Invisible by Cecily Anne Paterson

Since the death of Jazmine's father, she's been doing everything she can to be invisible.  She keeps to herself and does whatever she's told...almost in an automaton fashion.  When she falls in with the wrong crowd, she's forced to make the choice between being suspended from school or joining the drama team.  What unfolds is Jazmine's rebirth.  When the girls who started the trouble to begin with return to school, it's all Jazmine can do to keep from panicking.  Will she be able to hold on to the new life she's formed for herself?

This was actually a pretty fascinating character study. Jazmine has a hard time being a part of reality after the loss of her father, but her road to self-discovery really pulls her out of it.  At least in the beginning.  Her tale is sad, but shared by so many.  Grief is something we all have to struggle with in our own way but when the person struggling is a mere child, it's so much more traumatic.

Although I wouldn't say I was riveted, I found myself pretty well drawn in.  It wasn't really a page-turner, but there's enough there to keep you involved in Jazmine's recovery and life.  Although I always enjoy bildungsroman books, this one had a few extra additives and at the same time was just ...Well it didn't have a passionate feel. It's almost as if the book had been polished and shined so many times that the heart of the writer became lost somewhere.

This is definitely worth reading, especially if you yourself are a grief survivor.  At times the conversation between the young people seems cliched, but it's not bad enough that it should really bother you.  Then again, I'm not a kid anymore so I could be way off on this one.  Perhaps kids do speak like that these days.  This is a great little character study that will keep your attention throughout.  Though it's sad in parts, it's not enough to make you cry.  Though it's joyful in parts, it's not enough to make you smile or laugh.  Over all, just an alright read for me.  Worth the read, but not one I'd put at the top of my list.

And, as you can see, I was pretty torn by this book.  I seem to keep repeating the same thing over and over but it's mostly in an attempt to figure out exactly how to word it.  It's a good story that had the capabilities of being great, but instead it wound up being just good.  I think I'm disappointed because as much as I liked it, I know I could have loved it had it not be rewritten to the point that the passion behind the writing suffered.

Now, it's currently free on Amazon in Kindle version.  There's no reason at all not to pick it up and give it a gander.  Also, I'm really interested to see what you guys thought about it, so if anyone does grab it, please let me know!