The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible I [Hardcover]

Amanda Valentino (Author), Melissa Kantor (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Amanda Project | Publication Date: September 22, 2009

Amanda Valentino changed everything.

Callie Leary has exactly one thing, and one thing only, in common with Nia Rivera and Hal Bennett: They were each chosen by Amanda to be her guide. When Amanda arrived at Endeavor High, she told Callie she moves around a lot and always picks one person to help her navigate the choppy waters of a new school. Why did Amanda lie?

Following a course that they suspect Amanda deliberately plotted, Callie, Nia, and Hal piece together some cryptic clues. But they find more questions than answers and quickly realize that before they can figure out what happened to Amanda—the girl who changed their lives—they'll need to solve the most important mystery of all: Who is Amanda Valentino?

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 7–10—Freshman Callie Leary wishes that her mother hadn't mysteriously disappeared, that her family still had money, and that her father wasn't drinking. So far she has kept the state of her family a secret, but it's becoming more difficult. Then one morning Callie is called to the vice principal's office with two other students, Hal and Nia. It seems that their classmate, Amanda Valentino, painted the vice principal's car with graffiti, left clues on their lockers, and then disappeared. Unsure of the connection between Amanda and themselves, they decide to follow the clues and solve her disappearance. But as they dig deeper, they find that Amanda wasn't exactly truthful about her life and finding her will not be easy. Billed as the first in a series of eight, this is a satisfying mystery with a few minor flaws. Callie is likable, and her emotions are genuine as she stumbles to find her way after her family falls apart. However, her realization that her friends are shallow and that she prefers spending time with Hal and Nia is too predictable. But, it's the many subplots and unanswered questions that will either leave readers annoyed or wanting more. Those who can put aside these minor irritations will find the book a page-turner, and with a Web site tie-in, it should prove pretty popular.—Kelley Siegrist, Farmington Community Library, MI END

Review

“Forget sleeping. Once you begin exploring Amanda’s disappearance, you’ll be sucked in and won’t want to do anything but read. Amazing fun.” (E. Lockhart, author of The Boyfriend List and The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau–Banks )

“An entertainingly intricate mystery, enticingly structured with submysteries and textured with emotional tension. Amanda is a tantalizingly enigmatic figure. There’s just enough resolved here to satisfy, and plenty of questions left to keep readers anxiously awaiting the release of the series’ next title.” (The Horn Book )

“An amazingly creative interactive mystery that will draw you in from page one. Secrets, lies, cryptic notes, confusing clues, tattoos and missing persons all contribute to the drama swirling around Amanda as you turn each page. Get addicted to the enigma that is Amanda.” (Justine Magazine )

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (September 22, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061742120
• ISBN-13: 978-0061742125
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #933,178 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Five fun facts about me:
1. The first time I ever kissed a boy, I made a complete fool out of myself. Right before we kissed, the boy asked, "Have you ever kissed anyone before?" I said, "No. Have you?" He said, "Yes." Then I said, "Oh, I forgot. I have too."
2. I'm a Capricorn.
3. I used to unbend a paper clip and put it on my teeth like a retainer because I wanted braces.
4. I didn't learn how to make a grilled cheese sandwich until I was in college. (Does anyone know how to make a grilled cheese sandwich? They're actually kind of hard to make!)
5. I failed Spanish.
Come read the first chapters of all my books for free at melissakantor.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Fun book., September 12, 2010

By 

Erica - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible I (Hardcover)

Invisible I is a promising start to what could be a great series! Invisible I takes you through Amanda's disappearance and her 3 "guides" quest to find her. It was definately a page turner, because I kept thinking Who's Amanda? and What's She Doing? This was a totally fun read.

My issue with Invisible I was that it didn't seem come to any point. For Book 1, I don't necessarily want all the answers for the series, but I'd like a little more information. When Book 1 finishes, I want some issues resolved and also putting something new on the field. I felt that I was just running in the same circles throughout the entire book. All I really figured out was that Amanda told about a bajillion different stories. I also found it a little hard to believe everything she managed to pull off - though maybe that's a topic for the next 7 books.

The ending is totally intriguing, it sets up the next book and makes readers want to know exactly what will happen next and get the answers to their questions.

I love the page design on the book, there's different designs on some of the pages, and "notes" on others. I also really like the cover.

I'll definately check out Book 2, I want to see where finding Amanda leads Callie, Nia, and Hal next and how their friendship grows.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First in a series, September 11, 2009

By 

Stephanie (NYC) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible I (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

Tha Amanda Project is a fun read, with very realistic take on high school cliques (love that the i-girls all decide to dress in green for a party.) Popular i-girl Callie befriends the eccentic new girl, Amanda Valentino, and thinks she is her speical and only friend. Then Amanda disappears and Callie and Amanda's two other friends, who are promising misfits, are tasked with finding her. Callie, who is already dealing with the diasppearance of her scientist mother, and her new friends chase down enigmatic leads, but come up short. They decide to put up a website to help find Amanda, and the book ends with the birth of [...] The website is real, and quite clever -- even more enjoyable than the book, and web visitors can take an active part in solving the mystery. Middle grade girls will love this.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The start of a new series?, September 7, 2009

By 

Denise Crawford "DC" (Missouri, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Amanda Project: Book 1: invisible I (Hardcover)

(What's this?)

This is obviously the start to a new series and I would say that, given the content and the ages of the teens, this book might appeal to your average female middle school student. I believe that high school students might find it a bit too juvenile. Definitely doesn't contain any inappropriate content and isn't edgy in any way.

The mystery: where is Amanda? In fact -- WHO is Amanda? Seems that these three new high school freshmen have each met a different "Amanda" and now she has disappeared. None of them knew that she was friends with the other. As they talk, they discover that she was either concealing certain facts or was not being very truthful about where she lived, her family situation, and her background. When the three classmates, who are not friends, are called to the vice-principal's office, they are drawn into the situation by clues and hints that seem to appear out of nowhere. Is Amanda watching them try to find her? Why has she vanished and what does she want? Callista, Nia, and Hal find themselves trying to trace Amanda's activities and seek to discover what she wants from them. Along the way, they begin to discover that Amanda is drawing them together and they are beginning to figure out who they are as they piece the details together.

Some of this novel defies credulity given the ages of the teens. Their freedom to come and go seems a bit extreme and some of their escapades are a bit unbelievable, all things considered. There is more to the story besides the mystery of the missing Amanda as the author sets the stage for at least one upcoming sequel.

If you like your teen novels to have a clear purpose and a satisfactory ending, this book might not be the one for you. By the time I got to the end of the book, I really didn't care much about Amanda.