The Last Invisible Boy (Hardcover)

~ (Author), J. P. Coovert (Illustrator)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Starred Review. Grade 5–7—This illustrated novel, reminiscent in style of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Abrams, 2007), is sure to have huge appeal. Finn Garrett tells the tender yet humorous story of how he begins to disappear following his beloved dad's sudden death. The 12-year-old awakens the morning after the day when everything changes to find a strand of white hair and less "pinkness" to his skin. Each day he grows whiter and less visible. He begins to write a memoir, which is really an account of his and his family's grief over their devastating loss. While poignant and sad, the book is ultimately upbeat as they begin to heal. At times Finn feels he is being erased because he failed to save his dad. At other times he wonders if he is aging in order to get closer to him. He recounts memory after memory, ultimately realizing the importance of them, and of being the keeper of his father's stories. Finn sees a therapist, and eventually he, his mother, his grandpa, his little brother, and his friend Melanie move beyond their initial pain. Finn's invisibility reverses itself and he becomes a boy who has managed to hold on to the world. The book's engaging, intimate tone is enhanced by Finn frequently addressing readers. Stop signs placed at points when he is overwhelmed with feeling add to the tenderness. The language and style are pitch-perfect middle school, and the illustrations ably capture the boy's memories and moods.—Connie Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME
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From Booklist

Finn Garret is disappearing. Every day he wakes to find a little less pigment reflected in the mirror. It all began, he says, on “The Terrible Day That Changed Everything, the day I lost my dad forever.” Finn’s first-person chronicle of his life after his father’s death strikes a balance of honest humor and poignancy. The narrative structure is clever and affecting: the less the world sees of Finn, the more the reader comes to know. Finn’s journal, an assemblage of log entries, quizzes, drawings, and directions to the reader, is genuinely adolescent, funny, and moving. Vivid details, like Finn’s obsession with saltwater taffy, add depth to the characterizations and grow in meaning as the story progresses. In style, Finn’s diary sits somewhere between those in Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid series and Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (2007). But Finn’s distinct narrative voice, and the sweet precision with which the story unfolds, give this title a touching resonance all its own. Grades 4-7. --Thom Barthelmess

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Ginee Seo Books (October 21, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416957979
• ISBN-13: 978-1416957973
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #445,789 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars disappointed, October 29, 2008

By	Cathe Olson "natural foods cookbook author" (In the kitchen) - See all my reviews

(What's this?)

This book seemed like it was trying to be like "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" but it didn't have the humor or the interest or the character development. The drawings, which were integral in Wimpy Kid, did not add anything to the story or help define the character. They weren't even funny. Also, some of the pictures were supposed to be photos and some drawings but they all were in the same style.

The character of Finn was very inconsistent--sometimes talking older than his age, sometimes younger. I got very annoyed about his having to give the meaning of every single name in the book--unless he has a reason to be so name obssessed, this could have been left out.

The story was just plain dull. Most of it was in flashbacks presented in random order. There was little about his present which was really what I was interested in. It is probably true-to-life that a boy would go through all these rememberances and the depression after losing a parent--it it might even be helpful for someone in that situation to read--but it just didn't make for an interesting story.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Loved the format of the book, but may be too depressing for kids, even if they're dealing with grief., November 19, 2008

By	Anjana Nigam (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

(What's this?)

I loved the idea of this book. It's about Finn Garrett who has lost his dad and feels like he's turning invisible little by little. The book is written like his journal with text and his drawings.

I was very intrigued by the description on the jacket and the book started off well. Finn does not talk of the tragedy in the beginning he just imagines a giant eraser fell from the sky and starting rubbing him out. However, by the middle I could not read it any longer as it was too boring. Although, this is meant to be a diary of a young kid it appears disconnected. The activities Finn Garrett undertakes are normal for a kid his age but the author has not been able to capture the spirit of a middle schooler with the way Finn speaks or even thinks. In parts, it seems like an adult trying to think and talk like a younger kid.

Overall, it is a nice idea but I could not help but compare it with Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. Jeff Kinney makes you really relate to the main character in the book. Although this book comes froma sadder place in a kid's heart it should not be so difficult to relate to a the character. In fact, the circumstances make us predisposed to like the character but it did not quite get there for me.

I also gave it to my 5th grader to read, she loves reading and finishes a book a day but left this one half read. She lost interest in the story midway, which makes me wonder if the 9-12 year audience who the book is intended for will feel the same way.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A warm, poignant, amusing story of family love and loss!, October 30, 2008

By	Betty L. Dravis "[e-mail], autho... (Silicon Valley, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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I'm accustomed to reading juvenile books that are geared for adults too. Initially, I had a hard time reading The Last Invisible Boy, but when I realized this first-person account in journal form was supposedly written by a twelve-year-old boy, that changed everything! I prepared myself for the read by pretending I was my grandson at that age.

After I found the proper mindset, the book became cohesive and even clever. I related to little Finn Garrett. He's quite a boy: great imagination, logical thought processes, and is quite resourceful.

I'm in awe that author Evan Kuhlman understands the tween mind so well; the writing leaps off the page as though a twelve-year-old really wrote it. For the story's purpose, the creative illustrations are supposedly drawn by Finn, also, but the artist is J. P. Coovert. He did a fine job creating simple, descriptive art that seemed perfect for each journal entry. I'm pleased there are so many illustrations. At first I thought I might prefer them in color, but I came to realize that black-and-white were ideal for this book.

The premise of the book is that Finn has lost his father unexpectedly and he thinks he's becoming invisible because his hair and skin are turning white. He feels that if he becomes invisible he can join his father and have more adventures with him whenever he wishes...jumping from his real life in Sunnyvale, Ohio to wherever his father is. His struggles to come to terms with that concept are heart-breaking, endearing, and at times amusing--but never outrageously hilarious.

It's at all times charming!
The Last Invisible Boy is a unique "take" on dealing with grief, but the part I enjoyed most was listening in on Finn's thought processes. Just one example: He's thinking about his eyes remaining the same ocean blue color when he writes: "Eyes are pretty weird, don't you think? They see things. The trillion colors. The trillion things to see. Like this book, like these words, like the white spaces around the words. If you think too much about how your eyes work, how they pull the world inside of you, you may get a severe case of the thinking ooglies." While that's not too dramatic, I think it's cool and typical of a kid Finn's age.

In addition to Finn's interaction with his mother and younger brother, he also has his first girlfriend Melanie; she's great at sports while his father always described him as the "sensitive, artistic" type. They hold hands, ride bikes together, visit the cemetery often, and, of course, they're "going to start dating next year when they're thirteen and get married when they grow up." It's a really cute touch, adding another note of childish realism to this book.

I recommend The Last Invisible Boy for parents who want to understand their tweens' mindset, for those who have lost a parent, and for children from ages ten to twelve, especially those who are seeking a warm, poignant, yet amusing story about family love and loss. (Amazon recommends it for ages 9-12, but I think age nine is stretching it a bit!)

Reviewed by: Betty Dravis
Author of The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley