Invisibility by Andrea Cremer and David Levithan

Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

YA books are at their finest this year and this one doesn’t disappoint. Fairly reminiscent of David Levithan’s Every Day, this book is a journey of what it means to be invisible, both literally and figuratively. Stephen literally born with t weight and matter yet is invisible, and his counterpart, Elizabeth who seeks the shadows in school and life to seem invisible. Their meeting and friendship turned love story is well balanced yet fairly predictable. The best part of their relationship is Laurie, Elizabeth’s brother, who was  a victim of bullying and a hate crime due to being openly gay, yet was able to move on from his past. He’s a burst of comic relief. Stephen’s ability to be such a great and understanding boyfriend seemed a little unlikely when he hasn’t had human contact for so much of his life. Yes, he can learn it from TV and books as was written, but he seemed a little too comfortable in his skin when with Elizabeth. This book will relate to both boys and girls, is a quick read with a good plot, and has a healthy dose of adventure.