⇒ Download Gratis The Visibles A Novel Sara Shepard 9781416597360 Books

The Visibles A Novel Sara Shepard 9781416597360 Books

Download As PDF : The Visibles A Novel Sara Shepard 9781416597360 Books

The Visibles A Novel Sara Shepard 9781416597360 Books

This novel is very different from Sara Shepard's other novels (I have read every single one!). It is more realistic and more deeply emotional. It is a wonderful read I would recommend for adults. Sara Shepard never disappoints. Let's be real!

The character depth of this novel is good. I enjoyed how real they are. There is also the underlying mystery that seems to weave through all of her novels. It adds so much to this book! You do have to pay close attention to the shifts in narration to not be confused. Overall, good read!


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The Visibles A Novel Sara Shepard 9781416597360 Books Reviews

"The Visibles" opens in Brooklyn in 1992 when high school student Summer Davis is introduced to the concept of DNA by a nerdy biology teacher. We all look for explanations for the things that confuse, sadden and worry us, and in the study of biology Summer finds answers which ultimately do not permit denial of that which is true, but which do not allow her to dwell in shame and guilt, either.

Days before Mr. Rice's lesson on DNA, Summer's mother, Meredith, inexplicably walked out on her husband Richard and their two teenaged children, Summer and Steven. She left all her clothes, shoes and bags behind in the large Brooklyn apartment they shared, and "a lot more," Summer says. What "more" is never really said. A scene in which Summer and her father sign the Christmas cards Meredith had already bought, sending them out to hundreds of family and friends as though nothing has happened, comes across as awkward but could have been heartbreaking if Summer had given us a clear picture of what her mother or her parents' marriage was really like.

Summer is a sympathetic, likable character even though she can be detached and aloof, which is understandable given her circumstances. Still, it is she who makes the effort to track down old friends, including Philip, the boy she met for a few hours years ago who has never been out of her thoughts, and whose potential to grant her happiness has kept her from accepting it from others.

I was frustrated by Summer's inability to take advantage of the gifts that were hers for the taking as an exceptional student. She decides at an airport gate, ticket in hand, not to take a fellowship in Ireland to come back and look after her father while he is in a psychiatric facility. The scenes with Summer and her father as he endures a harrowing round of ECT treatments are among the best in the book. Once he is released into the care of a nurse he met in the hospital with whom he has become romantically involved -- not unheard of but probably ill-advised under most circumstances -- Summer sets out to take care of her dying great-aunt Stella, in what is the least satisfying plot line of the entire book.

Stella is what people used to call a "card," someone with a forced sense of whimsy and practiced eccentricity. Summer shares nothing with her but DNA. There is as much superstition in Stella as there is cancer. A mind-numbing subplot involves Summer's and Stella's search deep in the Pennsylvania countryside for a faith healer named Cheyeo. All major credit cards accepted.

I never felt it was martyrdom or unadulterated selflessness that kept Summer looking for the next person to save, only hazy ambivalence about her own needs and best interests. I am not familiar with her juvenile fiction except by reputation, but Sara Shepard seems to have made a confident transition to writing for adults with "The Visibles," and I think she will get much better. She does a good job of shuffling characters and shifting situations without coming across as a traffic cop. Ms. Shepard has a good eye for detail -- the box of odds and ends Richard keeps at the foot of his bed, the day Summer spends at the pool with her old friend and nemesis Claire, even Summer's ability to identify typefaces. The story is not overpopulated with unnecessary characters. The novel does shift back and forth in time, but the narrative itself is never confusing. What is confusing is a device I would have dispensed with, the letters written by Richard that open each section of the book. They are written in the always unnerving second-person perfect tense which is is jarring enough without their text being set in a casual sans serif face, a small decision with which Summer would surely have disagreed.
I expected more mystery and intrigue, perhaps salacious storylines, from this author. I prefer her young adult/teen lit series even though I am a 29 year old professional.
I bought this book as a gift for my daughter. She ws excited to read it and finished it within two days. I was happy with my purchase and anyone who has a teen that likes to read ...this is a good buy!
Definitely does not hold up to her other series. I found it a little difficult to follow. Maybe just because the book doesn't hold my attention at all.
I will edit my review later to also focus on the novel. But i have to say i am HIGHLY disappointed in right now. I have ordered many books that were overstock type of books with a line and or price tag on them, this one arrived in poor condition. it was not packed nicely and arrived in a cheap envelope which allowed the cover to become damaged and bent. I have purchased many used books that have arrived in better condition than this. There is also a finger print on the cover from being handled roughly and a bend at the back.. gets an F for the shipping and quality of this, it should have been sold as a used book, given the condition.
Maybe to someone who battles with mental illness this book would be interesting. I found it strange and depressing. I kept waiting for a bright spot and found none. If you read to escape this book is not for you.
It was an arduous challenge to get through this book.
No clarity... underdeveloped plot lines. Characters
coming and going from nowhere. Unresolved endings.
Should have been call the "invisibles." This is definitely
one of those reads that I should have quit after the first
few chapters.
This novel is very different from Sara Shepard's other novels (I have read every single one!). It is more realistic and more deeply emotional. It is a wonderful read I would recommend for adults. Sara Shepard never disappoints. Let's be real!

The character depth of this novel is good. I enjoyed how real they are. There is also the underlying mystery that seems to weave through all of her novels. It adds so much to this book! You do have to pay close attention to the shifts in narration to not be confused. Overall, good read!