Fifteen year-old Bobby Philips was your average-nobody. He walked through the halls of his preparatory school day in and day out without a single bat of the eye. Until one day, when he didn't even notice himself. He wasn't blind, and he definitely wasn't dead; he was invisible. His parents were frantic, as any parent would be, when their child up and vanishes. Bobby's dad was a scientist, and new that every effect has a cause, and if they could figure the cause out they could reverse the effect. Days went by and still there was no solution in sight. Afraid the government would lock Bobby away forever, they didn't tell a single soul. Bobby, covered head to toe in clothes, bumped into a girl at the library after he snuck out for the afternoon. When they fell, Bobby's scarf did too, but she didn't seem to notice there wasn't a boy under the clothes. Then Bobby saw the walking stick beside her, she was blind. It was absolutely perfect, a blind girl, and an invisible boy craving human interaction. Will Bobby try to be friends with the blind girl? Will he find the cause of his invisibility? Will he overcome his new weaknesses and just learn to live with it? Sometimes in life you have to lose yourself before you can truly find yourself.I picked this book up in the library because it seemed different that all the other books I have read. It seemed like more of a mystery than a love story. I am sick of love stories. As I read on I realized there was a girl involved, but its not your stereotypical guy-gets-the-girl they live happily-ever-after type stories. I was curious as to what caused Bobby's invisibility, but it seemed to go on forever and ever. I didn't think there was enough of a climax. The problem started at the very beginning and took the whole book to resolve. Nothing out of the ordinary happened any where in the middle though. When Bobby leaves the house his mom always calls him what seems to be a hundred times to make sure he's okay and where he is suppose to be. That reminds me a lot of my own mom. My mom always knows where I'm going when I leave the house but she never fails to text me and ask me where I'm at. If I don't answer within roughly three seconds she calls me and wonders why I didn't answer her text. Although it's annoying to have a worried mom, Bobby and I both know it's for our own good. Overall it was an okay book. Not a complete waste of my time, but I definitely won't be suggesting this book to anyone any time soon. Potential readers could range in age drastically. There isn't anything inappropriate throughout the book, but I think it would fall more towards middle school and up category due to comprehension.
This is a book I read because my daughter insisted on it. I should listen to her more often. Bobby is a young boy who becomes invisible one day. His physicist father and English professor mother decide to keep it a secret. Unfortunately, they are involved in a car accident that keeps them away from home for several days. Bobby must fend for himself and “stay out of sight” until his parents can help him find out why he is invisible. Of course, as any fifteen year old would do, Bobby decides to try out his invisibility. In the process of doing this he meets a vision-impaired girl, Alicia, who becomes his friend. When Bobby’s parents get home from the hospital, they have more trouble to deal with in Child Protective Services. They are concerned about the fact that Bobby seems to be missing. The parents, Bobby, Alicia, and her parents try to work together to solve Bobby’s invisibility problem. This Book was a California Young Reader Medal Winner for the year 2005 in the Middle School category. It is a science fiction story that sixth graders through eighth graders will all enjoy. The symbolism of invisibility is especially striking. I think middle school children often feel invisible or wish they were invisible as they go through changes in their lives. Children who are learning to adjust to growing older and the feelings associated with it will understand some of the concepts. It is excellent for understanding friendship, acceptance, and understanding of others.
What do You think about Things Not Seen (2004)?
I really enjoyed this more than I thought that I would. I mean, an invisible kid trying to figure out how to make himself visible again isn't usually the type of story that I pick up. Stories like this can either be done really well or really poorly. Clements approached it like a mystery novel. He took you from one clue to the next without losing you. He also showed an amazing relationship between Alecia and Bobby, two kids who are dealing with issues that are pretty unique. Alecia wasn't always
—Cassy
What a touching and original novel. It had a fresh, strong narrative voice and a compelling plotline that isn't necessarily brand new, but done it a totally new way.Bobby Phillips wakes up one morning to find that something impossible has occurred; he can't see himself anymore. Somehow, he has become invisible. At first it seems it could be temporary, and surely Bobby's supportive physicist Dad and warm Mom can do something. But as hours pile up and Bobby and his family begin to realize the implications of his bizarre condition, things get serious.But when Bobby finally snaps and decides to go to the library to escape, invisible or no, a chance meeting changes everything. Because suddenly there's one unlikely person who seems calm and understanding enough to help an invisible fifteen-year-old boy. Her name is Alicia...and she's blind.The development of both Bobby and Alicia's characters, as well as their totally unique relationship of blind girl and invisible boy, is very well done. It's interesting how Clements addresses Bobby's condition in a scientific rather than magical way, and when the eventual cause is discovered, it's very original and unexpected. All in all, this is a startlingly real novel with great characters and real emotion; the end almost brought me to tears. There are a couple companion books to it, and I hope to read those and see these characters again.
—Victoria
"It's a Tuesday morning in February, and I get up as usual, and I stumble into the bathroom to take a shower in the dark. Which is my school-day method because it's sort of like an extra ten minutes of sleep.It's after the shower. That's when it happens.It's when I turn on the bathroom light and wipe the fog off the mirror to comb my hair. It's what I see in the mirror. It's what I don't see.I look a second time, and then rub at the mirror again.I'm not there.That's what I'm saying.I'm. Not. There."Okay, so that's the back of the book snipet... but it's also the very first paragraph in the book. WHAM! Drops a load on us right of the bat. Normally, that might be wonderful, but I thought maybe we should atleast know (bobby's) name before we jump into the whole 'I'm invisible' thing. I expected to go through a lot more to wind up invisible. I expected a sort of 'life being invisbile' thing, which I sort of got, but it was not exactly how I had envisioned it going. Bobby's invisible, blah blah blah. He runs around either dressed to visit the artic or naked. He meets a blind girl. We follow both of their stories of growing and self realization. Our Blind girl, Alicia sort of makes the story for me. She helps Bobby. Bobby helps her. I wish there was a little more to their relationship than what we got. The cause of this mysterious invisibility was ridiculous! I'm no scientist, but you have to admit it was a little odd! Blankie + Some crazy Solar power/Spirit in the Sky= InvisibilityThanks Mr. Clements, I'm sure there are tons of scientists who were just waiting on said information. The mystery of invisibility is now solvd. Thanks.
—Kristy
