(3.75/5 stars)
Have you ever found yourself feeling completely invisible? And I mean Mia Thermopolis "someone just sat on me again" invisible. Fiona McClean is completely and legitimately invisible, and that's just how her father likes it. As Las Vegas's number one crime boss, having an invisible daughter as his number one secret weapon is Fiona's dad's top priority and she always did his bidding. That is, until he asks her to commit a murder. Fiona and her mother flee Vegas and head to a sleepy little town where nothing happens, desperate to save Fiona from a life as a criminal. Then, a whole bunch of shenanigans ensue, leading to a major climax that involves guns, and an ending that is very satisfying because it's one hundred percent a standalone YA book! And since it involves superpowers and radiation pills, it's totally sci-fi, which is good because it's definitely still Sci Fi Month!
What I liked: Did I mention this is a standalone? Because it's a standalone and I love it for that. The trend in YA fiction is full of series right now (which is fine and I love that too), but it's refreshing to see something that doesn't follow that trend. I also really liked Fiona's voice, it was distinct and funny and some of the lines had me suppressing a giddy smile and outburst in the middle of the airport. Her voice changed as she developed and grew as a character and that was great to see. I also really loved the character diversity in her new group of friends and old family drama. Yeah, sure it was stereotypical- weak minded mom, misogynistic dad, loud but loyal best girl-friend, brothers who are the complete opposites of each other- but it was stereotypical enough that it was different. Does that even make sense? The characters captured my heart, and I was immediately invested in their struggles. Also, let's talk about the awesome superpowers. So cool. So different. So, thank you Natalie Whipple. Super strength, the ability to create smells, be able to mimic other people's voices, and invisibility are just the top layer of powers we see in this story. It also got me thinking that maybe I don't actually want to be invisible ever (now I must find a new answers to the "what superpower would you have?" question). It completely sucks to be Fiona and have that curse. Which brings me to a little shout out to Natalie Whipple for the entire "am I beautiful" conversation that Fiona has with her mother in which she kind of shames society for seeing beauty as a purely physical trait and not having anything to do with character. Guess what, Fiona is beautiful because of who she is, not because of what she looks like.
What I didn't like: I didn't like that I felt like I could never fully trust Miles, Fiona's brother. I don't know what it was, and I really think it was a personal thing- maybe I have trust issues and he was too nice. That felt weird to me. I also wasn't the biggest fan of how the story ended, the part concerning her father at least. I really was expecting a bigger blow up, and I was disappointed it ended so lightly. But I did like the rest of the ending, and I still really liked the book itself, I'm just being picky. Lastly, I was left still a bit confused over the entire identity of Spud, but I think that was a personal thing too. Was Spud a real person? I didn't get it.
Overall, Transparent was a very fun, light read. The story was interesting and easy to get invested in, and the characters brought a whole new personality to it. Oh, and the love interest is A+ (super smart soccer boy? sign me up!) and quite adorable, but it doesn't overshadow the story and conflict (yay for good writing!). I definitely recommend it as a standalone so be sure to check it out!
-Annie
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