Wonders of the Invisible World
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4.3 • 28 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The captivating Stonewall Honor-winning novel of love, family, and ghosts of the past
Aidan Lockwood lives in a sleepy farming town, day after unremarkable day. But when Jarrod, his former best friend, suddenly moves back home, Aidan begins to see clearly for the first time—not only to feelings that go beyond mere friendship, but to a world that is haunted by the stories of his past. Visions from this invisible world come to him unbidden: a great-grandfather on the field of battle; his own father, stumbling upon an unspeakable tragedy; and a mysterious young boy, whose whispered words may be at the heart of the curse that holds Aidan’s family in its grip.
Now, Aidan must find his way between the past and the present to protect those he loves, and to keep the invisible world at bay.
Stonewall Honor Winner
★ “The unpredictability of curses, magic, and love are inexorably entwined in this gracefully written story.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred
“The complexity of the pairing of real and the unreal . . . is striking, and rather haunting.” —Tor.com
“A wonder itself—a coming-of-age, coming-out, and crossing-into-the-mystic novel all rolled into one.” —Tom McNeal, National Book Award finalist for Far Far Away
“Brilliant storytelling that unearths new intersections of love and magic.” —Scott Westerfeld, bestselling author of Uglies and Zeroes
“If you don’t want a book with magic, mystery, lying parents, ancient curses, and true, true love (plus wonderful writing), then I’m not sure I care to know you. But if you do, then Wonders of the Invisible World is the book you’ve been waiting for.” —Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The unpredictability of curses, magic, and love are inexorably entwined in this gracefully written story from adult author Barzak (Before and Afterlives). Aidan Lockwood, 17, feels like he's in a fog, unnoticed by classmates and going through the motions of life. That changes when a childhood friend, Jarrod, returns to Temperance, Ohio, resurfacing memories that Aidan has lost outright. Soon, Aidan is unearthing willfully hidden secrets, discovering his real feelings for Jarrod, strengthening the supernatural talents he shares with his mother, and learning that the deaths that mark his family tree are interconnected in ways he couldn't have known. Many books withhold critical information from protagonists in irritating ways, but this isn't one of them; while readers may share Aidan's frustrations about what his mother refuses to tell him, they'll also suspect as Barzak sharpens both the stakes and a growing sense of dread that there are good reasons she is doing so. If Jarrod is a bit too perfect, readers will gladly grant Aidan the presence of someone so reliable amid so much uncertainty, tragedy, and pain. Ages 14 up.
