My rating: 5 of 5 stars
“I don't need a cloak to become invisible.”
----J.K. Rowling
Ross Welford, an English author, has penned a thoroughly entertaining and extremely exciting middle grade fiction, What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible that revolves around a 12 year old girl who in order to cure her severe acne problem and to save herself from bullying in her school, she discreetly purchases an untested and unknown Chinese medicine that she tries it on her with the strong UV rays of a sunbed, resulting in invisibility. In the beginning being invisible from her peers and family was fun for her, but gradually her invisibility makes her a victim of lies and dishonesty among her peers and family.
Synopsis:
From the author of the unforgettable bestseller TIME TRAVELLING WITH A HAMSTER comes another surprising, beautiful and funny novel about a child who, by disappearing, will write herself into your heart forever…
Turning invisible at will: it’s one way of curing your acne. But far more drastic than 13 year-old Ethel Leatherhead intended when she tried a combination of untested medicines and a sunbed.
It’s fun at first, being invisible. And aided by her friend Boydy, she manages to keep her extraordinary ability secret. Or does she…?
When one day the invisibility fails to wear off, Ethel is thrown into a nightmare of lies and deception as she struggles to keep herself safe, to find the remedy that will make her seen again – and solve the mystery of her own birth…
Ethel Leatherhead, the 12 year girl, risks herself from secretly using an unprescribed Chinese medicine along with a sunbed to cure her acne. Being brought up her grandmother after her mother's death, Ethel wasn't that rebellious yet her severe acne problem led her to seek solutions from a dangerous and risky source without the permission from her only guardian, her grandmother. The result of using the combination of a weird medicine along with the power of strong UV rays makes Ethel invisible from the rest of the world. Terrified and clueless Ethel finally comes to terms with the power of her becoming invisible and eventually she uses it to teach her peers a lesson, but using too much of it makes her a victim of it, and that finally lands her up in real trouble and at the same time, the revelation about her birth story throws her off the edge.
The writing style of the author is articulate and easy to comprehend with. Since it's a middle grade story, the writing is apt for the young aged readers. The author has penned this story with so much thrill and it feels like riding a roller-coaster that only goes back and high up in the air as the ride is filled with adrenaline-rushing moments when the girl, her dog and her best friend creates havoc with the use of invisibility. The narrative is extremely fascinating as well as filled with lots of LOL and hilarious moments equally with some sad and sensitive moments that can make the readers feel deeply. The pacing is really fast as the story grips the readers from the very first page.
The concept of invisibility has been explained very well and easily for the readers and the logic used by the author to make invisibility possible are apt. Even young readers will find the story enlightening for their minds. The author has vividly captured the feel of a person physically and emotionally, who is experiencing invisibility, that the readers are bound to feel the same way.
The dynamics of various relationships like friendship between two friends to the relationship between grandmother and granddaughter are explored really well by the author with appropriate feel and laughter. The readers, especially the young readers can easily contemplate the friendships etched by the author in his book. And thus this becomes a must book to be read by every pre teen children, which not only entertain them but will also teach them a lot of values.
The characters are very, very interesting and are highly inspired from reality. The main character, Ethel, is a brave young girl who can judge her actions and knows how to quickly come out of a sticky situation. He is sharp-witted and extremely fearless considering his age. The author has strikingly captured the voice of an innocent 12-year old girl suffering from acne and growing up without a mother. The supporting characters, especially, Ethel's grandmother, and her best friend, is very well-developed.
Overall, this is a compelling and illuminating story that is laced well enough with thrill and arresting adventure that will not only enthrall the young kids but will also intrigue the mature readers too.
Verdict: A must read for all age groups!
Courtesy: Thanks to the publishers from Harper Collins India for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.
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Author Info:
Ross Welford worked as a business journalist before becoming a freelance writer and television producer. He lives in central London with his wife, children, dog and tropical fish. Ross is the author of Time Travelling With A Hamster, a thrilling, funny and heart-warming middle-grade novel that tells the story of a boy’s quest to live up to his dad’s memory, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books.
Visit him here
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