Transparent by Natalie Whipple

23 May, 2013 / / 3 Birds, Harper Collins, Harper Teen, Young Adult / 65 comments Share:
Transparent by Natalie WhippleTransparent
Author: Natalie Whipple
Category: Young Adult
Format: eGalley
Publisher: Harper Teen
Release Date: 5-21-13
Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is. An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults. After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily. Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl. – Goodreads

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I initially decided to read Transparent because the idea of being invisible really intrigues me.  There was a certain Curse Workers quality to this story, which I loved.  This world of abilities exists within a world like the one we know right now.  The best part was that the mutations were caused by something viewed as harmless, but ended up going through certain segments of the population and changing the social dynamic of society.  People with abilities are viewed as freaks by some and valuable to others.  Fiona’s invisibility has made her feel isolated and used by her sociopathic father, who was completely unsympathetic. In contrast, Fiona’s mother wanted to save her and protect her, but the abilities that Fiona’s father possesses has kept them helpless for many years.  There was a big contrast between Fiona’s two brothers and her older brother proved to be a pretty complex character that I had mixed feelings about and never really trusted.  As Fiona slowly starts to try to fit into a normal life and makes friends, I could feel the tension within the story really building.  The suspense I felt as her father closed in on her location made for some rapid page turning in parts.

Although the idea of Transparent was very intriguing, I still wanted more in the way of character development, especially when it came to her friends.  Obviously, all of these gifted kids live under pressure to join a syndicate and in the case of Seth and Brady, their home life has suffered, too.  I felt like there were strong characters waiting to be discovered but were never quite fleshed out.  Despite that, I did enjoy the book.  It’s a unique twist on the super hero story.  Even though these teens have what amounts to super powers, it does not necessarily make their lives better.  In fact, it keeps them in harms way in many cases.  That is always more interesting to me than just running out and saving the day and this story had that interesting angle down pat.

I received this galley in exchange for my honest review

Find Natalie Whipple online:
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Kate

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65 responses to “Transparent by Natalie Whipple”

  2. Lauren

    Ooh I love that this has a Curse Workers vibe. This is the first review that has me interested enough to pick it up. It’s a shame there wasn’t more character development, but I’m glad you enjoyed it anyway. Great review!

    Reply
  3. Mae

    This is one of my anticipated books this year. Just like you, I am intrigue of invisibility combined with syndicates and crimes. Thanks for the review 🙂

    Reply
  5. Jen @ YA Romantics

    I started this one a few weeks back and was having trouble getting immersed in the story. But a lot of people seem to say that the ending is great — so I think I’ll have to try again!

    Reply
  6. Wendy Darling

    Hm, the idea of an invisible girl intrigues me, too (what a convenient thing to be!). I’ve seen so many mixed reactions to this one that I’m not sure it’s for me, though. It sounds like it could have used a few more drafts and development.

    Wendy @ The Midnight Garden

    Reply
  8. sarabara081 @ Forever 17 Books

    I’ve always been intrigued by invisibility so this one does have a premise I like, though I keep mentally confusing it with the book Invisibility by David Levithan and Andrea Cremer. I’m a little disappointed to hear the character development wasn’t great but I’m glad you still enjoyed it. 🙂

    Reply
  9. Alexa Y.

    I am quite intrigued about the possibilities that these abilities give their characters! I do think that it would be interesting to see how this all plays out for each of them, but even more so to discover Fiona’s story and her feelings about her situation.

    Reply
  27. Derick Kammann

    Do you know how I avoid duplicate iCal alerts? (Apple support does not, so far…) I think b/c of iCloud calendar sharing in between my husband and that i, I’m getting two alerts for every event on the iMac and on the iPhone. every thing is up to date and i have a new MacBook Pro and the new iPhone 4s.

    Reply
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