He doesn't just blindly listen when his parents say that he needs to stay at home all day until they can figure his situation out instead, he goes out into the world and researches invisibility on the Internet. Suddenly, the things that he took for granted-going to school, seeing his friends, planning for his future-are all up in the air.īut instead of giving up or simply listening to whatever his parents tell him to do, Bobby decides to fight back. Have you ever felt like your life is out of control? That's how Bobby Phillips feels when he wakes up to find that he's become invisible overnight. But Things Not Seen isn't just a story that appeals to kids who belong at the X-Men Mutant Academy… No, it's a story about learning who you are as a person and taking your own life into your hands, regardless of what people say you can and cannot do. You may be thinking: 'Why should I care about some fictional kid who turns invisible? It's not like that's ever going to happen to me.' Fair enough, Dear Reader, fair enough. What is Things Not Seen About and Why Should I Care? So take off your pants, and settle in with the first installment in the Things Not Seen series. Plus, if you like it, there are two more books that come after- Things Hoped For and Things That Are. Which makes this book pretty unusual in its own right. And did we mention that he runs around town naked for much of the book? Because he does. It's not easy being fifteen and invisible, but Bobby Phillips rises to the occasion spectacularly. He's able to gain his parents' respect and is way more attractive to the ladies-or at least one lady in particular.

Back in his old life, his parents didn't listen to him and girls treated him like he was invisible (yep-it's true), but now that he's invisible, he learns more about himself. Interestingly, Bobby learns that he feels more seen when he's invisible than he ever did while leading a visible life. And Andrew Clements, who has written a whole slew of well-known young adult novels, certainly knows how to explore the pangs of growing up. Though the book starts off on a nightmarish foot, it's ultimately a coming-of-age story geared toward adolescents. And by everything, we mean that he is officially invisible. Things Not Seen (the first book in the Things Not Seen series) opens with a pretty unforgettable scenario: Fifteen-year-old Bobby Phillips wakes up on a seemingly normal day, only to quickly realize that everything has changed.

What's the worst thing that you could wake up with as a teenager? A stubborn cowlick? A giant pimple in the middle of your forehead? Um… how about an invisible body?

Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements