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157th out of 301 books
—
1,987 voters
Invisible Girl
When poor Boston girl Stephanie is abandoned by her abusive mother and taken in by Annie?s Beverly Hills family, she feels anything but home. Her dark complexion and accent stick out like a sore thumb in the golden-hued world of blondes and extravagance. These are girls who seem to live life in fastforward, while Stephanie is stuck on pause. Yet when a new rival moves to t...more
Hardcover, 288 pages
Published
May 27th 2010
by Philomel
(first published May 8th 2010)
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Just didn't do it for me.
Girl from abusive broken home gets sent live with wealthy family friends in CA. Hmmm, it's a stretch but could happen.
To her surprise she's considered "worthwhile" and lies her way into a life of parties, popularity, and country club poolside "fun". With no money, with raggedy clothes, with nothing going for her... she becomes cool? Yeah, right.
And the Nancy Drew piece was taken to a place beyond overkill. (And I love Nancy, so that's saying something.)
I gave up about 1...more
Girl from abusive broken home gets sent live with wealthy family friends in CA. Hmmm, it's a stretch but could happen.
To her surprise she's considered "worthwhile" and lies her way into a life of parties, popularity, and country club poolside "fun". With no money, with raggedy clothes, with nothing going for her... she becomes cool? Yeah, right.
And the Nancy Drew piece was taken to a place beyond overkill. (And I love Nancy, so that's saying something.)
I gave up about 1...more
this is a geat book that i recomed to all older readers who what to read about a teen living in a biffeet wolrd then she is used to. she has a lot of new expersen and she is trying to find a way to fit in. i think you would and should love this book!
This book begins with a rather intense beginning which might put off many people from reading it. Afterwards the story changes tone and has more of a traditional teen novel feel. Stephanie is put into an environment where she doesn't belong, so she desperately tries to fit in. The good news is that despite her attempts at the beginning, by the end of the novel, she finds her own way to feel comfortable in her skin.
I liked this novel and couldn't stop reading until I finished it. However, I gave...more
I liked this novel and couldn't stop reading until I finished it. However, I gave...more
I strongly am considering how this book could get a 3.79 rating! I just finished this book, and really loved Stone's style of writing. The way she described things, it was amazing. I truly felt Stephanie's pain and indecision. Sure, I may have thought that there was some reptition in the way Stephanie's memories kept coming back-perhaps these moments could have been woven in a bit more smooth. But this happens in life. The way those memories kept hitting her like broken glass is the way it feels...more
This book was about a girl whose mother abused her, and her mother leaves her and her father. So Stephanie has to live with one of her Uncles friends.
The Uncles friend has a daughter Annie, who is practically the Queen Bee. She bosses people around, yet Stephanie wants to be her.
"I feel a blast of rage. This is all she has to be horrified about? This is her dark secret? Jealousy claws at my chest. I want her life so badly I could tear her face off with my bare hands and plaster my own over her...more
The Uncles friend has a daughter Annie, who is practically the Queen Bee. She bosses people around, yet Stephanie wants to be her.
"I feel a blast of rage. This is all she has to be horrified about? This is her dark secret? Jealousy claws at my chest. I want her life so badly I could tear her face off with my bare hands and plaster my own over her...more
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When I picked up Invisible Girl, I didn’t expect that I would finish it that fast. I was pulled in by the struggle and sadness of Stephanie. The novel starts with a powerful and emotionally-charged scene and peels Stephanie’s skin to reveal the scared and worried girl that she is underneath her carefully composed façade. The comfort and protection coming from words was a unique thing about this novel. It adds personality to her and creates fun and vivid imagery.
The sto...more
When I picked up Invisible Girl, I didn’t expect that I would finish it that fast. I was pulled in by the struggle and sadness of Stephanie. The novel starts with a powerful and emotionally-charged scene and peels Stephanie’s skin to reveal the scared and worried girl that she is underneath her carefully composed façade. The comfort and protection coming from words was a unique thing about this novel. It adds personality to her and creates fun and vivid imagery.
The sto...more
Wow, this book was a lot better then I expected. I met the author in career day and got a free hard cover edition of the book, the cover mislead me into thinking it was going to be a run of the mill young adult book, so obviously I let it collect dust in my bookshelf. Just today I decided to read it for fun, and boy, was I in for a surprise. Firstly, I read it within three hours, and they slipped by faster then a race car. This book has something other young adult teen books don't have, and that...more
This isn't a book you say you like- first person account of a girl 14 who is violently abused by a gorgeous alcoholic mother while a whupped father watches at the edges. Mom finds a new guy, beats Stephanie, grabs her suitcase and blows off her family. Dad is slammed and Stephanie is sent to a friend of the extended family in Beverly Hills.
Used to hiding and lying to cope, Stephanie spins a cover story that is blown open when her real history is shared between the parents in her new home. Now s...more
Used to hiding and lying to cope, Stephanie spins a cover story that is blown open when her real history is shared between the parents in her new home. Now s...more
This book is a MUST read. Not only did I turn pages so quickly that I finished it with time left to tend to my six month old, but I thoroughly enjoyed the story. It is the classic tale of the humble, insecure girl becoming a young adolescent exploring grace and dignity while learning how to be herself in a crowd of cliques and "mean girl" peers.
Our beloved protagonist is faced with character judgment in a new environment. Who couldn't relate? I found myself identifying with her while having fla...more
Our beloved protagonist is faced with character judgment in a new environment. Who couldn't relate? I found myself identifying with her while having fla...more
Stephanie is used to fading into the shadows. At school, she has no friends, preferring the solace of books. At home, things aren’t any better, and Stephanie spends half her time hiding from her drunk and abusive mother. When her mom leaves and her father sends her to live with an old family friend across the country, Stephanie realizes she can no longer be invisible. Everything about her makes her stand out, and not in a good way. Her old clothes, her Bostonian accent, and her naturally darker...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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Don’t plan on picking up ‘Invisible Girl’ unless you have the time to finish it. If not, you run the risk of running very late for whatever it is you have previously planned. (In my case, I missed the first 30 minutes of a good friend’s twins’ Bar Mitzvah.)
We’ve all seen the ‘fish-out-of-water’ device. In this story, however, the tension is so tangible, you can’t help but follow along, step by step, as 14 year-old Stephanie is thrust from her deeply-troubled, working-class home in Boston to the...more
We’ve all seen the ‘fish-out-of-water’ device. In this story, however, the tension is so tangible, you can’t help but follow along, step by step, as 14 year-old Stephanie is thrust from her deeply-troubled, working-class home in Boston to the...more
Wow... I am very surprised on how bad this was from beginning to the end. It starts with the main character sitting in a closet hiding from her abusive mother, but without any pants because she peed in them, and while reading Nancy Drew to calm her down. This could have been a very jaw dropping beginning but instead came off as weird. I thought about giving up on the book at that point, but thought that it couldn't get worse from there. I was soo wrong! Then her mother walks out and her dad send...more
The first chapter of this book had powerful imagery, unfortunately the remainder of the book kind of fizzled out for me. I thought Mary Hanlon Stone really captured the abused and tortured soul of a fourteen year old Stephenie, but there ended up being that same old rich-mean-girl-picks-on-below-standard-character-scenario that seems to be the norm for YA books now a days.
Even though I mentioned that Stone depicted Stephenie well, her character did start to bother me. I really wanted to shake h...more
Even though I mentioned that Stone depicted Stephenie well, her character did start to bother me. I really wanted to shake h...more
With her father unable to cope with her alcoholic, abusive mother’s abandonment, 14-year old Stephanie is sent to live in Los Angeles with family friends who have a daughter, Annie, her same age. Once in L.A., Stephanie struggles to hide her background and fit in with Annie’s clique of mean-girls and alpha males. While many of our Middle School readers can probably relate to Stephanie’s struggle with her own identity and fitting in with the popular crowd, the story is full of sexually explicit s...more
Apr 13, 2010
Christina (Confessions of a Book Addict)
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
arc,
young-adult
Stephanie is a character that you truly feel for. You immediately start off wanting to protect and help her, because Mary Hanlon Stone, right away, puts us in the center of the action. Stephanie is abused by her alcoholic mother and although she has a father, he is useless and apathetic. He sits by and allows Stephanie to be treated this way. Stephanie's mother ends up deserting her and since her father is helpless, he sends her off to his brother's friend's house in Beverly Hills until he can g...more
I felt the Invisible Girl had great character development. I really felt horrible for the way Stephanie, the main character was treated. It made me want to just take her in and protect her. I just wish she could have been a little bit stronger and stood up for her self earlier on in the book. Her friend Amal was a great addition to the story. I feel that's exactly what Stephanie needed, friendship.
The only qualm I had about this book was the ending. I felt it was very lacking. I would have love...more
The only qualm I had about this book was the ending. I felt it was very lacking. I would have love...more
Mar 21, 2010
rhea
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
high school aged YA
Recommended to rhea by:
won as a first read
Shelves:
first-reads
I liked the book from the start because it got into the story immediately. You immediately feel the character's pain. You feel for her and feel sad that at such a young age she has to go through so much torment. At the same time, it was a hard book for me to read, because I don't do well with abuse, especially involving children. It was also a tough read, not only for the abuse, but the reminders of high school. She has awful self-esteem and reliving some of that pain of laughter and feelings of...more
A theme that occurred through out the book was betrayals and wanting to be important. The author wants people to see how teens go through high school and life. I think by using a teenage problem that turned into a situation was a way the author revealed a world view, plus it was very realistic. Some parts in the book were uncomfortable and made me feel sad because of what was going on. It made me realize how lucky I'am to have real friends that want to be my friend and a mom who doesn't hurt me....more
This book is called Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone. It is a great book! The book is about a teenager named Stephanie who was abandoned by her mother and got sent to LA. She lives in her father's friend's house. Stephanie meets Annie who is a popular girl ad lives in the same house as Stephanie. Annie is a rich, spoilt girl who has friends who smoke and drink beer. Stephanie wants to fit in so she copies whatever Annie does. Stephanie lies about her family background because she is too asha...more
I didn't know much about this book before going in. I was both pleasantly surprised and a bit disappointed.
Immediately starting the novel we find out how tough's Stephanie life is. Her mother is abusive and her father lacks a backbone who can't do anything right for Stephanie; it leaves her feeling like she doesn't belong, like she's not wanted. This is where the author does a great job: she writes emotions and characters that shine.
The Californian teenagers were horrible and manipulative to out...more
Immediately starting the novel we find out how tough's Stephanie life is. Her mother is abusive and her father lacks a backbone who can't do anything right for Stephanie; it leaves her feeling like she doesn't belong, like she's not wanted. This is where the author does a great job: she writes emotions and characters that shine.
The Californian teenagers were horrible and manipulative to out...more
I was disappointed by the writing in this book. Given the book jacket synopsis and about the author I really expected to enjoy it. It read like a book that was written for girls by someone whose focus is boys. Because the author has two sons, perhaps that is the voice she hears when she reads their books. The overall idea, a girl trying to make a fresh start and escape her past has great promise. The interruptions of body parts and bodily functions caused me to keep doing double takes. Was I rea...more
Stephanie has spent many of her fourteen years struggling with an alcoholic, abusive mother and a passive, lackluster father who stands by while Stephanie is routinely victimized. Stephanie duels with her conflicting feelings, wanting badly to win her mother's love and approval and her intense feelings of anguish and rage at her parents' detestable behavior. When Stephanie's mom leaves the family, her father feels incapable of picking up the pieces and offers no comfort to his daughter, instead...more
This book is a book you can relate to, no matter who you are, whether you are invisible, or loved by everyone around you. You could feel sympathy for Stephanie, and connect with her. This is the type of book you get into from the first sentence to the last. I have only positive feedback on this book. I thought Amal's character, was genius. She was stereotyped as "thinks she's all that" by stephanie and her "group", yet Amal is the most moral, ethical, sweet character, I feel. I suggest this book...more
Apr 13, 2010
Chantal P.
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
everyone
Recommended to Chantal by:
my friend
Although I never experienced the kind of abuse that Stephanie had to put up with (thankfully!), I could completely relate to her. When my family moved when I was in middle school, I found learning a new school and social system really tough. All of Stephanie's emotions and insecurities were so tenderly described. You won't always love what she does, but you will always understand her. I absolutely loved how Stephanie found so much of her strength in books. I would recommend this to all my friend...more
Invisible Girl was a book that i could really relate to. Stephanie, the main character struggles through daily teenage drama, and many teenagers can relate to it, and learn from her mistakes as well. As i read the book, i really felt as if i was Stephanie, going through all this drama Annie puts up with.
I learned that one lie leads to another, and ends up causing a lot more problem then you thought it would. Also, to be yourself, and to not be something or someone your not. People should like y...more
I learned that one lie leads to another, and ends up causing a lot more problem then you thought it would. Also, to be yourself, and to not be something or someone your not. People should like y...more
Invisible Girl by Mary Hanlon Stone
Philomel Books, 2010
279 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Won an ARC
Summary: Stephanie lives in Boston with her abusive mother and cowed father. When her mother walks out on them, her father sends her to friends in California where she has the chance to remake herself.
Thoughts: Honestly I mostly wanted to read this book because the main character's name is Stephanie and I love seeing my name in print.
At about the halfway point, I was not enjoying this but I...more
Philomel Books, 2010
279 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Source: Won an ARC
Summary: Stephanie lives in Boston with her abusive mother and cowed father. When her mother walks out on them, her father sends her to friends in California where she has the chance to remake herself.
Thoughts: Honestly I mostly wanted to read this book because the main character's name is Stephanie and I love seeing my name in print.
At about the halfway point, I was not enjoying this but I...more
When a publisher goes so far to say the phrase "brilliant newcomer" in correlation with the author's name, you begin to get high hopes. Well, at least I do. So going into this I was expecting well brilliancy or at the least a compelling, captivating read. Though, while I did somewhat receive that, I felt that Invisible Girl wasn't as nearly as fantastic as it could have been.
First, let's start with the aspects I did like; one would be the characters, Stephanie in particular.
Stephanie was a gir...more
First, let's start with the aspects I did like; one would be the characters, Stephanie in particular.
Stephanie was a gir...more
The author did a great job of developing a character just about any teenage girl, especially one who's still in the process of kind of finding herself, could identify with. Don't get me wrong, there were parts of the book (which I finished in one sitting) where I wanted to shake the main girl and scream, "What're you doing???" But that's part of what makes this such a good book - you develop such a connection with the characters that you actually root for them! This book's definitely a thumbs up...more
Great addition to YA literature for preteens and for adults who need a reminder of the difficulties of navigating new social situations, the awkwardness of fitting in, and breaking through established cliques. Deception, fickle friendships, competing loyalties, Facebook downfalls, mean girls, pushy boys, and a strong book-loving heroine with a gift for spin and the power of words, all packaged together in pitch-perfect teenspeak. Brava! Perfect summer read. Put it on your list!
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