She Is Not Invisible - by Marcus Sedgwick (Paperback)

About the Book

Laureth Peak's father is a writer. For years he's been trying, and failing, to write a novel about coincidence. His wife thinks he's obsessed, Laureth thinks he's on the verge of a breakdown. He's supposed to be doing research in Austria, so when his notebook shows up in New York, Laureth knows something is wrong. On impulse she steals her mother's credit card and heads for the States, taking her strange little brother Benjamin with her. Reunited with the notebook, they begin to follow clues inside, trying to find their wayward father. Ahead lie challenges and threats, all of which are that much tougher for Laureth than they would be for any other 16 year old. Because Laureth Peak is blind.

Book Synopsis

Three-time Printz Award honoree Marcus Sedgwick's She Is Not Invisible is an intricate puzzle of a novel that sheds a light on the delicate ties that bind people to each other.

Laureth Peak's father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers--a skill at which she's remarkably talented. Her secret: She is blind.

But when her father goes missing, Laureth and her seven-year-old brother, Benjamin, are thrust into a mystery that takes them to New York City, where surviving will take all her skill at spotting the amazing, shocking, and sometimes dangerous connections in a world full of darkness.

This title has Common Core connections.

Praise for She Is Not Invisible:
"Laureth is sixteen, smart, self-doubting, and blind. She is also desperate to find her missing famous author father . . . Readers will applaud Laureth's believable evolution into a more confident - and definitely more visible - young woman." --The Horn Book

"This novel will have readers feeling a creepy sensation on the backs of their necks long after the last page." --School Library Journal

"Sedgwick takes the somewhat shopworn theme of siblings on a parent hunt to a fascinating new level." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"In a race against time, Laurel and Ben must investigate what happened to her father using the meager clues they have available . . . Recommend this book to mystery lovers and especially to those who enjoyed Girl, Stolen." --VOYA

"A thriller that challenges readers' understanding of the universe . . . It's no coincidence that Sedgwick has crafted yet another gripping tale of wonder." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This fast-paced thriller delivers a compelling mystery, thought-provoking questions about existence, and brilliantly lifelike characters." --Booklist, starred review

"Printz-winner Sedgwick (Midwinterblood) again demonstrates his remarkable versatility, trading the generations-spanning horrors of his recent books for an equally tense contemporary story about coincidence, obsession, and the ways in which we see the world." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"What this book proves, is that Marcus is not only one of the greatest British YA writers, but one of the most versatile too. Unlike anything he has written before and a book that will reach a whole new audience. Bloomin' loved it." --Phil Earle, author of Heroic, Being Billy and Saving Daisy

"Marcus Sedgwick doesn't speak down to his teen readers. He tells it how it is, without footnotes or gloss, and it's up to the reader to decide how much they want to take from his books. A rollicking good adventure? No problem - that's there and easily available. Just let your eyes slide across the bits in italics and jump to the next event. It would be a shame to do that, though, because for those prepared to deal with it, there's much, much more in this book: theories and philosophies and ideas which stretch the reader and give the adventure far greater depth and resonance." --The Bookbag

"Sedgwick's prose is as crisp and clear as always, without losing a single fathom of emotional depth, and Laureth and Benjamin will resonate soundly with anyone who has ever negotiated the ups and downs of sibling relationships." --Rebecca Davies, The Independent: Children's Book Blog

"Marcus Sedgwick has written a story which really makes you think. He has referred to it as an iceberg and certainly the story can be read on two levels; on the surface a simple story of a girl, Laureth, accompanied by her young brother, Ben and his beloved soft toy, Stan, determined to find their missing father, in spite of Laureth's personal circumstances making this no easy task and, below the surface, a much more complicated story, concerning the nature of obsession and coincidence; all of which leaves you pondering and re-reading. . . . Totally absorbing." --Gill Perry, Waterstones.com

Novels by Marcus Sedgwick:
Saint Death: A propulsive, compelling, and unsparing novel set in the grimly violent world of the human and drug trade on the US-Mexican border.
Blood Red Snow White: A gripping, romantic adventure novel based on the true story of Arthur Ransome's experiences with love and betrayal in war-torn Russia.
The Ghosts of Heaven: A Printz Honor Book! Timeless, beautiful, and haunting, spirals connect four episodes, from prehistory through the far future.
She Is Not Invisible: When her father goes missing, a blind girl talented in identifying patterns and her brother are thrust into a mystery.
Midwinterblood: A Printz Medal Winner! Seven stories of passion and love separated by centuries but mysteriously intertwined.
White Crow: A scary, thought provoking novel about secrets that are better left buried.
Revolver: A Printz Honor Book! A taut frontier survivor story, set at the time of the Alaska gold rush.

Graphic novel by Marcus Sedgwick, art by Thomas Taylor:
Scarlett Hart: Monster Hunter: A rip-roaring romp full of hairy horrors, villainous villains, and introducing the world's toughest monster hunter--Scarlett Hart!

Review Quotes

Praise for She Is Not Invisible:
"Laureth is sixteen, smart, self-doubting, and blind. She is also desperate to find her missing famous author father . . . Readers will applaud Laureth's believable evolution into a more confident - and definitely more visible - young woman." --The Horn Book

"This novel will have readers feeling a creepy sensation on the backs of their necks long after the last page." --School Library Journal

"Sedgwick takes the somewhat shopworn theme of siblings on a parent hunt to a fascinating new level." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"In a race against time, Laurel and Ben must investigate what happened to her father using the meager clues they have available . . . Recommend this book to mystery lovers and especially to those who enjoyed Girl, Stolen." --VOYA

"A thriller that challenges readers' understanding of the universe . . . It's no coincidence that Sedgwick has crafted yet another gripping tale of wonder." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"This fast-paced thriller delivers a compelling mystery, thought-provoking questions about existence, and brilliantly lifelike characters." --Booklist, starred review

"Printz-winner Sedgwick (Midwinterblood) again demonstrates his remarkable versatility, trading the generations-spanning horrors of his recent books for an equally tense contemporary story about coincidence, obsession, and the ways in which we see the world." --Publishers Weekly, starred review

"What this book proves, is that Marcus is not only one of the greatest British YA writers, but one of the most versatile too. Unlike anything he has written before and a book that will reach a whole new audience. Bloomin' loved it." --Phil Earle, author of Heroic, Being Billy and Saving Daisy

"Marcus Sedgwick doesn't speak down to his teen readers. He tells it how it is, without footnotes or gloss, and it's up to the reader to decide how much they want to take from his books. A rollicking good adventure? No problem - that's there and easily available. Just let your eyes slide across the bits in italics and jump to the next event. It would be a shame to do that, though, because for those prepared to deal with it, there's much, much more in this book: theories and philosophies and ideas which stretch the reader and give the adventure far greater depth and resonance." --The Bookbag

"Sedgwick's prose is as crisp and clear as always, without losing a single fathom of emotional depth, and Laureth and Benjamin will resonate soundly with anyone who has ever negotiated the ups and downs of sibling relationships." --Rebecca Davies, The Independent: Children's Book Blog

"Marcus Sedgwick has written a story which really makes you think. He has referred to it as an iceberg and certainly the story can be read on two levels; on the surface a simple story of a girl, Laureth, accompanied by her young brother, Ben and his beloved soft toy, Stan, determined to find their missing father, in spite of Laureth's personal circumstances making this no easy task and, below the surface, a much more complicated story, concerning the nature of obsession and coincidence; all of which leaves you pondering and re-reading. . . . Totally absorbing." --Gill Perry, Waterstones.com

About the Author

Everyone's had a great coincidence happen to them, and Marcus Sedgwick, author of Midwinterblood, White Crow, and the Printz Honor-winning Revolver, is no exception. Some very weird things have happened to the author over the years, a few of which have found their way into this book, along with an obsession with the number 354, which has "haunted" him all his life. As a way to finally free himself from this obsession, the number 354 is to be found lurking "between the lines" of the story, in various ways.