Customer Reviews

Invisible Lines

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
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When Trevor moves to Deadly Gardens, it's the last place he wants to be. But school isn't that bad, when he befriends two of the most popular boys in his class, Langly and Xander. He also befriends a few other students. Everything seems to be going Trev's way, until his soccer skills puts him on Xander's bad side.

Trevor's just like any other kid, he wants to fit in. It's a little bit harder though, because his mother is struggling to make ends meet, especially when she has three kids. Trev is loving school, though, especially his Summit Science class, with the kooky Mr. Ferguson. The characters are written perfectly (I could honestly see some resemblences to people I went to school with).

This novel makes me breathe a sigh of relief that novels with a good message are being written for kids/pre-teens. I know when I was in the Middle Grade stage, I just read YA because I felt that I was getting more than I was from the MG (Middle Grade) novels I read back in the day.

Highlights: Invisible Lines really dives into a few topics that most MG novels would shy away from. Violence, theft, and abandonment. It was interesting to see Trevor's reaction to all of these as the story unwound. Mary Amato really captured Trevor's voice in this story, and I felt connected to him.

Also, the journal entries were fun to read and the art is beautiful. Trevor's love for art and soccer was endearing, and nice to read about.

Lowlights: Trevor's ambition to fit in. It just had me cringing throughout the story. Also, I felt I knew the end result when I was only fifty pages in (which might be due to the fact that I've read so many stories).

I haven't read a MG book in so long and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this one!

Mary Amato writes in a way that captures the voice of a preteen boy so well that it feels as if you are witnessing the real thing. I absolutely loved reading about Trevor. He's living with his younger brother & sister and mother. They live in these bad apartments and don't have a lot of money. I loved that this book dealt with real life issues and all of which were written in a way that a younger audience can deal with.

One of the issues in the book is Trevor doesn't have enough money to be on a club soccer team. You can tell that he has a passion for the sport and as I was reading the book, I just felt bad for him and the things he went through. Also, I envied Trevor's artistic talents. Drawing was another passion of his and he used it wisely. He started his own little business around school and drew stuff for his little brother. And at the start of each chapter there are illustrations and I thought those were nice!

Another big aspect of the book is Trevor's science class. He is put in Summit Science -an advanced class- by mistake. His science teacher is one of those teachers that always keeps the class interesting and fun instead of the more common reading out of the textbook type as well as being a teacher that really cared about his students.

I really enjoyed the character of Diamond. She lives in the same apartment building as Trevor and is always singing throughout the book as she has dreams of becoming a famous singer one day. Amato does a great job describing a situation that Diamond and Trevor face. My only problem is I wished there had been more of this character!

INVISIBLE LINES surprised and delighted me with its compelling voice, age-appropriate humor, and heartfelt story line. This is a true middle-grade winner that deserves to be read by everyone!

To start, Mary Amato slips easily into the voice of a seventh-grade boy. Trevor makes all the funny comments that we wished we could've made in middle school to be well-liked, and yet he does everything without the least hint of malice. He is genuinely compassionate with his brother and sister (both of whom have lively and memorable personalities of their own) while simultaneously having the typical adolescent concerns about being accepted, having the right friends, and owning brand names.

Every component of this novel is well put together, from fully fleshed-out characters to the science lessons on mushrooms to the bumps in Trevor's relationships with his new friends and family. Parents will want their sons to be like Trevor, while younger readers will clamor to be Trevor's friend. This is the first of Mary Amato's books that I've read, but with the quality and cohesiveness of INVISIBLE LINES, I know it won't be my last!

Even with the odds stacked against him, Trevor Musgrove proves that determination and a sense of humor can work wonders.

Moving to a new school has its challenges. Trevor, his mother, and his two younger siblings are moving into a new apartment. It is a pretty crappy place with smelly hallways, broken elevators, and a definite criminal element. Unfortunately, it's all they can afford. All three kids wear secondhand clothes and sleep on mattresses from a place called Save the Children. Trevor's mom works two jobs and that leaves him babysitting the two younger kids when he'd rather be playing soccer and hanging out with his new friends.

School could offer a breath of fresh air for Trevor. The kids from his underprivileged neighborhood attend school along with a bunch of rich kids from a different part of town. Trevor discovers himself in a science class for gifted kids in something known as the Summit program. At first he is worried about not making the grade, but once he meets the unusual teacher and starts learning amazing things about mushrooms, he finds out learning is fun and easier than he ever imagined.

A big soccer fan, Trevor also finds he has a chance to try out for an elite traveling soccer league. When he mentions it to his overworked mother, she immediately says no way. "Too expensive" and "who will babysit while she has to work" are her reasons for saying no, but Trevor doesn't give up easily. He secretly attends the tryouts and gets a place on the team. It sounds like good news, but that's when everything else begins to go wrong.

INVISIBLE LINES by Mary Amato is a fast-paced story of one boy and his fight to help his family, make his mother proud, and meet the challenges of an accelerated program. Amato combines soccer, art, and science in a tale that will grab readers on page one.

Aimed at a middle grade audience, INVISIBLE LINES is excellent for independent reading or for use with a group. The characters are typical middle school students in situations that will provide discussion material as well as entertainment.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I picked up this novel the other night and completely devoured it! I found that I could relate to Trevor completely because I had a similar life to his when I was about his age. The different characters touched me so much! From Langston to his mother; they were just so passionate and heartwarming. I loved the fact that he had Mr. Ferguson because he was just the kind of teacher that I would've loved to have when I was growing up in Dallas before I moved to Frisco. He was one that actually cared about his students; he made learning so much fun! Especially since all he could seem to talk about would be Fungus or Mushrooms actually. It's so awesome the way the author mixed in the mushrooms to relate to everyday life. Like his Mycelium notes, he states that the universe talks like that; they don't talk with words but with actions in a sort. Maybe everyone's and everything is connected together in some way. His love for soccer was like my love for cross country; he would do anything for it and he was talented. There were moments in this novel where I like cried my heart out because what the conversations were about just hit a little too close to home. Heartwarming, funny and very touching; I have to give this novel 4 out of 5 paws.

With his dad in jail, Trevor and his mom and siblings have experienced tough times trying to make ends meet. Having to move into the Hedley Gardens housing project, otherwise known as Deadly Gardens, certainly represented a big set-back. Despite the hardships his family faced, Trevor felt determined to have a good year, and he would draw on all his talents to make that happen at his new school.

As quick on his feet as he was with his tongue, Trevor earned a spot on the soccer team, and his sense of humor made him a hit with the classmates he most wanted to impress. But Trevor struggled to meet the expectations placed on him to do his schoolwork, play on the team, and babysit for his siblings while his mom looked for work. Adding to the stress were issues brought on by class differences: the school's location in a wealthy neighborhood meant tensions between the students from Deadly Gardens and the rich kids, as well as expectations of purchasing expensive school and sports supplies that Trevor's mom could ill afford.

Invisible Lines is an outstanding book that takes a child's eye view to a number of social problems not commonly addressed in youth novels, including domestic violence, child abandonment, and theft. The main character's sense of humor and elaborate sketches add a refreshingly light touch, while his experiences on the soccer field and in the science classroom add to the excitement. With an interesting story wrapped around important lessons about class, this book should have a broad appeal.

The story of Trevor and his family is really compelling and will resonate with readers from all backgrounds. I highly recommend it for readers 10-15 years old.

This is a great story with an imagination one could only hope to have. The art graphics are wonderful and amusing. The best of reading for all up to 80 years old.

I love soccer. I've been playing on teams since I was four and now play on a club team so when a book came along that had a soccer player as a protagonist, I was happy to dive in. While not my usual urban fantasy read, I wasn't disappointed.

I like the way that Ms. Amato combines art, soccer and science (learning about mushrooms, of all things) into an endearing story that takes you through a roller coaster of emotions with an interesting cast of characters.

Trevor has a gift for drawing and playing soccer. He's very poor so he makes money by drawing awesome designs on people shoes in order to pay for cleats for the club soccer team he wants to join, but can't afford.

His mom is struggling to make ends meet and support the family but it isn't easy. Trevor deals with one bad break after another. Life just isn't fair. The one positive thing he has in his life is his science teacher who is pretty cool. I wish I had him for my teacher.

Invisible Lines is a well written contemporary. So well written that it can be hard to read, emotionally. This kid has it rough. At times it seems like nothing can go right for him. And since you like Trevor, you connect with Trevor, and it's difficult to read about his trials and pain.

But ultimately Invisible Lines is a book about hope, perseverance and the beauty and strength of the human spirit. This is a great inspirational middle grade novel.