Wonders of the Invisible World

Christopher Barzak's strength is in bringing the trappings of fantasy and horror into familiar modern urban, suburban and rural settings. He grounds his work in the here-and-now, letting the fantastic/horrific bleed in through the edges to subtly work on the characters', and the readers', forgotten hind-brain. His new novel, an excellent follow-up to One For Sorrow (recently made into the movie "Jamie Marks Is Dead"), delves into the world of family secrets and long-held grudges that is so familiar across all genres of fiction, but his spin on these tried-and-true character points breathes new life into them.Aidan Lockwood thinks his life and family are normal, that there's so much unremarkable about him he can't remember the last time he was invited to a party by his peers. I immediately connected with Aidan's self-effacing first-person narration, his feeling of being lost in a crowd and not knowing why he's lost. As the book jacket blurb tells us, tt turns out that some of Aidan's memories have been erased, including the complete loss of a childhood friend whose return sparks a journey of discovery for Aidan -- sself-discovery but also discovery of his family's secrets and tragic history. That's a lot of mystery to be revealed, and Barzak's pacing throughout the book is damned near perfect: we as readers, and Aidan as a confused teenager, don't spend too long lost in the fog of missing memories and tight-lipped relatives before things start to be revealed.Aidan and Jarrod are the focus of the story, and watching them navigate their way back into friendship, back to the level of connection they had up until Jarrod's departure before seventh grade, and then watching them figure out where their relationship is going, is both endearing and awkward. Aidan's angry encounters with his secretive mother, his uncomfortable distance from his father and older brother thanks partially to having completely different interests, add to the familiar emotional roller-coaster. There were moments in the first half of the book when I almost forgot there was a supernatural element to be concerned about; that's a tribute to Barzak's ability to capture the awkwardness, anger, and misunderstandings that come along with any interpersonal relationship. When the supernatural element comes to the fore, when secrets start to be revealed (revealing deeper secrets in turn), Barzak still doesn't skimp on the awkwardness, anger, and frayed lines of communication being repaired. The supernatural threat is possibly even more frightening as it moves from the background to the forefront of the story, testing Aidan's loyalties, threatening to pull him out of himself and of the world (perhaps permanently).Engaging, engrossing, with just the right level of detail to immerse us in Aidan's world while still feeling a bit dream-like, Wonders of the Invisible World is Christopher Barzak at the top of his already-impressive game.

YA tropes are used to excellent effect in this journey of self-discovery, hard won understanding and love. A world of wonder and fear lies all around us just outside the range of normal human perception. Only a gifted psychic can view the Invisible World. Aiden Lockwood is a high school kid living in a kind of fog. His old best friend Jarrod moves back to their small town and is shocked at how little Aiden remembers of his own childhood. His memory has been frozen, his curiosity shut down by a powerful presence, which is also the one person on earth he should have been able to trust most. As the chains that hold him break, the Invisible World flows in. He unlocks family secrets: A woman who once died saving her son from the then Lockwood patriarch has caused the family to be cursed. An entity in a rotten tree calls Aiden to her. A white stag leads the family’s men to their death. An unending blizzard is caused by a single, bitter man. Death himself wears a tall black hat and has a chilling fascination for each person’s story. A town of psychics’ holds answers but only if the right questions are asked. It feels like Barzak has done for Eastern Ohio, what Washington Irving with his tales of Ichabod Crane and Rip Van Winkle did for the Hudson River Valley. He’s begun the creation of a local folk lore.

When I settle in to read a book, I want to be taken away and entertained. I want to enjoy the language and rhythm. But most of all I want to feel the story well after I have closed the book. And this book had all of what I look for: This story continues to return to my mind often, as it brought up interesting ideas about our place in the interwoven supernatural and natural worlds, the legacy of sin, love, and the dynamic between mother and son. Wonders of the Invisible World is an intricate, many-layered tale told in well-crafted, plainspoken language about a boy on the cusp of manhood in search of the real story of his family, which turns out to be a story of long-rooted and gnarled sins that bind Aiden Lockwood’s family together more than the blood they share. As Aiden falls into the haunted center of the blackened apple tree in his family’s dead orchard, I thought about my own haunted journey of self-knowledge, and how that journey spins you through unexpected landscapes. I enjoyed the seamless supernatural and natural world that Aiden learns to see in the story, and it made sense to me. In particular, a highlight of the book was the psychic dynamic between Aiden and his mother. It is not often that I have read about a mother and son battling it out within the pages of a novel. Great book!

"Because here’s the thing: Death does come for everything. But Death can also be bargained with, if you know how to strike a deal." This story wasn't only beautifully crafted but it was also beautifully written in a way that captures your heart whole.It's about a seemingly normal kid, that lives in small-town Ohio, until one day an old friend comes back into his life. And with him, he rattles our main character's life completely.This is one of those stories that sounds pretty lame in synopsis but incredible while reading it.As the main character unravels his life and unveils the truth behind his family and the world he lives in. We as the reader, are also grasping at the breadcrumbs that are thrown at us, until it's complete.This book is magical and nostalgic. One of my favorite magical realism books.4.5 stars!!!

A very imaginative and compelling read, more overtly magical than One for Sorrow and The Love We Share..., but just as wrapped up in love and death as each. Strongly recommended. Note to author: I look forward to reading your autobiography one day. There has got to be a very interesting story behind your unique vision.

Questo potrebbe essere facilmente uno dei libri migliori che io abbia letto nell'ultimo anno. Da anni non leggevo un YA e sono rimasta sinceramente stupita da questo titolo: così soft, così dolce, equilibrato. Un bel mistero sovrannaturale, che potrà non brillare di originalità ma che ti lascia sicuramente qualcosa. Adoro la love story, che nel suo romanticismo adolescenziale (non banale o sdolcinato) lancia anche dei messaggi importanti, quali il self love e l'indipendenza all'interno di una relazione.Consigliato a tutto tondo.Ho letto il Kindle, acquisterò il cartaceo perché l'edizione sembra meritarlo (anche se non ho capito se c'è la versione italiana).

Aidan leva uma vida pacata com a família em uma cidade do interior de Ohio. Tão tranquila que chega a ser estranha: os dias se misturam uns aos outros e Aidan sente que parte de sua memória está escondida atrás de uma neblina. Sua rotina começa a mudar quando seu amigo de infância Jarrod volta para a cidade, ajudando Aidan a lembrar de histórias perdidas e a perceber que existe uma força que o impede de lembrar completamente. Junto de Jarrod, Aidan começa a desvendar o seu passado e a ligação de sua família com o mundo invisível do título.Barzak trata os personagens e os conceitos abstratos do mundo invisível com destreza, sem desperdiçar parágrafo nenhum. O realismo mágico da história é multifacetado, temperando as relações entre os personagens de forma intrincada, sem se perder em alegorias e mantendo o leitor atento aos detalhes enquanto Aidan descobre os mistérios do passado e amadurece para o futuro. A trama se desenvolve convincente e elegante, com a narrativa usando de forma inteligente as habilidades sobrenaturais da família Lockwood, as quais demonstram ser ao mesmo tempo uma maldição e uma benção.Um livro bem escrito, mágico e cativante em vários sentidos. Minha única crítica não é bem uma crítica: eu queria ainda mais do namoro de Aidan e Jarrod. O romance deles ocupa o espaço necessário na história, nem mais nem menos, mas gostei tanto do casal que leria outro livro com os dois.

I accidentally put it in a recycling container on the day it arrived so don’t have anything to say more about except I am bummed!

Estou sempre a procura de livros LGBTQ e esse me surpreendeu. Muito bem escrito, com uma história bem envolvente. Li em um dia!

Great book