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Becoming Ellen
Returning in the bestselling tradition of Jennifer Weiner, Shattuck brilliantly illustrates the deep friendship between two absolutely unforgettable women in this touching yet funny novel.
Ellen Homes is done being invisible. Well, sort of.
Living with her closest friends, Temerity and Justice, has helped her step out of the shell of invisibility she once hid away in. She still seeks refuge in solitary time and observing from afar, but she has pushed herself to open up to others in ways that bring her unexpected happiness.
But when a terrible bus crash upends her normal routine, Ellen finds herself on a whirlwind crusade for the unseen and downtrodden. Only this time, helping others—including two young children with no one else to turn to—will mean facing a pain from her past that she’s long tucked away.
Picking up where Invisible Ellen left off, Becoming Ellen returns us to the touching, poignant, and compassionate world of Ellen Homes as she learns how to navigate the world she has decided to become a part of.
Ellen Homes is done being invisible. Well, sort of.
Living with her closest friends, Temerity and Justice, has helped her step out of the shell of invisibility she once hid away in. She still seeks refuge in solitary time and observing from afar, but she has pushed herself to open up to others in ways that bring her unexpected happiness.
But when a terrible bus crash upends her normal routine, Ellen finds herself on a whirlwind crusade for the unseen and downtrodden. Only this time, helping others—including two young children with no one else to turn to—will mean facing a pain from her past that she’s long tucked away.
Picking up where Invisible Ellen left off, Becoming Ellen returns us to the touching, poignant, and compassionate world of Ellen Homes as she learns how to navigate the world she has decided to become a part of.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published August 11, 2015
13 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
August 28, 2021
This book was so good!! Highly recommend
December 20, 2015
I loved this book as much as I loved Invisible Ellen. Once again, Shari Shattuck has done an amazing job. I laughed, smiled, and got teary-eyed at times. I wanted to hug this book multiple times and hope I get to meet Shari one day so I can hug her for writing these novels! It's like a soothing balm for my soul, making me feel like I ate a bowl of my favorite soup. I hope she writes another story about Ellen and Temerity soon.
Great story to end 2015 with and it's going on my favorites list, just like Invisible Ellen did last year. (If you haven't read that one yet, read it first before starting this one, as there are spoilers.)
Bravo to Shari for her excellent storytelling skills!
Great story to end 2015 with and it's going on my favorites list, just like Invisible Ellen did last year. (If you haven't read that one yet, read it first before starting this one, as there are spoilers.)
Bravo to Shari for her excellent storytelling skills!
August 21, 2015
Reviewer's Note: Because book 1 of this duology provides readers with a detailed and very relevant backstory which is imperative to the understanding of both the characters and character motivations, which are the basis for book 2. It is strongly suggested that book 1, entitled Invisible Ellen, be read first.
Ellen Homes has come a long way from the reclusive shadow that readers were introduced to in Invisible Ellen. Now living with her best friends, Temerity and Justice; Ellen is slowly coming to realize that she is ready to shed the self-imposed cloak of invisibility that has been both her shield and her prison for the majority of her life.
When the plights of two young children spur Ellen into action. She is forced to confront the demons of neglect and abuse in her own tragic past. Putting her sleuthing petal to the metal at work, also puts Ellen front and center with very illegal, and even more dangerous goings on with some of her more shady co-workers amid the Costco night shift.
Becoming Ellen is not a book that is meant to be breezed through. It is both emotionally complex and at times, almost painfully slow. Readers must understand that Ellen is a woman who has made it through life without many of the social skills or the context for said skills, that most of us take for granted. As a result, each attempt to participate in, or change things in her world is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest.
Surprisingly, there is love to be had amid all the chaos, self discovery, and Temerity inspired Nancy Drewing. For Temerity, romance comes at the piano playing hands of her new downstairs neighbor. Justice finds his happily with a sweet lady doctor, and Ellen makes three, with the equally shy and incredibly patient musician Rupert.
This is a very compelling read, that draws one in and doesn't let go until its ending pages. Please be advised that even though the sensitive issues of child abuse and neglect are handled with great respect and care; these issues can serve as a trigger for some readers.
I was provided with a copy of this work as part of Penguin's First To Read program in exchange for the honest review provided
Ellen Homes has come a long way from the reclusive shadow that readers were introduced to in Invisible Ellen. Now living with her best friends, Temerity and Justice; Ellen is slowly coming to realize that she is ready to shed the self-imposed cloak of invisibility that has been both her shield and her prison for the majority of her life.
When the plights of two young children spur Ellen into action. She is forced to confront the demons of neglect and abuse in her own tragic past. Putting her sleuthing petal to the metal at work, also puts Ellen front and center with very illegal, and even more dangerous goings on with some of her more shady co-workers amid the Costco night shift.
Becoming Ellen is not a book that is meant to be breezed through. It is both emotionally complex and at times, almost painfully slow. Readers must understand that Ellen is a woman who has made it through life without many of the social skills or the context for said skills, that most of us take for granted. As a result, each attempt to participate in, or change things in her world is the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest.
Surprisingly, there is love to be had amid all the chaos, self discovery, and Temerity inspired Nancy Drewing. For Temerity, romance comes at the piano playing hands of her new downstairs neighbor. Justice finds his happily with a sweet lady doctor, and Ellen makes three, with the equally shy and incredibly patient musician Rupert.
This is a very compelling read, that draws one in and doesn't let go until its ending pages. Please be advised that even though the sensitive issues of child abuse and neglect are handled with great respect and care; these issues can serve as a trigger for some readers.
I was provided with a copy of this work as part of Penguin's First To Read program in exchange for the honest review provided
June 15, 2015
Becoming Ellen
By
Shari Shattuck
What it's all about...
It's all about Ellen. She has a blind roommate named Temerity...she is working the night shift at Costco...she is still a bit chubby but in this book she is more socialized. When I was reading this book I kept thinking that I read it before but after again reading the back cover...I realized I read the first book...Invisible Ellen. In that book her life was really sad...in this book her life is less sad...but still sad...the Costco cleaning scenes make me want to cry! She still has a scar...she is still quiet but in this book she seems to be saving and feeding children...and she is very good at it. Especially when she is in a bus crash with one of the children...oh my!
My thoughts after reading this book...
I did not like this book. I liked Ellen but this book was not for me.
What I loved best...
I loved learning that Ellen is better socially...more comfortable around people.
What potential readers might want to know...
I think you really need to read the first book to better understand Ellen. Unfortunately I have now read both but I don't think I want to know where Ellen goes next...I am really not that into her.
By
Shari Shattuck
What it's all about...
It's all about Ellen. She has a blind roommate named Temerity...she is working the night shift at Costco...she is still a bit chubby but in this book she is more socialized. When I was reading this book I kept thinking that I read it before but after again reading the back cover...I realized I read the first book...Invisible Ellen. In that book her life was really sad...in this book her life is less sad...but still sad...the Costco cleaning scenes make me want to cry! She still has a scar...she is still quiet but in this book she seems to be saving and feeding children...and she is very good at it. Especially when she is in a bus crash with one of the children...oh my!
My thoughts after reading this book...
I did not like this book. I liked Ellen but this book was not for me.
What I loved best...
I loved learning that Ellen is better socially...more comfortable around people.
What potential readers might want to know...
I think you really need to read the first book to better understand Ellen. Unfortunately I have now read both but I don't think I want to know where Ellen goes next...I am really not that into her.
September 2, 2015
I loved the return of these rich characters, but there wasn't really a strong storyline. I kind of wish the author would have just written Invisible Ellen, because in Becoming Ellen, it seemed to me that Ellen had taken steps backward from the ending of Invisible Ellen. I almost was getting annoyed with her creeping around and hiding all the time. I will say the ending was cute and tied everything up nicely.
September 5, 2018
I simply adored this book and the story of Ellen. It’s such a compelling story of her becoming comfortable in her own skin with the help of some wonderful friends and her helping someone who needs it more. Beautiful. More!
June 23, 2015
***This review has spoilers for Invisible Ellen but not for Becoming Ellen***
Becoming Ellen is the sequel to Invisible Ellen. I highly recommend reading that book first to really understand who Ellen is. And Ellen is a very damaged individual. She has a paralyzing fear of interacting with other people and has used food as an emotional crutch in the past, although not so much in this book.
As with Invisible Ellen, there are several subplots that have Temerity and Ellen involving themselves in sticky situations to try and help people. Some of these situations involved the foster care system and as foster parent myself, I was bothered by the inaccuracies of how the system works. It's probably not enough to concern someone who isn't familiar with the system but I didn't like it.
Ellen still struggles with anxiety and extreme shyness in the book but she is slowly coming out of her shell. She lives with Temerity and her brother Justice now instead of living isolated and alone. Her scar has been fixed for the most part and her relationship with food is healthier, although still not perfect. We learn more about Ellen's childhood which is the reason she became the person she is now.
I liked this book but I didn't love it like I loved Invisible Ellen. I think it's because Invisible Ellen was mostly focused on Ellen and developing her character. Becoming Ellen is more focused on action and plot. If there is another book, I would like it to explore the character of Temerity more deeply in addition to following Ellen on her journey.
If you read Invisible Ellen then I recommend Becoming Ellen. I enjoyed checking in with Ellen, Temerity and Justice.
Becoming Ellen is the sequel to Invisible Ellen. I highly recommend reading that book first to really understand who Ellen is. And Ellen is a very damaged individual. She has a paralyzing fear of interacting with other people and has used food as an emotional crutch in the past, although not so much in this book.
As with Invisible Ellen, there are several subplots that have Temerity and Ellen involving themselves in sticky situations to try and help people. Some of these situations involved the foster care system and as foster parent myself, I was bothered by the inaccuracies of how the system works. It's probably not enough to concern someone who isn't familiar with the system but I didn't like it.
Ellen still struggles with anxiety and extreme shyness in the book but she is slowly coming out of her shell. She lives with Temerity and her brother Justice now instead of living isolated and alone. Her scar has been fixed for the most part and her relationship with food is healthier, although still not perfect. We learn more about Ellen's childhood which is the reason she became the person she is now.
I liked this book but I didn't love it like I loved Invisible Ellen. I think it's because Invisible Ellen was mostly focused on Ellen and developing her character. Becoming Ellen is more focused on action and plot. If there is another book, I would like it to explore the character of Temerity more deeply in addition to following Ellen on her journey.
If you read Invisible Ellen then I recommend Becoming Ellen. I enjoyed checking in with Ellen, Temerity and Justice.
December 28, 2015
Returning in the bestselling tradition of Jennifer Weiner, Shattuck brilliantly illustrates the deep friendship between two absolutely unforgettable women in this touching yet funny novel.
Ellen Homes is done being invisible. Well, sort of.
Living with her closest friends, Temerity and Justice, has helped her step out of the shell of invisibility she once hid away in. She still seeks refuge in solitary time and observing from afar, but she has pushed herself to open up to others in ways that bring her unexpected happiness.
But when a terrible bus crash upends her normal routine, Ellen finds herself on a whirlwind crusade for the unseen and downtrodden. Only this time, helping others—including two young children with no one else to turn to—will mean facing a pain from her past that she’s long tucked away.
Picking up where Invisible Ellen left off, Becoming Ellen returns us to the touching, poignant, and compassionate world of Ellen Homes as she learns how to navigate the world she has decided to become a part of.
--My thoughts. This is not a stand alone book. I really wanted to like Ellen, I really wanted to like all the characters and it is a good premise. That being said, I just couldn't. For twenty years, Ellen willed herself to not be a part of the world. But she was feeling jaunty. This is how the book started out. It just didn't grab me. I stuck it out, but I just wasn't thrilled with it. She just seems disjointed and odd. I wished and hoped for more.
Ellen Homes is done being invisible. Well, sort of.
Living with her closest friends, Temerity and Justice, has helped her step out of the shell of invisibility she once hid away in. She still seeks refuge in solitary time and observing from afar, but she has pushed herself to open up to others in ways that bring her unexpected happiness.
But when a terrible bus crash upends her normal routine, Ellen finds herself on a whirlwind crusade for the unseen and downtrodden. Only this time, helping others—including two young children with no one else to turn to—will mean facing a pain from her past that she’s long tucked away.
Picking up where Invisible Ellen left off, Becoming Ellen returns us to the touching, poignant, and compassionate world of Ellen Homes as she learns how to navigate the world she has decided to become a part of.
--My thoughts. This is not a stand alone book. I really wanted to like Ellen, I really wanted to like all the characters and it is a good premise. That being said, I just couldn't. For twenty years, Ellen willed herself to not be a part of the world. But she was feeling jaunty. This is how the book started out. It just didn't grab me. I stuck it out, but I just wasn't thrilled with it. She just seems disjointed and odd. I wished and hoped for more.
July 3, 2015
Many thanks to Firsttoread.com for an advanced digital book of Becoming Ellen by Shari Shattuck in return for my honest review.
Becoming Ellen continues where Invisible Ellen left off. The characters are charming, quirky, and lovable. Their friendship is protective and heart-warming; they are the best part of this novel.
However as extraordinary as the character development is, the story itself is lacking. Like the first book, It is just too unrealistic. These characters are able to "move mountains." Their plans are easily initiated. Help is always available, and wrongs are righted. It's a beautiful sentiment, and I wish the world worked this way, but unfortunately life is complicated and messy. Although these characters have survived adversity, it is just too rosy to be believed.
If you can suspend reality, then this is a must read, one to be enjoyed and savored. But for this reader, with the exception of the characters, the story fell short.
Becoming Ellen continues where Invisible Ellen left off. The characters are charming, quirky, and lovable. Their friendship is protective and heart-warming; they are the best part of this novel.
However as extraordinary as the character development is, the story itself is lacking. Like the first book, It is just too unrealistic. These characters are able to "move mountains." Their plans are easily initiated. Help is always available, and wrongs are righted. It's a beautiful sentiment, and I wish the world worked this way, but unfortunately life is complicated and messy. Although these characters have survived adversity, it is just too rosy to be believed.
If you can suspend reality, then this is a must read, one to be enjoyed and savored. But for this reader, with the exception of the characters, the story fell short.
January 14, 2016
This is the sequel to Invisible Ellen, which I read over a year ago. Definitely read that first. I really enjoyed being back in Ellen's world and seeing her continued progress. Just like the last book, there are a lot of coincidences and references to Temerity's blindness, but I would totally read another book about Ellen's life!
February 29, 2016
Even better than her first (Invisible Ellen)
June 3, 2019
For many of us, there comes a moment when we wish we were invisible. For Homes, not only does she wish it…she actually lives it. Overweight, socially stunned, and utterly alone, Ellen spends her days quietly observing but unobserved, watching and recording in her notebooks the lives of her neighbors, coworkers, and total strangers. But one night she saves a blind young woman named Temerity from being mugged. Then everything changes.
I thoroughly enjoyed this interesting and insightful book as this was totally an accidental book I checked out, thinking it was the same author (last name unusual) of a book I had just completed. I was hoping to see what "that" author had also written. This was completely serendipitous.
But the funny thing is that while waiting to understand certain parts of the books because some authors go back in time to explain something in the present, it never happened.
As it turned out, I read the 2nd book of the 2 book series and yet, I still liked it!
Now to go and find the first book to put everything in context.
I thoroughly enjoyed this interesting and insightful book as this was totally an accidental book I checked out, thinking it was the same author (last name unusual) of a book I had just completed. I was hoping to see what "that" author had also written. This was completely serendipitous.
But the funny thing is that while waiting to understand certain parts of the books because some authors go back in time to explain something in the present, it never happened.
As it turned out, I read the 2nd book of the 2 book series and yet, I still liked it!
Now to go and find the first book to put everything in context.
January 22, 2018
I ended up liking this book, though I wondered if I would at first. The main character, Ellen, is so different that I wasn't sure I would relate to her. The book ends up being a story of triumph, as "invisible" Ellen dares to become a little more visible and finds ways to help people and enact justice without being front and center. Made more confident by her friends/roommates, Temerity and Justice, Ellen helps bring down a drug dealing boss at work. With the help of her roommate and new friend, Rupert, she saves the life of an abused runaway, and ensures a warm, safe home for a little girl whose mother was severely injured in an accident. Sound like too much do-goodism? It's a book about the power of friendship, creative ways to do the right thing, and simply noticing what goes on around you.
January 18, 2020
While I enjoyed this book as a follow up to Invisible Ellen, I didn’t avoid it nearly as much. I would say about a 3 1/2 star, mostly due to the writing. The characters are still quirky and fun (but since they’ve already been developed in the previous book, what we gain in familiarity with these “friends” we lose in novelty), and we get to see some more of their adventures and growth together. But the writing style just wasn’t as gripping or high-quality as the first one – I can’t pinpoint quite why, but there it is.
January 19, 2021
This novel was a fast paced easy read. I had read Invisible Ellen so it was good to read this next book about Ellen's life. She is still shy and afraid to speak out and be seen. Ellen has good friends who care for her. She helps save a little girl in a bus crash, finds a run away little boy hiding in her neighborhood, and encounters problems at work with a co-worker drug dealer. There are several problems to solve .
February 16, 2024
After reading Invisible Ellen, which I loved, I couldn't wait to read the sequel. Unfortunately it wasn't nearly as good. For some reason it lost its charm and sense of wonder. Ellen's fear of the world and interactions became a bit tedious. I think the author lost steam along the way. Nevertheless, the set of books is different and demonstrates that you can make a difference in the world - although perhaps not as dramatic as Ellen and Temerity do.
January 30, 2022
A friend who owns a bookstore, let me choose a brown-paper wrapped book that was part of a promotion they do called Blind Date with a Book. It had a short generic description written on the wrapping. I enjoyed this book, which is actually a sequel. I will probably go back and read the first book now. This was fine to read as a stand-alone though.
January 21, 2026
About half way through this one, I was ready to be done. Ellen, Temerity, and Justice are a cute trio in both of the books, but the story was a bit much. I rolled my eyes too many times, at the fortuity of every situation.
September 11, 2017
All the characters are believable and work together for a greater good. I hope the author keeps writing about Ellen and her friends. Read the first book Invisible Ellen first.
October 13, 2017
I didn't like this one nearly as much as the first book in the series (Invisible Ellen). This one didn't seem quite as quirky. The various situations that Ellen and Temerity fix seem too contrived.
March 22, 2019
Interesting synopsis, but couldn't get past page 30.
September 2, 2019
EXCELLENT. I loved this book and it's predecessor. Both books stayed with me for quite a while. Will definitely read again. That's how much I loved it!
February 7, 2020
Loved this book. Hated for it to end. Hopefully there will be a 3rd in the series.
June 7, 2021
Fell in love with the characters. I just ordered Twins
June 22, 2021
A simply wonderful story.
April 13, 2023
Maybe it was because I was used to the main character, after reading the first book, Invisible Ellen, but I enjoyed this second book even more than the first.
April 19, 2024
A Hidden Gem
This is the sequel to Invisible Ellen. What a tribute to the beautiful side of human nature, in contrast to the ugly, evil side.
This is the sequel to Invisible Ellen. What a tribute to the beautiful side of human nature, in contrast to the ugly, evil side.
March 7, 2025
As delightfully improbable as Invisible Ellen, this was a sweet easy read.
January 23, 2017
This is a must read book - it is as good as Invisible Ellen
November 12, 2022
I really liked the character Ellen and her roommates Temerity (a blind women) and her twin brother Justice.
It wasn’t until I was pretty far along on this book that I realized that this was a SEQUEL to”Invisible Ellen” and that I needed to read the original book “Invisible Ellen”to get the backstory to several references made in this title to Ellen’s previous life.
11/11/2022: More later 4****
It wasn’t until I was pretty far along on this book that I realized that this was a SEQUEL to”Invisible Ellen” and that I needed to read the original book “Invisible Ellen”to get the backstory to several references made in this title to Ellen’s previous life.
11/11/2022: More later 4****
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