abigailbat's review against another edition
2.0
Twelve-year-old Finn is turning invisible, or that's what he believes anyway. It all started several months ago on The Terrible Day That Changed Everything. It was on that day that Finn's father died unexpectedly. Almost immediately after that, Finn's hair started to turn white and his skin began to pale. Every week it's gotten a little bit worse and Finn's convinced that he's slipping away into nothing, maybe so that he can join his dad and be happy again.
In a mix of cartoons and prose, Finn tells us the story of dealing with his grief.
Very realistic portrayal of a boy dealing with his grief, but the plot meandered and the humor in the beginning of the book wasn't carried through the rest of the book.
Read my full review on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-review-last-invisible-boy.html
In a mix of cartoons and prose, Finn tells us the story of dealing with his grief.
Very realistic portrayal of a boy dealing with his grief, but the plot meandered and the humor in the beginning of the book wasn't carried through the rest of the book.
Read my full review on my blog:
http://abbylibrarian.blogspot.com/2009/10/book-review-last-invisible-boy.html
baklavopita's review against another edition
3.0
Sweet and sad, but the premise got old with not enough development of character.
lauralynnwalsh's review against another edition
3.0
OK, I'll admit it: I cheated a little on this one. I skimmed pretty much the last half of the book. But I had just finished A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness. The problem is, the writing in this book is just average, and the themes are similar and, well, A Monster Calls is simply better.
thebrainlair's review against another edition
4.0
Meet Finn. He's slowly fading. His hair is getting whiter. His skin is paler. And he doesn't want to go to school or see people or do any of the things he used to do before The Terrible Day That Changed Everything.
Finn has this thing for name meanings. Findlay stands for "fair hero". Finn doesn't feel like a hero, he feels like a failure. He wasn't able to stop The Terrible Day That Changed Everything. Maybe that's why he's disappearing. So in a combination present-day journal/everyday story Finn tells us about his life now and then.
That's really all I can tell you because the story depends on you reading it. Finn talks to you. He shares with you. He waits for you. He wants to tel you about his family and his hopefully one day soon girlfriend but right now best friend Meli.
The Last Invisible Boy is sad and hopeful and beautiful.
There were so many lines to write down and remember:
p. 5 - I'm vanishing in bits and pieces, like a disease that will not kill me but will erase me.
p. 36 - I love happy endings. I just wish there were more of them.
p. 44 - Most people think that Meli is my girlfriend, probably because I tell them she's my girlfriend...
p. 95 - Here's something I know. I'd give the whole world...for one more visit with my dad...
It just so simple and moving. You should read it. Go ahead. I'll be here when you get back.
Finn has this thing for name meanings. Findlay stands for "fair hero". Finn doesn't feel like a hero, he feels like a failure. He wasn't able to stop The Terrible Day That Changed Everything. Maybe that's why he's disappearing. So in a combination present-day journal/everyday story Finn tells us about his life now and then.
That's really all I can tell you because the story depends on you reading it. Finn talks to you. He shares with you. He waits for you. He wants to tel you about his family and his hopefully one day soon girlfriend but right now best friend Meli.
The Last Invisible Boy is sad and hopeful and beautiful.
There were so many lines to write down and remember:
p. 5 - I'm vanishing in bits and pieces, like a disease that will not kill me but will erase me.
p. 36 - I love happy endings. I just wish there were more of them.
p. 44 - Most people think that Meli is my girlfriend, probably because I tell them she's my girlfriend...
p. 95 - Here's something I know. I'd give the whole world...for one more visit with my dad...
It just so simple and moving. You should read it. Go ahead. I'll be here when you get back.
sabihayounus's review against another edition
5.0
Another borrowed-over-and-over-and-over-again lucky find from the school library. This is one of those books I really, reaaaallly want everybody in the world to read but then again I want to keep it just to myself. The characters are sooo adorable (the whole story is, in fact) and it's just so sweet and heartbreaking and speaks to your heart like nothing else. This is one of those books that says in your face all those exams that say "use complex language to impress us!", because it uses the most beautiful simplistic language to touch us in ways books like Game of Thrones never could. (Although that is a totally different genre, so maybe this might not be a fair comparison.)
Point being: books like this deserve to be at least as famous than books like that. This is what everybody in the world should be crazing about.
(... Although I don't really hate having this all to myself to enjoy. Cheers ~ ^_^)
Point being: books like this deserve to be at least as famous than books like that. This is what everybody in the world should be crazing about.
(... Although I don't really hate having this all to myself to enjoy. Cheers ~ ^_^)
mom2qam's review against another edition
5.0
I didn't start this book with Diary of a Wimpy Kid in mind. The subject matter is much more serious and the writing supports that. I found the emotions to be raw and real and found my heart breaking for Finn. There were also moments of humor that kept this book from wallowing in grief.
merer's review against another edition
4.0
Kuhlman's character Finnley addresses the tough questions that most of us are afraid to ask, and voices those thoughts that we all have but never talk about.
sansksksksk's review against another edition
5.0
THE MOST underrated middle grade you will ever read. adore immensely
library_brandy's review against another edition
4.0
I picked this up because the children's librarian mentioned it--she said it was reviewed as a Wimpy Kid read-alike, but she had her doubts. I had some time on my hands, so I told her I'd let her know.
Answer: no, not really. It's a read-alike in the strictest sense, in that there are diary entries and pictures/comics that help tell the story, but that's where the similarities end. The pictures here aren't as well-integrated into the story (though they're still very good), and the subject matter is so radically different from the Wimpy Kid books that I can't imagine handing this to a WK fan and expecting them to like it. This claims to have some funny moments, and I'll agree that it has some lighter moments, but I wouldn't really call them funny. This is about a kid grieving his dad, not an average kid going about his day-to-day hijinks. The narrator (Finn) is depressed and morose, and even his happier entries are still sad.
None of this is to say it's a bad book--it's actually really good, if what you're looking for is something sad. It's still hopeful and peaceful, but all the same, really sad.
This walks that fine line between Children's and Teen books, so I added it to both my lists.
Answer: no, not really. It's a read-alike in the strictest sense, in that there are diary entries and pictures/comics that help tell the story, but that's where the similarities end. The pictures here aren't as well-integrated into the story (though they're still very good), and the subject matter is so radically different from the Wimpy Kid books that I can't imagine handing this to a WK fan and expecting them to like it. This claims to have some funny moments, and I'll agree that it has some lighter moments, but I wouldn't really call them funny. This is about a kid grieving his dad, not an average kid going about his day-to-day hijinks. The narrator (Finn) is depressed and morose, and even his happier entries are still sad.
None of this is to say it's a bad book--it's actually really good, if what you're looking for is something sad. It's still hopeful and peaceful, but all the same, really sad.
This walks that fine line between Children's and Teen books, so I added it to both my lists.
amdame1's review against another edition
3.0
In the style of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" with lots of comic illustrations and easy to read text. But this one is pretty serious subject matter - loss of a parent. Finn is 12 and his dad dies very unexpectedly. Slowly Finn's hair and skin start turning completely white as he deals with the trauma and stress.
Good for boys, anyone dealing with loss/death, might be okay for a reluctant reader because of the illustrative style, but as I said, pretty deep subject matter although it is often handled with humor.
Good for boys, anyone dealing with loss/death, might be okay for a reluctant reader because of the illustrative style, but as I said, pretty deep subject matter although it is often handled with humor.