Review and discussion of She is Not Invisible

Beach bags are for book carrying  The only downside to beach-side reading, like so many other beach-side activities: sand. What's up? How are you? Thanks for joining me in this review/discussion of the book She is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick.

Let's begin at the beginning. The book in question has the vaguest blurb ever but the cool cover was enough to convince me to give it a change. So the story is about 16 year old Laureth, her very clever 7 year old brother Benjamin and his fluffy raven Stan. They get on a New York bound plane to collect their father's notebook hoping that they will find him nearby. He's missing, their mum is away, they have a credit card, so why the hell not? This impromptu rescue mission would be crazy enough without the added difficulty that Laureth is blind.

This book was funny, disorienting, immersive and fascinating. The added little mystery/code at the end really drives the point home. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author. Let me know if you have read any Sedgwick. If you are intrigued by this review, please go ahead and read it.

A Spoiler-free Discussion

There are quite a few discussion-worthy happenings in the book. Mostly the coincidence phenomenon. I found it fascinating, the mathematical studies, the true coincidence surrounding Edgar Allen Poe. Lastly, how math, as often happens misses the human element of some things. (Corroborated in An Abundance of Katherines by John Green).

I'll give you an example of coincidence. The day I finished this book about coincidence, I went home and caught up on some Youtube. On the Shaytards daily vlog, Shay was discussing a big coincidence that had happened to him. About a death of another Youtuber some years ago, how a few days before he retweeted a bible passage about being ready for death, and how it somehow came back to Shay when he met a friend of the deceased at church.

Coincidences make us look twice. The book constantly reiterates how they not only pay attention but they make us FEEL something. They make us feel confused and scared. They make us believe in something bigger than ourselves or maybe confirm something we already suspected. If they do nothing other than remind us to read more widely (as this particular coincidence did) or living each day like it's your last then I think they have fulfilled a purpose. Whether it is their actual purpose is still up for debate.

Don't forget to tell me what you think about the book or what you think about this coinky-dink business. Leave me your blog name and I'll be sure to check it out. Ciao

The secret is that...

Hi there,
Today I am reminded that, "older people always tell you the one thing they know is true." (An Abundance of Katherines) And I, being young and apparently naive looking always seem to be privy to these types of things. So the story that I was told was this:

There was a young priest, an old priest and a donkey travelling to another town. The young priest led the donkey on foot while the old priest was on its back. They passed some people on the road who remarked not too quietly that the priest was giving the younger priest a bad example. When they had passed the people the priests decided to swap positions. The next group they passed said that the younger priest's lack of compassion for the older man was disgusting. When they both got on the donkey, the people cried out that it was cruel to make the donkey carry them both. Finally they both got off and the people laughed at them. 'Look at these idiots, walking when they have a donkey.' Moral is that you can't please everyone at once.

Many people would dismiss this as cliche and nothing can be cliche in a good way.

They're outdated. Irrelevant. False. Too simple.

This is what Shay Carl has to say about it and I am 100% behind him. Follow the link to see his wonderful pep talk.

"The secret is that there is no secret."

Ciao!