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Review: Transparent by Natalie Whipple


High school is hard when you're invisible.

Fiona McClean hates her family, has had to move to a new school and seems to be completely invisible to the boy she likes. So far so normal, right? But Fiona really is invisible. She doesn't even know what colour her own hair is.

Born into a world where Cold War anti-radiation pills have caused genetic mutations, Fiona is forced to work for her mind-controlling mobster father as the world's most effective thief. When her father announces she must become a murdering assassin, Fiona and her telekinetic mother make a break for freedom. Running to a small Arizonian town, Fiona finds that playing at 'normal life' with a mother on the edge, a brother she can't trust, and a boy who drives her crazy is as impossible as escaping her father.


My Thoughts
I really enjoyed transparent. It was a really original and interesting read which kept me thoroughly entertained from the first page until the last.

Transparent is set in a world where some humans had gained a whole variety of abilities as a result of anti radiation drugs taken by the generation before them. These abilities are wide and varied and incredibly cool. Fiona is one of those people who have an ability. She happens to be invisible, a pretty cool ability apart from the fact that her mobster father wants to use it to help him commit a variety of crimes. Fiona and her mother decide one day that they've been asked to be involved in one job too far and go on the run away from her father to start afresh elsewhere. Unfortunately when you are the only invisible girl around with a famous father you find out very quickly you won't get far without being recognised.

I enjoyed several thins about this book. The dialogue was fab and I loved the main character Fiona. I loved getting behind her and rooted for her from page one. I loved the relationships developed throughout the course of the story and I loved what the book had to say about prejudices and being your own person. I loved the whole host of secondary characters you meet throughout the story and enjoyed getting to ow them all. I won't go into too much detail about the storyline itself as I don't want to spoil it for any one but I must say I loved the action and how the book played out by the end.

X-men meets heroes with a kickass heroine who you will love and an exciting storyline which will hook your from the first page.

Comments

Anonymous said…
The premise sounds similar to a book I read years and years ago, called "The Girl with the Silver Eyes." In it, children were being born with psychic gifts due to the fact that their mothers were exposed to odd chemicals at the pharmaceutical company they used to work at. And since I loved that book as a child, it might be worth it for me to take a look at "Transparent"; I might like that one just as much! Thanks for the review!
Anonymous said…
The premise sounds similar to a book I read years and years ago, called "The Girl with the Silver Eyes." In it, children were being born with psychic gifts due to the fact that their mothers were exposed to odd chemicals at the pharmaceutical company they used to work at. And since I loved that book as a child, it might be worth it for me to take a look at "Transparent"; I might like that one just as much! Thanks for the review!
I love, love, love the sound of this book - fab review :)
Ooh, I am officially intrigued! This definitely sounds like a book I need to look out for.
Anya said…
Wow, this sounds really cool - haven't heard of it, but that cover is pretty epic! Great review, definitely gonna have to look out for this one!
Oh I quite like this cover, certainly more so than the US version. I didn't really like the book but it was fun enough to read.
I think this is one for the school library. Thanks for the terrific review