Things That Are

I always thought that it would be really awesome to be invisible. No rules, no restricitons. I could do anything I wanted. Until I read Things Not Seen.

In Things Not Seen, Bobby, an ordinary high school boy, wakes up one morning invisible. At first it seems great - he can do anything he wants. But as he starts to realize that his invisibility makes it impossible to have friends or do anything normal, because telling anyone puts him at the mercy of the government as a lab rat, he begins to feel completely alone. That is, until he meets Alicia, a blind girl who feels invisible herself.

In the second book, Things Hoped For, Bobby meets a girl named Gwen who is searching for her missing grandfather.

And after the oh so long wait (I'm so excited), Things That Are is finally out. Bobby's back from his trip, and he and Alicia now have to deal with an increasing government threat and a mysterious and pretty creepy man named William, not to mention their parents and their almost-relationship.

This series is by Andrew Clements (the author of Frindle, The Report Card, A Week in the Woods, and oh so many more), so of course it has that sweetly sarcastic sense of humor that so many of us have fallen in love with. I want to be Alicia. Her comebacks are BRILLIANT. The books also make you think about what it means to be invisible, and about what real friendship is.

Funny, interesting, exciting, and different. Things That Are is so worth the wait.

P.S. If you've read all three, let me know which one you liked best. We have a bit of a debate going, and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Thoughts on other Andrew Clements books are welcome too!