Reflection on The Novel Invisible Me by H.m. Irving

I know many of us have had the thought of being invisible, especially when caught in a compromising situation where we wish no one could see us. In H. M. Irwing’s novel Invisible Me being invisible becomes one girl’s reality and nightmare. The main character, Freddie Lynch, in her quest to be thin ingests toxic chemicals in her diet drink that her father had made for an experimental weight loss supplement. Freddie becomes invisible and she ends up staying invisible for a year. Freddie tries to get in touch with her best friend Kyle Lykin and sneaks over to his house in the night. She ends up getting caught by his cousin Edwin and he mistakes her for his dead fiancée. After Edwin realizes that Freddie is not a ghost he invites her to work in his company as a research assistant. Freddie agrees in a bid to join society again as she discovers lingering feelings for Edwin. Over time both come to realize that they have a mutual attraction for each other.

The premise of the book was odd and at first, I was not sure how the invisible Freddie was going to get around the fact that no one could see her. It was interesting to read the different things and outfits she wore to appear visible. I was not too fond of her relationship with Edwin. I think it would have been interesting to see a relationship bloom between Freddie and her best friend Kyle considering their history together.

There were some unexpected moments in the novel and I found that the ending made sense. Especially, since Freddie was able to use and hone in on her ability. It would have been intriguing to read how Freddie managed to master her ability to become invisible and then visible, but we must assume that she managed to train herself somehow. I found the novel amusing and a very light read. I think the characters could have been a little more developed. It is a thought-provoking concept that I have not read before. The author brings up very relevant themes, such as how society is so preoccupied with being thin and beautiful. Through Freddie the reader realizes how being invisible does not solve any problems and that we should appreciate the relationships that we have. Freddie is a very resilient character and her charismatic personality helps her through the trials of being invisible.

I like the fact that the author kept it interesting by having Freddie use her abilities in covert ways. There were unexpected moments that occurred during the novel with Edwin’s mother which were shocking. I would recommend this novel to readers who enjoy paranormal romance. Due to the sexual content towards the end of the novel I would not recommend the novel to those who are too young or who do not enjoy steamy love scenes.

I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. The whole concept of the novel was new to me. I had never read anything about someone being invisible. There were a few grammar mistakes that detracted from the novel at times. For example, on page 15 the author wrote, "nervous rack" and I think it was meant to say "nervous wreck". I felt that the ending was rushed and could have expanded on a few details between the main characters and their relationship. Overall, it was a fun read and I would recommend it to other readers who like a bit of romance. I would like to see how Edwin and Freddie work through her abilities in a second novel.