Invisibility

Starred review from March 18, 2013
Levithan (Every Day) and Cremer (the Nightshade series) again prove themselves masters of their craft in a story that alternates between Elizabeth and Stephen, two 16-year-olds in New York City, caught up in a family curse that unites and threatens them. Stephen is invisible; not even his parents have ever seen him. His father left years ago, and after his mother dies of an aneurysm, Stephen is left alone and isolated in his Manhattan apartment. One year later, a girl named Elizabeth moves into the building—having fled Minnesota after her younger brother was badly beaten for being gay—and sees Stephen. The inventive, enrapturing story that follows involves spellseekers and a curse-casting grandfather, but Stephen’s and Elizabeth’s journey is largely about redemption, self-acceptance, and love. The authors hit all the right notes, from the wry humor of Elizabeth’s brother to the protectiveness Elizabeth and Stephen feel for each other. Cremer and Levithan make Stephen’s invisibility something every reader can relate to, and therein lies the magic. Ages 12–up. Agent: (for Cremer) Richard Pine and Charlie Olsen, Inkwell Management; (for Levithan) Bill Clegg, William Morris Endeavor.