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A review by coco_lolo
Wonders of the Invisible World by Christopher Barzak
3.0
I went into this knowing only that it was a Stonewall Honor Book and supposedly for fans of The Raven Cycle; normally, I do extensive research before I read anything, but I decided to check out Wonders of the Invisible World based solely on the synopsis and the fact that it was LGBT. I believe that payed off, because it was the suspense—the sense of not knowing—that allowed me to better connect with the main character's journey.
To be honest, though, the first couple of chapters made me wonder whether I would like it or not. The story opened in an unusual way: most books have a definite starting point that allows you to get a fairly solid feel for the main character, but not so here. I can't even really explain why it was so strange, only that I got the impression that I'd missed something. What I didn't realize until I'd read further on was that was the point: the narrator started out with vague and almost nonexistent memories before this pivotal moment, so instead of developing an idea of who he is in the first chapter, you spend the entire book doing so. I don't think this completely worked, but I did appreciate what Barzak was doing. He also crafted an engaging story, and I loved the concept of the invisible world and people's relationships with it, from curses to exchanging memories to death omens. Aidan rediscovering these various elements, as well as himself, and uncovering the mystery surrounding his family made for quite the compelling drama. The ending was a little anticlimactic, though, but it wasn't too detrimental.
What the book had in plot, I think it lacked in characters, because most of then were kind of boring. Aidan was interesting in that, at the start, he was supposed to be bland—there was a legitimate reason for this, and as the story progressed, he began finding old pieces of himself and creating knew ones to where he should have had a distinct personality. Unfortunately, he remained rather dull: I liked that he hadn't completely returned to being himself by the end, but there was nothing that made him unique or even entirely likeable. His brother and father weren't any better, instead being basic examples of stereotypical men. I was much more intrigued by Aidan's ancestors and his mother, who often aggravated me but who was such a great, nuanced individual and, in many ways, the heart of the book. Jarrod was pretty good as well, serving as a nice foil to Aidan's introspective tendencies, and what I liked most about him was that despite turning Aidan's world upside down, he had a very grounding effect. Barzak gave him an important role, both as a friend and love interest, and I really enjoyed the romance because while it was never the central focus, it contributed profoundly to the story's outcome.
This book takes place in a small town, and I fully believe Barzak captured that feeling in his writing—there was the monotony of living on a farm, of having to drive one town over to even go to the mall, of not being sure where you want to go, only that you want to go somewhere else. There were so many beautiful lines, so many things that made me nostalgic or tapped at my chest.
But I do wish Barzak had been more subtle, and by that I mean everything was just so obvious and overexplained. It was oddly emotionless as well, or maybe that was just Aidan.
Overall, Wonders of the Invisible World is a nice book to check out if you're curious about magical realism, family curses, and the ways in which words can shape the world.
To be honest, though, the first couple of chapters made me wonder whether I would like it or not. The story opened in an unusual way: most books have a definite starting point that allows you to get a fairly solid feel for the main character, but not so here. I can't even really explain why it was so strange, only that I got the impression that I'd missed something. What I didn't realize until I'd read further on was that was the point: the narrator started out with vague and almost nonexistent memories before this pivotal moment, so instead of developing an idea of who he is in the first chapter, you spend the entire book doing so. I don't think this completely worked, but I did appreciate what Barzak was doing. He also crafted an engaging story, and I loved the concept of the invisible world and people's relationships with it, from curses to exchanging memories to death omens. Aidan rediscovering these various elements, as well as himself, and uncovering the mystery surrounding his family made for quite the compelling drama. The ending was a little anticlimactic, though, but it wasn't too detrimental.
What the book had in plot, I think it lacked in characters, because most of then were kind of boring. Aidan was interesting in that, at the start, he was supposed to be bland—there was a legitimate reason for this, and as the story progressed, he began finding old pieces of himself and creating knew ones to where he should have had a distinct personality. Unfortunately, he remained rather dull: I liked that he hadn't completely returned to being himself by the end, but there was nothing that made him unique or even entirely likeable. His brother and father weren't any better, instead being basic examples of stereotypical men. I was much more intrigued by Aidan's ancestors and his mother, who often aggravated me but who was such a great, nuanced individual and, in many ways, the heart of the book. Jarrod was pretty good as well, serving as a nice foil to Aidan's introspective tendencies, and what I liked most about him was that despite turning Aidan's world upside down, he had a very grounding effect. Barzak gave him an important role, both as a friend and love interest, and I really enjoyed the romance because while it was never the central focus, it contributed profoundly to the story's outcome.
This book takes place in a small town, and I fully believe Barzak captured that feeling in his writing—there was the monotony of living on a farm, of having to drive one town over to even go to the mall, of not being sure where you want to go, only that you want to go somewhere else. There were so many beautiful lines, so many things that made me nostalgic or tapped at my chest.
Small towns in remote corners of the world are really quaint, unless you don't fit into them. Then they're just small.
But I do wish Barzak had been more subtle, and by that I mean everything was just so obvious and overexplained. It was oddly emotionless as well, or maybe that was just Aidan.
Spoiler
Like dude, your dad's just died, and I get that you two weren't close, but seriously? Give me some emotion, or at least recognize that not feeling anything isn't normal.Overall, Wonders of the Invisible World is a nice book to check out if you're curious about magical realism, family curses, and the ways in which words can shape the world.