finished the last page, I couldn’t help but wonder: had I inadvertently overlooked ‘invisible girls’ in my own day-to-day life?
This writer has fun with words. The kids’ dialogue is totally entertaining, especially when you see a smart character using words to slice another person into pieces while another character manages to use words to shield her from life’s harsher side.
The story did a superb job of showing that there are all kinds of moms in this world; there was a mother who clearly wasn’t, another who fell far short of the title, and finally one who was life-savingly amazing.
Eudora Welty is reported to have said that the purpose of good literature is to break down walls. In a straightforward manner,that is precisely what ‘Invisible Girl’ manages to do.
Cynthia Baseman
Author, "Love Mom: A Mother's Journey from Loss to Hope"
June 10, 2010
This book is a MUST read. Not only did I turn pages so quickly that I finished it with time left to tend to my six month old, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It is the classic tale of the humble, insecure girl becoming a young adolescent exploring grace and dignity while learning how to be herself in a crowd of cliques and "mean girl" peers.
Our beloved protagonist is faced with character judgment in a new environment. Who couldn't relate? I found myself identifying with her while having flashbacks of moving to LA from a rural area and trying to fit in and find my way in "the big city". Anyone at any age can relate to this. Let's' face it: we all try to find our way as we walk through new chapters in life. It's life's constant test of character that keeps us genuine and true to our own identity.
What a great read for summer - perfect for the beach, plane trip or vacation when we have a bit of time to look at our past and contemplate our future. I look forward to reading Stone's next novel.
Our beloved protagonist is faced with character judgment in a new environment. Who couldn't relate? I found myself identifying with her while having flashbacks of moving to LA from a rural area and trying to fit in and find my way in "the big city". Anyone at any age can relate to this. Let's' face it: we all try to find our way as we walk through new chapters in life. It's life's constant test of character that keeps us genuine and true to our own identity.
What a great read for summer - perfect for the beach, plane trip or vacation when we have a bit of time to look at our past and contemplate our future. I look forward to reading Stone's next novel.
April 14, 2010
Although I never experienced the kind of abuse that Stephanie had to put up with (thankfully!), I could completely relate to her. When my family moved when I was in middle school, I found learning a new school and social system really tough. All of Stephanie's emotions and insecurities were so tenderly described. You won't always love what she does, but you will always understand her. I absolutely loved how Stephanie found so much of her strength in books. I would recommend this to all my friends! I am looking forward to a sequel b/c I am dying to know what happens to Stephanie!
March 6, 2011
The novel started off well enough, you could feel the emotions of the daughter who was abused by her gorgeous alcholic mother and uncared for by her distraught father but the storyline fell apart at the seems after the first ten pages. A classic case that it is not the plot that makes the quality of the book, but the writing of it's pages.
April 8, 2010
this is a geat book that i recomed to all older readers who what to read about a teen living in a biffeet wolrd then she is used to. she has a lot of new expersen and she is trying to find a way to fit in. i think you would and should love this book!
March 25, 2010
This book teaches u to never lie about even the smallest things because eventually everything will get messed up. Also, that if you try, you can find the right friends even if you end up moving away. It's a great book.
Want to read
March 8, 2010This looks sooo good.
March 25, 2010
This is such a great book! I had such a great time reading it and I recommend it to all.
April 13, 2018
Mary Hanlon Stone’s Invisible Girl is a powerful novel that touches on several common issues of typical teenagers. The book addresses peer pressure, bullying, abusive parents, and more through the life of Stephanie O’Hagen.
Fourteen year-old Stephanie frequently gets beaten by her mother, who’s an alcoholic, and one day when she’s drunk, she abandons Stephanie and her father. Stephanie’s father, who feels like he is unable to continue to raise a teenager on his own, sends her off to Los Angeles to live in a mansion with a family that she doesn’t even know. I cannot imagine getting thrown into a stranger’s life like that, especially a life that is completely new to me. Coming from a small house in Boston, Stephanie is opened up to a whole new world.
Annie Sullivan, the daughter in this new family, is the same age as Stephanie. Annie’s life is completely perfect in Stephanie’s eyes; she’s rich, popular, and has very little worries. Stephanie feels completely invisible compared to her. When she’s introduced to Annie’s friends, Stephanie grows even more jealous and wants to fit in with them more than anything. In fact, she’ll do whatever it takes to get the girls to like her, and she quickly falls into the trap of peer pressure. When offered a cigarette, she responds “‘Ah, sure’” without any hesitation and “tuck[s] [the] cigarette in the corner of my mouth and lean[s] close to the flame Eva holds in front of [her] face, breathing in the way [she] watched Annie do it” (48, 49). Just so that she can be “cool” like Annie and her friends, Stephanie is changing into a new person.
Although Stephanie isn’t always making very good choices, overall things are going pretty well for her with Annie’s friends. However, Eva, who was mentioned in the previous quote, is always on Stephanie’s case and makes fun of her every move. She is constantly making rude remarks towards her, such as, “Hey Stephanie, have you thought about teaching fifth grade or something? It’d be perfect, you know, cuz you’re so small. The kids would feel safe with you” (74). I can’t stand Eva at all. The comments she makes are almost one-hundred percent of the time completely unnecessary. She reminds me of the typical popular girls in many books and movies that just for some reason seem to enjoy making fun of people.
Then Stephanie gets into a little incident with Annie’s father, and soon the whole family begins to dislike her. She still wants to be a part of Annie’s group, but Annie is slowly turning on her and drama breaks out. Annie convinces her friends to stop talking to Stephanie, but this is good for Stephanie because she finally realizes that she’s changed into someone she’s not. After doing some thinking, she recognizes that it wasn’t beneficial to try and please others because, frankly, she didn’t like the person she had become at all. So, the overall message this book is to always be yourself. People should never change how they act just to get others to like them, especially if it means making bad choices that deep down they know aren’t right.
Although Invisible Girl had a pretty basic storyline and wasn’t very eventful, I still enjoyed the story and liked how the author explored problems that many teenagers deal with every day.
Fourteen year-old Stephanie frequently gets beaten by her mother, who’s an alcoholic, and one day when she’s drunk, she abandons Stephanie and her father. Stephanie’s father, who feels like he is unable to continue to raise a teenager on his own, sends her off to Los Angeles to live in a mansion with a family that she doesn’t even know. I cannot imagine getting thrown into a stranger’s life like that, especially a life that is completely new to me. Coming from a small house in Boston, Stephanie is opened up to a whole new world.
Annie Sullivan, the daughter in this new family, is the same age as Stephanie. Annie’s life is completely perfect in Stephanie’s eyes; she’s rich, popular, and has very little worries. Stephanie feels completely invisible compared to her. When she’s introduced to Annie’s friends, Stephanie grows even more jealous and wants to fit in with them more than anything. In fact, she’ll do whatever it takes to get the girls to like her, and she quickly falls into the trap of peer pressure. When offered a cigarette, she responds “‘Ah, sure’” without any hesitation and “tuck[s] [the] cigarette in the corner of my mouth and lean[s] close to the flame Eva holds in front of [her] face, breathing in the way [she] watched Annie do it” (48, 49). Just so that she can be “cool” like Annie and her friends, Stephanie is changing into a new person.
Although Stephanie isn’t always making very good choices, overall things are going pretty well for her with Annie’s friends. However, Eva, who was mentioned in the previous quote, is always on Stephanie’s case and makes fun of her every move. She is constantly making rude remarks towards her, such as, “Hey Stephanie, have you thought about teaching fifth grade or something? It’d be perfect, you know, cuz you’re so small. The kids would feel safe with you” (74). I can’t stand Eva at all. The comments she makes are almost one-hundred percent of the time completely unnecessary. She reminds me of the typical popular girls in many books and movies that just for some reason seem to enjoy making fun of people.
Then Stephanie gets into a little incident with Annie’s father, and soon the whole family begins to dislike her. She still wants to be a part of Annie’s group, but Annie is slowly turning on her and drama breaks out. Annie convinces her friends to stop talking to Stephanie, but this is good for Stephanie because she finally realizes that she’s changed into someone she’s not. After doing some thinking, she recognizes that it wasn’t beneficial to try and please others because, frankly, she didn’t like the person she had become at all. So, the overall message this book is to always be yourself. People should never change how they act just to get others to like them, especially if it means making bad choices that deep down they know aren’t right.
Although Invisible Girl had a pretty basic storyline and wasn’t very eventful, I still enjoyed the story and liked how the author explored problems that many teenagers deal with every day.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 28, 2022
Honestly, I don't even know what to say. This book was shit. It had potential but the author kept adding random things. One thing that pissed me off the most was Amal. (I am not sure if that is her name but I am talking about the one real friend that she had.) You might be thinking why I hated her so much, but to be honest I didn't hate her as a character. She was a great friend to the MC and wasn't as messed up as everyone else, you get the gist. What pissed me off was the fact that the author decided to make her Muslim. (I get how that sounds but here me out.) This was the worst representation EVER. Nothing how a Muslim actually is. Amal wearing a bikini and shorts? Be honest, when have you ever heard about someone who practices Islam dressing like that? I would've wholeheartedly enjoyed the ending, (even though it was so random.) if Amal was portrayed as an actual Muslim. To rap this review up I am just going to say, it would have been best if Amal was never Muslim, or it was how an actual Muslim would be.
January 30, 2025
Needed something more at the end or another book after. Instead of finishing it off in a few last pages but not really finishing it off at the same time . Had potential at the start then just became boring totally lacked in the middle and end . Dunno why it wasn't put in there more about her mother her back story why she was that way, maybe more events ect. or maybe something came out of the family she was staying with and she Nancy drewed it that would been more interesting.
June 26, 2024
Good read for anyone really. I was going to call it a coming of age read but it's not really that...at least I don't think it is. Lessons are learnt, friendships are forged and broken...... hmmm maybe it is a coming of age story.
February 12, 2021
i haven’t read this in years but i read it 3 times in middle school. it was the first book i really fell in love with so it’s really great for pre-teen/teens.
September 22, 2021
I'm on page 19 and its pretty good so far.
July 16, 2025
horrid.
November 10, 2010
Stephanie has spent many of her fourteen years struggling with an alcoholic, abusive mother and a passive, lackluster father who stands by while Stephanie is routinely victimized. Stephanie duels with her conflicting feelings, wanting badly to win her mother's love and approval and her intense feelings of anguish and rage at her parents' detestable behavior. When Stephanie's mom leaves the family, her father feels incapable of picking up the pieces and offers no comfort to his daughter, instead sending her to stay with family friends in Los Angeles. The family in Los Angeles couldn't be more different from Stephanie's at first glance. Rich, beautiful, and entitled, Stephanie feels like a fish out of water instantly. Could this be her chance to create a new identity? Stephanie awkwardly spins a web of half truths and lies to fit in with Annie and her group of "in" crowd friends in a desperate attempt to feel like she belongs to something. When Annie is revealed to have a very fickle and superficial character, Stephanie's fragile new identity is soon shattered, leaving her on the outs and feeling lonesome and unloveable once again. Invisible Girl is the story of Stephanie's coming of age and acceptance of who she is, battle scars and all, and who she is not and does not want to be. Over the course of several weeks she morphs from the ugly caterpillar to a butterfly capable of flying on her own.
The writing is good and the story maintains a fast pace throughout. The characters are believable and well wrought. The timeline in the narrative is a bit bothersome for me. A lot happens in a very short time and then there are undetermined gaps of time that pass between events that left me unsure how much time Stephanie actually spends in Los Angeles. 3 weeks? 4? More? For the most part, the adults in the story are quite pathetic and incapable of doing anything remotely helpful or caring. Not that there aren't plenty of adults like this in the world, but I would have liked to have seen some compassion and growth for them too. A caring teacher, a family member who sees the truth, etc. Perhaps too cliche? When Stephanie's father finally gets around to having her return to Boston, I found it very dissatisfying that there were so many loose ends with the only the promise of a return visit to LA to visit the one real friend she has managed to make. Stephanie appears to have grown and matured as a character in her time away, but how will her home life impact this new found maturity and sensitivity? Will her father become the man she needs? Will the elusive and abusive mother stay away or inflict more pain? Will Stephanie have the courage to make friends and become "visible" at school? The ending felt rushed and inconclusive. I don't see this novel as a particularly good candidate for a sequel so I guess I will have to live with the incompleteness of the conclusion.
Overall, I think this story will have strong girl appeal. Stephanie yearns to be seen for who she is and faces a myriad of teen trigger issues; drinking, smoking, peer pressure, sexuality, abuse, mean girls, bullying, and nincompoop adults.
The writing is good and the story maintains a fast pace throughout. The characters are believable and well wrought. The timeline in the narrative is a bit bothersome for me. A lot happens in a very short time and then there are undetermined gaps of time that pass between events that left me unsure how much time Stephanie actually spends in Los Angeles. 3 weeks? 4? More? For the most part, the adults in the story are quite pathetic and incapable of doing anything remotely helpful or caring. Not that there aren't plenty of adults like this in the world, but I would have liked to have seen some compassion and growth for them too. A caring teacher, a family member who sees the truth, etc. Perhaps too cliche? When Stephanie's father finally gets around to having her return to Boston, I found it very dissatisfying that there were so many loose ends with the only the promise of a return visit to LA to visit the one real friend she has managed to make. Stephanie appears to have grown and matured as a character in her time away, but how will her home life impact this new found maturity and sensitivity? Will her father become the man she needs? Will the elusive and abusive mother stay away or inflict more pain? Will Stephanie have the courage to make friends and become "visible" at school? The ending felt rushed and inconclusive. I don't see this novel as a particularly good candidate for a sequel so I guess I will have to live with the incompleteness of the conclusion.
Overall, I think this story will have strong girl appeal. Stephanie yearns to be seen for who she is and faces a myriad of teen trigger issues; drinking, smoking, peer pressure, sexuality, abuse, mean girls, bullying, and nincompoop adults.
March 2, 2010
When a publisher goes so far to say the phrase "brilliant newcomer" in correlation with the author's name, you begin to get high hopes. Well, at least I do. So going into this I was expecting well brilliancy or at the least a compelling, captivating read. Though, while I did somewhat receive that, I felt that Invisible Girl wasn't as nearly as fantastic as it could have been.
First, let's start with the aspects I did like; one would be the characters, Stephanie in particular.
Stephanie was a girl that you couldn't help but feel the need or want, perhaps, to save. Since, in her short fourteen years of life she's felt more pain and sadness then most people have in a lifetime. From the lack of love her abusive mother shows to the unwillingness from her father to stand up for his own child, Stephanie feels like she's unwanted and that begins her feelings as an invisible girl.
It was outright compelling to see her journey as she attempted to find her place in this world apart from her worthless parents. It's an absolute given, in my opinion, to say that I was rooting for her because who wouldn't? Plus, I really enjoyed how Ms. Hanlon made her emotions jump right off the page from the start and become a part of you.
While some of her new California friends weren't the greatest out there, a few did manage to shine with one being Amal. Amal is the new girl from the South that quickly falls into the group Stephanie herself had months before, and even though Amal and Stephanie are completely different characters, I still felt that they complemented each other a way that only best friends can. Since through their time as friends, they pulled each up as the other fell down and with that implied they would be there through the good and bad times; something that most don't mind having in a best friend.
Sadly enough, the plot wasn't as nearly as great as the characters. Since because of the lack of a fast pace, I had to push myself to get through parts of this. Also I sometimes felt that Invisible Girl was one story that I've heard before.
With saying that though, Ms. Stone still contained to shine through her characters and writing, which left this to become a mostly venial problem.
The one other aspect that brought this down a couple of grades was the ending. I felt that it anti-climatic and left some key plot points wide open by shoving them aside, which made me somewhat angry. Since, I would have loved to seen more closure. Though, as I think of it, maybe the point of this is to let the reader decide were Stephanie goes next.
Overall, Invisible Girl is still a stunning book even with the flaws it had.
Lastly, it's a book dealing with a very important issue that needs more light, so with that I'll leave you with these last words: READ IT!
Grade: B-
First, let's start with the aspects I did like; one would be the characters, Stephanie in particular.
Stephanie was a girl that you couldn't help but feel the need or want, perhaps, to save. Since, in her short fourteen years of life she's felt more pain and sadness then most people have in a lifetime. From the lack of love her abusive mother shows to the unwillingness from her father to stand up for his own child, Stephanie feels like she's unwanted and that begins her feelings as an invisible girl.
It was outright compelling to see her journey as she attempted to find her place in this world apart from her worthless parents. It's an absolute given, in my opinion, to say that I was rooting for her because who wouldn't? Plus, I really enjoyed how Ms. Hanlon made her emotions jump right off the page from the start and become a part of you.
While some of her new California friends weren't the greatest out there, a few did manage to shine with one being Amal. Amal is the new girl from the South that quickly falls into the group Stephanie herself had months before, and even though Amal and Stephanie are completely different characters, I still felt that they complemented each other a way that only best friends can. Since through their time as friends, they pulled each up as the other fell down and with that implied they would be there through the good and bad times; something that most don't mind having in a best friend.
Sadly enough, the plot wasn't as nearly as great as the characters. Since because of the lack of a fast pace, I had to push myself to get through parts of this. Also I sometimes felt that Invisible Girl was one story that I've heard before.
With saying that though, Ms. Stone still contained to shine through her characters and writing, which left this to become a mostly venial problem.
The one other aspect that brought this down a couple of grades was the ending. I felt that it anti-climatic and left some key plot points wide open by shoving them aside, which made me somewhat angry. Since, I would have loved to seen more closure. Though, as I think of it, maybe the point of this is to let the reader decide were Stephanie goes next.
Overall, Invisible Girl is still a stunning book even with the flaws it had.
Lastly, it's a book dealing with a very important issue that needs more light, so with that I'll leave you with these last words: READ IT!
Grade: B-
April 20, 2010
Stephanie is used to fading into the shadows. At school, she has no friends, preferring the solace of books. At home, things aren’t any better, and Stephanie spends half her time hiding from her drunk and abusive mother. When her mom leaves and her father sends her to live with an old family friend across the country, Stephanie realizes she can no longer be invisible. Everything about her makes her stand out, and not in a good way. Her old clothes, her Bostonian accent, and her naturally darker complexion mark her as almost inferior in the world of wealthy LA blondes. Despite these stark differences, all Stephanie wants is to fit in, but this isn’t so easy for the girl who’s always been by herself. Desperate to find a place where she truly fits in, Stephanie starts to build a web of lies of a fake life. But it’s not until this false bubble bursts and a new girl, who’s more like Stephanie that she would’ve thought, moves to town that Stephanie can move forward just being herself.
Stone delivers an achingly heart wrenching and real coming of age story in her debut Invisible Girl. Readers will immediately connect to main character Stephanie because although not everyone has grown up with domestic abuse, many of Stephanie’s thoughts, fear, and emotions are easy to relate to. Invisible Girl is no doubt an emotionally charged novel because of this. This emotional connection between the reader and Stephanie makes her situation seem all the more heartbreaking, and in turn, the ending all the more uplifting. Stone does a fantastic job of developing Stephanie’s character and portraying her growth. It’s shockingly realistic. There’s just something about this novel that reaches out and grabs the reader’s heart. Even though there are plenty of other books dealing with feelings of inadequacy and being out of place in teens, Invisible Girl still manages to stand out. The fact that Stone is a debut author only makes this feat even greater.
I recommend Invisible Girl to readers who enjoyed Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee, Bounce by Natasha Friend, and Love, Meg by C. Leigh Purtill. I look forward to more from this promising debut author.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
Stone delivers an achingly heart wrenching and real coming of age story in her debut Invisible Girl. Readers will immediately connect to main character Stephanie because although not everyone has grown up with domestic abuse, many of Stephanie’s thoughts, fear, and emotions are easy to relate to. Invisible Girl is no doubt an emotionally charged novel because of this. This emotional connection between the reader and Stephanie makes her situation seem all the more heartbreaking, and in turn, the ending all the more uplifting. Stone does a fantastic job of developing Stephanie’s character and portraying her growth. It’s shockingly realistic. There’s just something about this novel that reaches out and grabs the reader’s heart. Even though there are plenty of other books dealing with feelings of inadequacy and being out of place in teens, Invisible Girl still manages to stand out. The fact that Stone is a debut author only makes this feat even greater.
I recommend Invisible Girl to readers who enjoyed Absolutely Maybe by Lisa Yee, Bounce by Natasha Friend, and Love, Meg by C. Leigh Purtill. I look forward to more from this promising debut author.
reposted from http://thebookmuncher.blogspot.com
November 6, 2015
Stephanie is a younger teen who is mistreated and abused by her mother. Through the way, she has to move in with a high-class family, experiencing new feelings and meeting new people that would affect her life in many ways, good and bad. She not only learns new lessons, but she becomes more confident in her thinking and decision making.
I actually really enjoyed this book. Right away, the book got straight to the point, so you immediately felt how Stephanie, the abused, damaged teen felt. I could feel the pain and sadness that she was feeling, even though I've never been in that sort of situation before. This book also was very good with imagery by using very descriptive words that added even more of an affect. While there are many positive things about this book, there are a few negatives. This book seemed to slow down in the middle and rush to things at the end. I was left very confused on the end. *SPOILER ALERT* Stephanie's living conditions are a little confusing to me. It says that she will be living with her dad on the weekends, but switch living with her uncles during the week. In my opinion, it would be much easier for her to just stay in her current living condition, since she had already made her first real friend.
Anyways, Stephanie was also very quick to notice the physical features of the ladies around her. Especially with their breasts. She was also very hypocritical, being as she was the one to judge her new friend Amal very quickly, when Steph is the one who is so "insecure because she is always being judged." She also kept getting herself in these situations where she knew she would get hurt, but what I liked about her in the end was her ability to tell that she deserved better. She started to stick up for herself, and not be afraid of what people thought of her.
Like what I said at the beginning, I felt put in her position right away. This book is great for anyone, whether they're popular or invisible. I really liked reading this, being as I could never put the book down. I would find myself reading at school, in the bath tub, in bed, etc. I highly recommend this book for everyone.
I actually really enjoyed this book. Right away, the book got straight to the point, so you immediately felt how Stephanie, the abused, damaged teen felt. I could feel the pain and sadness that she was feeling, even though I've never been in that sort of situation before. This book also was very good with imagery by using very descriptive words that added even more of an affect. While there are many positive things about this book, there are a few negatives. This book seemed to slow down in the middle and rush to things at the end. I was left very confused on the end. *SPOILER ALERT* Stephanie's living conditions are a little confusing to me. It says that she will be living with her dad on the weekends, but switch living with her uncles during the week. In my opinion, it would be much easier for her to just stay in her current living condition, since she had already made her first real friend.
Anyways, Stephanie was also very quick to notice the physical features of the ladies around her. Especially with their breasts. She was also very hypocritical, being as she was the one to judge her new friend Amal very quickly, when Steph is the one who is so "insecure because she is always being judged." She also kept getting herself in these situations where she knew she would get hurt, but what I liked about her in the end was her ability to tell that she deserved better. She started to stick up for herself, and not be afraid of what people thought of her.
Like what I said at the beginning, I felt put in her position right away. This book is great for anyone, whether they're popular or invisible. I really liked reading this, being as I could never put the book down. I would find myself reading at school, in the bath tub, in bed, etc. I highly recommend this book for everyone.
September 27, 2010
This book was about a girl whose mother abused her, and her mother leaves her and her father. So Stephanie has to live with one of her Uncles friends.
The Uncles friend has a daughter Annie, who is practically the Queen Bee. She bosses people around, yet Stephanie wants to be her.
"I feel a blast of rage. This is all she has to be horrified about? This is her dark secret? Jealousy claws at my chest. I want her life so badly I could tear her face off with my bare hands and plaster my own over her netwrok of blood and veins if I thought it would be a successful way to trade places."
Stephanie lies about her life back in Boston to her new friends all the time. But when Annie finds out the truth, she acts like Stephanie doesn't even exist. And her friends do the same, to be like Annie.
And then a new, beautiful, girl comes into town that could be a threat to Annie, so Annie must destroy her. She breaks new girl Amal to pieces with nothing left, so Stephanie decides to be friends with her.
"She laughs even harder, which makes me laugh harder, and a warm incredible lightness of being floats in my chest."
Annie doesn't expect Stephanie would do something like this, which catches her off guard. And so she is frustrated, not knowing what to do with Stephanie.
So Annie sends one of her troops to Stephanie to apologize to her, giving up being a snot.
"I blink. The queen has bowed. It would be asking too much for her to do it in person. Emily is her diplomat, reopening the castle to me. My heart pounds."
Stephanie accepts the apology, only finding her confidence, when Annie makes fun of Stephanie's new friend Amal, and tells Annie off. She does not care about Annie and her life anymore. Because she has a good friend who would miss her if she moved away.
The Uncles friend has a daughter Annie, who is practically the Queen Bee. She bosses people around, yet Stephanie wants to be her.
"I feel a blast of rage. This is all she has to be horrified about? This is her dark secret? Jealousy claws at my chest. I want her life so badly I could tear her face off with my bare hands and plaster my own over her netwrok of blood and veins if I thought it would be a successful way to trade places."
Stephanie lies about her life back in Boston to her new friends all the time. But when Annie finds out the truth, she acts like Stephanie doesn't even exist. And her friends do the same, to be like Annie.
And then a new, beautiful, girl comes into town that could be a threat to Annie, so Annie must destroy her. She breaks new girl Amal to pieces with nothing left, so Stephanie decides to be friends with her.
"She laughs even harder, which makes me laugh harder, and a warm incredible lightness of being floats in my chest."
Annie doesn't expect Stephanie would do something like this, which catches her off guard. And so she is frustrated, not knowing what to do with Stephanie.
So Annie sends one of her troops to Stephanie to apologize to her, giving up being a snot.
"I blink. The queen has bowed. It would be asking too much for her to do it in person. Emily is her diplomat, reopening the castle to me. My heart pounds."
Stephanie accepts the apology, only finding her confidence, when Annie makes fun of Stephanie's new friend Amal, and tells Annie off. She does not care about Annie and her life anymore. Because she has a good friend who would miss her if she moved away.
September 4, 2010
Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
Philomel Books, 2010
279 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Won an ARC
Summary: Stephanie lives in Boston with her abusive mother and cowed father. When her mother walks out on them, her father sends her to friends in California where she has the chance to remake herself.
Thoughts: Honestly I mostly wanted to read this book because the main character's name is Stephanie and I love seeing my name in print.
At about the halfway point, I was not enjoying this but I pushed through and ended up being pleasantly surprised. The book opens in a confused way as Stephanie huddles in a closet and the reader tries to figure out her family situation. Basically her mother is an alcoholic who beats her and her father is a loser. So she is sent to California.
When in California she meets Annie, who seems nice but is quickly revealed as a mean girl in the vein of her father while her mother is rather spineless. Stephanie tries to navigate this difficult world and eventually sees a chance of escape when a new girl arrives for the mean girl crowd to torment.
I guess I didn't like seeing Stephanie being a coward although she does love to read (woot!) I liked when she FINALLY started standing up for herself. Another problem for me was that they were only 14 but sometimes seemed a lot older. I really do feel more comfortable with 16-18 year old main characters in YA-personal preference! I'm glad that I got through it but I don't know who I'd recommend it to.
Overall: A satisfying ending that some readers might not reach if they don't want to muddle through mean girl antics.
Cover: It definitely reflects a girl who's desperate to hide herself.
Philomel Books, 2010
279 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Won an ARC
Summary: Stephanie lives in Boston with her abusive mother and cowed father. When her mother walks out on them, her father sends her to friends in California where she has the chance to remake herself.
Thoughts: Honestly I mostly wanted to read this book because the main character's name is Stephanie and I love seeing my name in print.
At about the halfway point, I was not enjoying this but I pushed through and ended up being pleasantly surprised. The book opens in a confused way as Stephanie huddles in a closet and the reader tries to figure out her family situation. Basically her mother is an alcoholic who beats her and her father is a loser. So she is sent to California.
When in California she meets Annie, who seems nice but is quickly revealed as a mean girl in the vein of her father while her mother is rather spineless. Stephanie tries to navigate this difficult world and eventually sees a chance of escape when a new girl arrives for the mean girl crowd to torment.
I guess I didn't like seeing Stephanie being a coward although she does love to read (woot!) I liked when she FINALLY started standing up for herself. Another problem for me was that they were only 14 but sometimes seemed a lot older. I really do feel more comfortable with 16-18 year old main characters in YA-personal preference! I'm glad that I got through it but I don't know who I'd recommend it to.
Overall: A satisfying ending that some readers might not reach if they don't want to muddle through mean girl antics.
Cover: It definitely reflects a girl who's desperate to hide herself.
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