Invisible Things

The Explosionist #2

by Jenny Davidson

Sixteen-year-old Sophie knows there is more to the story of her parents' death. And she's on a mission to find the truth. To aid her in solving the decades-old mystery, Sophie has enlisted her best friend, Mikael, whose friendship has turned into something more. It's soon clear that Sophie's future is very much wrapped up in the details of her family's past, and the key lies with information only one man can her parents' former employer, the elusive billionaire Alfred Nobel. As the threat of war looms in Europe, dangers to Sophie and her loved ones grow. While her determination to solve the mystery doesn't waver, forces beyond her control conspire to keep her from her purpose. Then, news of her great-aunt Tabitha's death sets off a chain of events that leaves Sophie questioning everything. The more Sophie learns, the more she realizes that nothing—and no one—in her life is what it seems. And coming to terms with the dark secrets she uncovers means imagining a truth that she never dreamed possible. Full of gorgeous settings, thrilling adventure, and romance, invisible things is a novel that dares to ask, what if?

Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Science Fiction, Mystery, Alternate History

268 pages, Hardcover

First published November 23, 2010

About the author

Jenny Davidson is a professor at Columbia University and the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. She is the author of the novel HEREDITY (2003); two YA novels, THE EXPLOSIONIST (2008) and INVISIBLE THINGS (2010); and several academic books.

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main complaint with The Explosionist was the sudden cliffhanger, which read like the author had abruptly run out of paper in the middle of a scene. Up till the end I had been quite enjoying that first book, so when Davidson produced a sequel I was all prepared to be forgiving. Unfortunately for my immortal soul, I was not called upon to produce any virtuous thoughts in the course of reading this. It has all the faults of the first book -- insufficiently explained alternate political history, not-entirely-convincing teen girl POV, abrupt unresolved ending -- without any of the positives.

This volume picks up a week or so after the previous one ended. Sophie has successfully escaped Scotland and is safely ensconced at the Bohr Institute (nice to be some refugees, eh?) in Copenhagen, along with her friend Mikael and his mother. There her activities mainly consist of eating cake, walking around in the snow, and waiting for news. That's really the bulk of this book: cake, snow, waiting, Sophie thinking stuff. And her thoughts are not interesting enough to make this work. Her angsty-teen-girl thoughts were boring, and the rest of her personality was too cool and controlled and introspective to be believably 15. I don't remember finding this a problem in the previous book, but maybe it was just less obvious because there was more action. Hardly anything actually happens here, except for Mikael getting taken by the Snow Queen which was the not only ridiculously contrived and coincidental, but didn't fit with the over-all tone of story. She would have done much better to stick with the subplot from the Explosionist where Sophie hears the dead talking to her over the radio. And what the heck is up with THAT, by the way?! You cannot have something like that in the first book and then just drop it!

Anyway, this book was basically just useless filler eking out what should have been one 300 page book instead of a trilogy. I've read all three of Davidson's novels now and I think I'm done with her.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Doesn't that cover just SCREAM 'alternate history', '1930s' and indeed 'sequel'? Seriously, what the fuck, Harper Teen. The jacket copy is equally coy, and anyone who picked it up not having read the first one would be confused and pissed off in very short order.

I loved the first one so much that it pains me to give this three stars, but it was just so weirdly rushed, plus why would you think that your awesome alternate history is the right place to bust out your version of a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale? It's almost as if she realised she had to tell a much larger story in a much less developed setting than alterna!Scotland, couldn't deal, and wrote the first plot she could lay hands on.

But there's a lot to like if you liked the first one - the writing is still beautiful, the world is still interesting and Sophie, dislocated from almost everything and everyone she knows, is still delightful. (She copes in part by developing a laser-like focus on cake, which pleases me greatly.) Also, there is a cat.

I'm still hanging out for the next one. There'd better *be* a next one.

[Margaret · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've waited a couple of years for this sequel to The Explosionist, and alas, it was a disappointment. The Explosionist was a fun blend of alternate history and thriller, with a clever and courageous heroine, Sophie, who was left in limbo by the somewhat abrupt end; I looked forward to seeing where she was headed.

Unfortunately, Davidson abandons a lot of what I liked about the first book. Much of The Explosionist was focused on the political scene of Scotland; here, since Sophie is out of Scotland for the entire book, most of that is dropped or reported second-hand. Her interesting relationship with her great-aunt, who's intimately involved with some shady goings-on of the Scottish government, is resolved entirely (well, sort of resolved) via a letter.

I was annoyed by the arbitrary way Davidson dropped historical personages into the narrative in the first book, assigning new and unlikely professions to famous names (Oscar Wilde as an obstetrician). Here, it's even worse, as some historical characters fill new roles (Wittgenstein's Uncertainty Principle, anyone?), but some fill the same roles as they did in our history: Niels Bohr, for example, and other physicists Sophie meets in Denmark. I can suspend disbelief (barely) one way or the other, but not both at the same time. (Although, all right, I did like Eric Blair as a refugee English journalist.)

Altogether, the book never feels as though it's going anywhere. Too much of it is only loosely connected with the first book, and halfway through, it derails into a bizarre and labored version of "The Snow Queen". The book ends where the fairy tale does, providing no real closure to the larger story. And that's a shame, because I thought The Explosionist had a lot of promise.

[Liviania · Rating 3 out of 5]

I unfortunately wasn't able to read THE EXPLOSIONIST first. I dislike starting with a sequel, but sometimes it's fun to see how well the book works when you don't start familiar with the world. INVISIBLE THINGS did manage the set-up well. I liked that it was set in Denmark and other places that aren't often seen in English literature. Plus, the places were new to Sophie, who came to Denmark by way of a school in Scotland, so new readers wouldn't be lost there. The details of the steampunk world took awhile to unfold, but one paragraph in particular played catch-up nicely:

When would the dynamiteur Alfred Nobel send word that he was ready to see Sophie? . . . When Nobel did finally reach out to her, would the message be brought by her old chemistry teacher, Mikael's older brother, Arne? Would Mikael - but Sophie could hardly stand to thing about it, the idea so thoroughly and confusingly excited and shamed her - ever want to kiss her? (ARC, p. 20)

The rhetorical questions felt like someone testing out different scenarios in their mind. It also brought in things that had happened while still focusing on future action, which prevented drag.

Unfortunately, drag did occur elsewhere. Due to my current focus on my thesis, I read INVISIBLE THINGS in bits and pieces, spare moments snatched during bus commutes and waiting for water to boil. Thus, I may not be doing full justice to the book. At the same time, I just never felt compelled to sit with it longer. I'm behind on a term paper outline because I picked up Jim Butcher's DEAD BEAT and didn't put it down for 200 pages. Jenny Davidson never managed to make me forget other responsibilities waiting.

Davidson's writing, mechanically, was lovely. The prelude to the story is atmospheric while managing to pack in some action. But it seems like the action parts got lost sometimes. Part of this is due to Sophie's intelligence, which sometimes translates as pretentiousness. She tends to think about things in ways that can be lovely, but don't create forward momentum.

I enjoyed INVISIBLE THINGS, but I somehow though a novel that revealed dark secrects, featured an eve-of-war setting, and began with an assassination would be more of a page-turner.

[Sara Grochowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny Davidson's sophmore novel, INVISIBLE THINGS, is one of the most beautifully written novels I've read this year. That, coupled with regular mentions of characters like Niels Bohr and Alfred Nobel, cause the reader to feel as though they're peering not only into the past, but into something terribly important.

Part one of the novel begins in Denmark at the Institute for Theoretical Physics where our main character, Sophie, resides. Sophie is a teen surrounded by brilliant minds and it's clear she may someday join their ranks. She is an orphan with a mysterious past... and she wants answers. The deeper she digs, however, the more complicated things become. Not only is her past more knotted and manipulated than she ever would have assumed, Europe itself is falling to pieces... which presents unwelcome obstacles.

The one aspect of this novel that I wasn't as taken with as I would have liked was the romance. I only point this out because romance is mentioned in the synopsis, which greatly heightens my expectations. Once I reconciled that this aspect wasn't as prominent as I would have liked, I enjoyed the novel much more.

I'll be taking the time to read Davidson's first offering, THE EXPLOSIONIST, and, if you favor atmospheric novels with a rich, historical setting, I highly recommend you pick up INVISIBLE THINGS as well.

[Sasha Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part 2 of an alternate history in which the paranormal is real and Napoleon won the Battle of Waterloo. It's set in the 1930s and written in the style of children's yarns of the 1950s, which I find charming, but may not be to everyone's taste. I suspect this is the reason for its relatively low rating. I enjoyed the main plot, but found the romance subplot a little unconvincing. The first part (The Explosionist) was stronger, in my opinion. Overall, though, it's an entertaining read

[Julia (Shakespeare and Such) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.2/5 stars, full review to come! This book was like a fever dream. Nothing had any meaning. All foreshadowing was moot. Pacing was nonexistent. However.... Elsa Blix lives in my mind rent free.

Plot: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
Pacing: 1/5
Writing: 3/5
Enjoyment: 2/5

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alternate WWII history, quasi-snow queen, seemed like it should be better.

[meeners · Rating 4 out of 5]

in this book as in the first, i had to struggle quite a lot to reconcile myself to the fundamental world-building premise - in this case, that the snow queen fairy tale could be plausibly transformed into "real" life but that it could also function as a fairy tale, with all of the fairy tale's dark symbolic power. i am still not quite reconciled to it, not least because the addition of the snow queen meant that all of the hard questions (and their ambitious social relevance) raised in the first book were swept to the sidelines in favor of individual conflict and catharsis in this one. i do hope there will be a third book, if only because i think it could give jenny davidson a chance to bring these two very different arcs together at last. i also hope sophie goes back to being the awesome crime-solving sleuth and promising social activist she was in the first book. in this one, things happen to sophie, without her having much power to do anything back.

still, i did love reading this because (again) i love sophie so much. just look at the moment when she finally confronts elsa:

Sophie's heart began pounding, and she had to stop herself from turning and beginning to run. Suddenly she felt too cold and tired to be afraid. She was filled with the conviction that Mikael needed her now, not after a lot of palaver about Elsa Blix's elaborate schemes and weapons and peace and whatever it was about Sophie's personal history that had led to her getting caught up in this absurd narrative featuring world-historical players like Niels Bohr and Alfred Nobel and Elsa Blix herself.

reading the above, i found myself thinking back to connie willis' all clear and the part when eileen sees polly, at the moment that is the end of everything and the beginning of everything, too. eileen has so much terrible knowledge of what has happened and what is to come, but what she thinks, in that moment, is this: "Oh, Polly, we're going to be such good friends!" love and goodness and sacrifice and peace, embodied so exquisitely in a single line. like eileen, sophie is a good person, in a way that is not at all simple or easy, and it is sophie as a character that made this book work for me.

that, and interactions like these:
"I don't understand how you came to be here, Sophie," Mikael said, his voice stronger now.
"It took me many days of travel," she said softly, and then, irrepressibly: "I was traveling by reindeer!"

a third book please!
p.s. HATE HATE HATE the cover, not only because it is bland bland bland (with a bland bland bland model) but because it is so different from the cover of the first book. wtf????

[Colleen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like I just got side-swiped. What...happened??! Everything interesting and good in The Explosionist is dumped and Davidson's writing regressed so, so much. It feels like this was the very first, roughest draft that she gave to her editor, and her editor stiffed her and turned this into the publisher, no edits or even looking it over.

First off, every important event happens offstage and is reported to Sophie through newspapers or the radio. This isn't an exaggeration; things like the European Federation invading Denmark, Aunt Tabitha committing suicide, and this dissolution of IRYLNS happens with little note or fanfare. These are all such interesting, important events and they're given NO screen time. As a result, the whole plot mostly consists of Sophie's thoughts, wanderings, meetings, and meals. It is incredibly boring and unremarkable in terms of plot.

Also, all of the interesting alternate world building either gets put on hold (like the cultural differences between Scotland and the continental members of the Hanseatic League) or vaguely elaborated on (the scientific progress of the atom bomb). This is incredibly frustrating because Davidson had some very intriguing world building in the last book; it's what kept me interested in picking up the sequel. In fact, that applies to the plot points as well; IRYLNS is disbanded with little notice or fanfare and then quickly dropped from the plot, and the simmering war in Europe is only lightly hinted at, despite the invasion of the Hanseatic League.

And finally, Davidson's writing somehow regressed, and regressed hard. This reads like a first time writer using the Thesaurus function in Word. Davidson relies so much on using SAT words for adjectives to describe even mundane things, like Sophie's cat curling up in her lap and purring ("She could feel the steady vibration of his purr, a deep, reassuring rumble that seemed to resonate with her own sympathetic nervous system and helped her settle down into some semblance of calm.") Along with that, her sentences became so long and verbose; I read a sentence that was literally thirteen lines long. This was not present in The Explosionist AT ALL. I really don't know what happened to her writing in the intervening years.

I was really sad and frustrated with this book because the first book really showed that Davidson can write, and had some interesting ideas. But for some reason that all got chucked out the window in favor of a short but plodding retelling of The Snow Queen that somehow ends on a happy note despite imminent war.

[Doret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its 1938, after being snuck out of Scotland, 16 yr old Sophie is living in Denmark. Sophie knows little of her parents, scientists who died in an explosion, when she was very young. She was raised by her Great - Aunt Tabitha until she had no choice but to leave Scotland. In Denmark, Sophie is staying with Fru Peterson and her son Mikael, where she's surrounded by some of the top scientist of the world.

Sophie is trying to learn the truth behind explosion that killed her parents. She really wants to speak to Alfred Nobel, their former boss. Its taking Sophie time to adjust to Denmark but there's no going back to Scotland. Everyday brings talk of a possible war.

I enjoyed Invisible Things even more then Davidson's debut The Exposionst- when readers are first introduced to Sophie. The author's language is detailed and beautiful, at times I loved losing myslef in it. Davidson did an excellent job of making Sophie's thoughts, opinions and observations very real.

"It was not so much that Sophie minded actually riding a bicycle. It was quiet enjoyable, really, once one was rolling along, so long as one did not allow oneself to become flustered when a dog took chase or a small child rushed directly out into one's path. But bicycles themselves were so troublesome and awkward! One banged one's shins on them and knocked into things as one tried to wheel them out of congested areas, and it still seemed to Sophie impossible to imagine walking and wheeling the wretched contraption at anything like a normal pace. "

"One of the things that most amazed Sophie about the institute was the unending stream of conversation, conversation exceptional in its quality as well as its quantity. Bohr seemed to think best in the company of others, a mode of operating Sophie found intriguing but strange, and he conducted himself during these endless conversations with an utter lack of reserve."

Though I don't have a brain for science, I was still fascinated by the various scientific conversations. And the what ifs that could've changed the outcome of WWII. When I found myself lingering on passage, I couldn't help but think of how much crossover appeal this book has for adult readers.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

First the good parts: I have not read The Explosionist in a long time, and I was concerned that I would not understand anything that was going on. Luckily, Davidson recounted all of the important stuff that happened, so I was good. I was very intrigued at the beginning of the novel. Sophie was adorable and VERY intelligent (it was kind of scary). The political intrigue was very interesting, and I like how the atomic bomb fits into the alternative history of the novel. The book kept me engaged very nicely, especially about Mikael. At the beginning, Mikael sounded like the cutest person I have ever seen. When they kissed in the lake, I flipped out in cuteness. THEY ARE SO ADORABLE. But after the explosion at the party... the story went downhill.

At some parts, the plot dragged on and on and on and on. Then, it would pick up in tripletime and suddenly she is in a new place. I honestly think if the book were longer, we wouldn't have these problems because she would have time to more thoroughly explain why Mikael's personality changed. Also, Davidson was not consistent with that. He would be really nice; then he would suddenly be a buttface. Also, she and these really influential famous people seemed to be extremely loosely connected. All of the revealations were saved for the ending of the book. Then suddenly... Mikael is spontaneously better with what I think was a special puzzle and then it ended. WHAT? They didn't even kiss or anything, which sounds stupid, I know, but that just another loose end. Also, did anyone think the Snow Queen thing was random? I thought the main focus of the book was policy and physics, not fairytales. I personally would have liked to read about what happened with Elsa and Nobel. There were just a lot of loose ends. I actually hope there is another book because I want some of these questions answered.

Overall: 3 out of 5 stars for keeping me intriguied.

Cover: Random, much? I didn't picture Sophie like that at all. I pictured her more like the girl on the cover of The Explosionist.

[Bethany Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

In Invisible Things, the sequel to The Explosionist, sixteen-year-old Sophie is living with her friend Mikael’s family in a flat above the Institute for Theoretical Physics in Denmark. The Institute is run by Niels Bohr, and many of Europe’s most prominent scientists work there. He and the other scientists are working on designing the atomic bomb, which they hope will put an end to war. Sophie’s parents, who were killed in an explosion while working for physicist Alfred Nobel when Sophie was a baby, had worked on the original plans for this project. Sophie believes that Nobel is the key to discovering what (or who) really caused the explosion that killed her parents. When Sophie’s great-aunt Tabitha dies, a family secret is revealed that changes everything for Sophie.

Invisible Things is not a bad book; however, I found it very annoying for several reasons. First, there is no indication anywhere on the book jacket that it is a sequel, so the unsuspecting reader will spend the first few chapters feeling vaguely confused because the author assumes the reader’s familiarity with the characters and events from the previous book. Second, the book is an alternate history (something else that you would not know by looking at the book jacket), but it takes a while for that to become clear especially as there are real historical figures and events present in the book. For both of these reasons, many teen readers will put this book down before they get through the first chapter. Third, the conclusion of the book is very unsatisfying; the author builds suspense but the exciting climax that the reader is hoping for never really happens. Recommended as an additional selection only where The Explosionist was popular.

[Amber ~ The Reading Addict · Rating 2 out of 5]

When I first picked up this book, I was incredibly confused. I convinced myself that there must have been a prequel I missed. Repeatedly, I googled the author and attempted to find out why on earth I was so lost. After searching and searching, it became apparent that there was no prequel. I reluctantly started the book again, hoping things would start to make more sense. No such luck. In fact, things only got worse.

Davidson's writing style makes an already complicated plot even more befuddling. The writing is by no means poor- on the contrary, it is so intelligent that it causes my brain to hurt. I had to reread numerous sentences to understand what the author was trying to convey. Foreign vocabulary and confusing syntax created an almost text-book-type feel. Her descriptions are lengthy and sometimes pointless, making for a very long read. It is obvious that Davidson is naturally a non-fiction writer, not a novelist.

Sophie, the protagonist, irked me. I don't believe the book ever states how old she is, and I could never figure it out. At points she seems old enough to be romantically involved with her friend Mikael. At others, she is as immature as a twelve-year old. Mikael is about as undeveloped as a character's romantic interest can be.

Overall, Invisible Things wasn't my cup of tea. I was just as clueless at the end of the novel as I was when I read the first page. I guess that's what happens when you mix an alternate take on the history of World War II with some random supernatural elements and a bunch of eccentric scientists. If you think you might have the patience for this novel, consider giving it a shot. Otherwise, stay away.

[Yani · Rating 3 out of 5]

“What if” is not the question of this book. Its more like just “What???” When I first started reading I kept looking around and going to the front to see if I had skipped something. Still, even after having completed the book I felt like there are many unanswered questions and not the good kinds that make you anxious to read the sequel. Maybe I had too much expectation for what seemed like a unique and thrilling storyline as it is described above. First, there was no mission, things happened to Sophie, she did not make anything happen. Second, while Mikael is her love interest I did not feel his back story as a best friend was formed. Also, for being mentioned in the synopsis I thought there would be a little more love or flirting going on between them, but alas nothing ::sigh::

You could tell from her writing style that Jenny Davidson is very intelligent. I usually love books that are witty and so well versed, but her writing style just irked me. The story is slow to pick up, confusing, vocabulary is foreign, and the back and forth between memories and her current thoughts just made me want to pull out my hair. Still, the novel had some good moments. Female power and all that good stuff was included, plus relevant issues on what is right and wrong when a country is at war… see below for a great quote on that topic.

Overall though, there was too much left unsaid. Like what was the point of the supernatural element? What exactly is the agency her aunt ran? What does legation mean? These thoughts consumed me even after I put down the book. And while I love a good open ending that leads to a sequel, this is one sequel I won’t be picking up.

[Maggie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy Invisible Things as much as The Explosionist but it was still quite good. The first bares rereading quite well, so I might have to try that with Invisible Things as well, when I can read at a slower pace and have more time to stop and smell the roses so to speak. Maybe at that point the Ice Queen will make sense, because that part of the plot seemed to be a rather large departure from the first book and even the first part of this book as well.

I really hope that Davidson decides to write a third novel (at least) in this series because Sophie is such a fantastic character and I really hope to see her again, with the war starting properly.

also as noted in this review the cover doesn't communicate what this book is about very well. The cover for The Explosionist was just so intriguing.

P.S. regardless of whether this series becomes a trilogy, I will definitely be watching for more from this author, especially of the alternative universe/ science fiction variety. One of the things that I really enjoyed about The Explosionist that wasn't as present in Invisible Things was the whole process of world building. Davidson does it brilliantly.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Invisible Things is one of those novels that you want to love. I mean REALLY love, but somewhere along the way from the beginning to the ending... you find that something is just missing. And this leaves you not too sure exactly what you feel about the novel as a whole.

The plot starts off promising enough. Sophie's parents die when she is quite young. Under circumstances that just do not seem right in her mind. In order to come to terms with her past, Sophie embarks on an adventure that will lead her down a path that is as remarkable as it is, at times, painful.

The mystery aspect of the novel quite compelling. It is a full-bodied mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat trying to stay one step ahead of Sophie and her thinking. Now while I did enjoy this aspect of the novel, I must admit that it took over a vast majority of the focus of the novel. It seemed like every time I thought Davidson was going to focus on some other element, here came the mystery again. It seemed like if Sophie was not thinking about how to solve the mystery then she was collecting evidence... and more evidence.

As a whole, Invisible Things was not exactly what I was expecting. But it had plenty of redeeming qualities. A fascinating lead female who will stop at nothing in her hunt for the truth. A setting that I would love to lose myself in. And a mystery that is too far fetched to be true, but you love it anyways.

[Cassie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson is the sequel to The Explosionist.

The pros:

The characters are unforgettable. I truly loved Sophie, Mikkael, Arne and above all Trismegistus. (The Cat.)

I love the way Jenny Davidson writes. She uses longer and more formal words. Giving the book a feeling of authenticity as if this really was 1938 (in an alternate history.) But being a sesquipedalian myself I enjoy almost any well crafted story.

The plot is not your average "teen book". No vampires (Hooray!!!), werewolves, zombies, cheerleaders or gossipy, flighty or just pain stupid girls. There is a lot of interesting science questions and moral questions. (One of your main characters is Neihls Bohr).

She mixes a little bit of fairytale, a little history and a lot of "what ifs" to create this story.

The cons:

The length of the book. It felt as though it needed something more. That this needed to be the chapters to finish the last book. Or that this book needs a sequel. I know it would be hard to write a sequel to this book though. With everything on the brink of something. The author left us with the best place to stop unless she was willing to write out an entire war. But some plots just seemed to get solved to quickly. (Like IRONYLS being dissolved.)

However, this book truly is a good read. But don't pick it up if you haven't read the first book, The Explosionist all ready.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much like its predecessor The Explosionist, Invisible Things is a gorgeously written novel with many historical allusions. Like I mentioned in my review of The Explosionist, things can get quite confusing if you don’t recall much of your European history classes. I’d recommend reading the acknowledgements first to re-acquaint yourself with Jenny Davidson’s alternate history.

While Invisible Things wasn’t quite as exciting or inventive as The Explosionist, it did nicely incorporate the Snow Queen fairy tale. I enjoyed picking out parallels to the Hans Christian Anderson story (not familiar with the story? Wikipedia is your friend. I gave myself a refresher course as soon as I realized the tie-in). Though initially the retelling of The Snow Queen seems well done, it didn’t follow through to the end of the book, which was a bit confusing.

Overall, I’d say that Invisible Things was a nice follow-up to The Explosionist, but it didn’t exactly feel necessary. True, it resolved some lingering questions from the first book (the mystery of Sophie’s parents’ death; Sophie’s hypnotically-induced written testimony of the day her parents died), but I wasn’t as satisfied as I thought I’d be. If you’ve read The Explosionist and really loved it, I’d recommend giving Invisible Things a go; the two are written in a similar style.

[Readersaurus · Rating 2 out of 5]

SPOILERS

Off to a clunky start with too much straight out explaining what happened in book one. No complaints, though, as I already knew I did not like Davidson's writing style. Why did I bother to pick up this book? Because, in spite of the bad writing, there's a story here. Though Sophie started out as a candidate for cool girl protagonist and has seemed younger and more ineffectual as her story progresses, I still can't shake wanting to know what happens to her. I also can't help thinking that I might like Davidson, herself, as a person.

There is less science in Invisible Things than in The Explosionist, and less emphasis on alternate world building. The focus is on the love story, the coming war and, disappointingly and, truly, maddeningly lamely, Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen. The Snow Queen, really? The conclusion to this ambitious, alternate universe, scientifically interesting tale is the hurt feelings of an unacknowledged love child who retreats to her palace in the north? Davidson starts with such promise -- strong women characters, even, and ends with insidious and violent misogyny, an alternate history that still leads to Europe's persecution of the Jews in the 30s, and the world on the brink of nuclear war due the hurty feelings of a pretty woman. Feh and feh.

[Anthony Larusso · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mixed. Too-mild lengthily descriptive scenes with heavy exposition in beginning and at end. The Alternate History of the War, I actually found very interesting. The Main Romance didn't compel me: Mikael isn't developed enough. The most interesting -- and, indeed, very compelling -- component is the discovery of Sophie's past and the characters she very specifically interacts with to make a difference. So be patient with some of the languorous scenes; Sophie ends up -- and she *does* have a delightfully quirky & passionate personality that makes you truly want to root for her -- in some incredible scenes of historical significance. The backdrop of the War and the Baltic countries is quite breathtakingly done. You can feel the cold and the sense of emptiness, making the intermittent glamor and moments of happiness all the more dramatic. I am extremely motivated to read her acclaimed first YA novel: The Explosionist. So many of the story elements she creates absolutely fascinate.

[April · Rating 3 out of 5]

Invisible Things by Jenny Davidson is an alternate history sort of historical fiction. Set prior to World War II, Scotland is crazy militant. Girls get brainwashed into being something like sex slaves for high power government employees. The European mainland countries have banded into a confederation. However, some elements are the same as actual history. For example there is the rise of the Nazis. Plus there are actual people from history in this book such as Niels Bohr and Alfred Noble. The main character, Sophie is a refugee from Scotland who lives in Niels Bohr’s institute. Her parents both died when she was very young in an explosion at the factory where they were employed.
Read the rest of my review here

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved The Explosionist. I loved Sophie and her relationships with the other characters. I loved the mystery. I even loved the alternate Scotland idea.

Sadly, Invisible Things did not measure up to the expectations I set for a sequel. It left me feeling confused, and there was far too much plot- the mystery didn't seem to be any closer to being solved, in fact it seemed only to deepen. And there was a significant lack of build up on Sophie and Mikael's relationship.

That said, Invisible Things was not a bad novel. The writing style was still beautiful, and the story-line still contained my interest. I'm hanging on to the hopes of a third.

[Fia-Sophia · Rating 3 out of 5]

hmmm.... i liked this book, not as much as the first one, but it was still good. i want there to be another book, because this one also ended with a cliff-hanger. elsa blix kind made me nervous. she had this sinister, powerful vibe, and she always made me question things, and the way she hypnotized mikael and sophie's mother freaked me out. i was upset when mikael was kidnapped by her, but i was angry at him for being so unkind to sophie in recent days, although that wasn't his fault, it was that weird gas from the party, but still, his attitude bothered me. ugh.... why must this book leave me questioning stuff and i have no clue when or if there will be a third book, because the author's working on another book that will be released in 2013. annoyance is my word of the day.

[Mordena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not nearly as much fun as the first one, since nothing exactly happens in here except an explosion and a lot of travel (and conversation) (and CAKES! Lots and lots of cakes. Boy did this make me hungry). Still, I enjoy spending time with Sophie and her loyal cat, and get a kick out of any book that includes this sentence: "During the week that followed, Sophie was unusually aware of the miasma of metaphysics that seemed to permeate the whole city of Kobenhavn."

I sincerely hope there will be a third book that makes some sense out of all the stuff that's set up here.

[Pancha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. Almost zero paranormal/spiritualism, which seems like a waste since Sophie was shown to be such an incredible medium in book one. I also found Mikael tedious, and wasn't at all invested in his rescue. And after the reveal of the IRLYNS in book one, the atom bomb seems a let down. We have those in this timeline, so having basically the same thing in Sophie's time, compared to some of the other technology Davidson alludes to, seems unimaginative.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in 1938 Denmark on the eve of WW2, Sophie is entangled with many of the scientists working on the atomic bomb: Niels Bohr, Alfred Nobel, etc.

Apparently I need to brush up on my history as I didn't realize it was an "alternate history" until I read the author notes at the end. I'm just going to hold on to the idea that it was because it was such a close parallel to the true history that I didn't catch on.

[Maureen E · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Explosionist–alternate history! mysteries! Scotland!–and so I was expecting to have the same reaction to Invisible Things. Unfortunately, I wasn’t nearly as entranced. I’m not sure exactly why this is, and plenty of other reviewers have liked it just as much as the first book, so take my reaction with a heaping pinch of salt. But the sudden weaving in of a certain fairy tale was sort of jolting, and I found Sophie less sympathetic.

[Samantha Dawson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Omgeez the dialogue in this book made me wanna throw up. It was.. It's just wasn't. Even the gushy scenes really sucked by the crappy dialogue. I won this book off of facebook and I didn't know there was a first. I will read it but as for this book I'm like just load the gun and shoot me. It was painful to make myself read 120 pages of this book and after that I couldn't go anymore.

[Sarah Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but this sequel felt less committed to the world that was created in the original, the mysteries were less compelling and the Snow Queen throughline did not work for me at all, especially since it seemed to come out of nowhere partway through the book.