She Is Not Invisible is set in modern day England and New York City. The story is written from the point of view of a blind sixteen-year-old girl called Laureth (the main character). The title of the story tells us that just because Laureth is blind, that does not mean that she is invisible or stupid; she is just like everyone else.
In the story, Laureth and her seven-year-old brother, Benjamin, fly to New York City all by themselves to search for their missing dad. Although Laureth does this without permission, her heart is in the right place because she is worried that her dad lied and might be in danger. Along the way they read their dad’s notebook which is all about coincidences. The two children get more and more worried as they read, as their dad is talking about suicide and how everyone who researched coincidences met an unfortunate death. The climax of the story is when a man who mugged their dad pulls a knife on them after realising who their dad is. His partner tries to rob them and Laureth has to outsmart him. In the end they find their dad and their parents get back together.
The author explores the themes of divorce and blindness. In the beginning, the parents are distant and come close to getting a divorce but at the end they are close again. Laureth’s life shows us how it is to be blind by talking about her experiences and how she is normal inside. Their dad’s notebook symbolises his career and thoughts; it connects you to the dad without you actually meeting him in the story.
I would recommend this book as it shows the reader how even when people are different (like if they are blind or disabled) they are not different inside. It is not an excuse to bully them or a reason that they are less human. I liked the book because of the thrill and suspense that built up throughout the story. I also liked how the main event in the story (the two kids going to New York) took place in a day, but there were flashbacks, so you could understand what was going on. It gave the story a quality that made you think everything was happening at once.
Buy this book at the Guardian Bookshop
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