Things That Are

September 1, 2008
Gr 7 Up-Alicia's best friend, Bobby, has gone to New York to scout out colleges, and she realizes that sooner or later she is going to have to tell him that she wants more than just friendship. As she faces the possibility that he is leaving her behind, and is still dealing with her blindness, a new problem crops up. At one point Bobby became invisible, and now there is another invisible person named William stalking him. He follows Bobby home, FBI agents are dropping by, and Alicia wonders just what's going on. Does William just want to return to normal? Is the FBI trying to steal the technology to turn people invisible? Or is William the real threat? Alicia's internal monologues are long, repetitive, and stilted. The plot gathers steam near the end, but Alicia's constant angst over Bobby detracts from it. Their relationship does not seem to have grown any deeper at the end of the book other than the fact that they have kissed. The language and writing seem a little too simple for the YA crowd, but fans of "Things Not Seen" (2002) and "Things Hoped For" (2006, both Philomel) might enjoy this installment in the series."Jennifer-Lynn Draper, Children's Literature Consultant, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2008
In this sequel to Things Not Seen (2002) and Things Hoped For (2006), the action switches back to Chicago. Bobbys blind friend Alicia narrates the story, in which Bobby returns from New York, trailed by the menacing invisible man. Meanwhile, as Alicia wonders if Bobby is ready to take their relationship to the next level, their fathers conduct secret scientific experiments in which lab mice are made invisible, then visible again, and the FBI hovers in a manner more unsettling than reassuring. Once again, Clements tells a riveting tale, made all the more intriguing by the choice of narrator, who experiences and describes the world differently because she cannot see. Alicias relationship with her guide dog (Gerties wonderful, like a low-tech organ transplant) is just one element that her blindness adds to the story without dominating it. As in the previous books, suspense and romance intertwine here, and the door is left open for more.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)