I spotted The Last Invisible Boy by Evan Kuhlman while browsing at Borders, and it looked interesting, so I decided to pick it up at the library. While it contains cartoon illustrations and is written in diary form like the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, it is much more serious, mostly because of the subject matter.
The diary in this book is that of 12-year-old Finn Garrett. His father passed away unexpectedly at a relatively young age, and he is trying to deal with his feelings. As part of this, strange things begin happening to him. His skin becomes pale and his hair turns white. Finn believes that this is because he is slowly becoming invisible. Although he is somewhat ostracized at school, he is happy that his pretty and talented best friend Meli is always there when he needs her.
The book is composed of very short chapters (mostly 1-2 pages), with each being a separate entry. Some are set in the present, some are flashbacks, and others are Finn's fantasies about things like traveling through space. The entries have a good voice, especially when seen through Finn's imagination.
The Last Invisible Boy was not perfect, but it was very good. Finn idolized his dad, and presented an idealized picture of him - although his dad had some flaws, like spending too much time at work, Finn was able to ignore these, especially after his death. Also, Finn's relationship with Meli was sweet, as he imagined marrying her when they got older. However, the pacing drags a little at times, though this could be expected, given the subject matter. You also have to be in a certain mindset to read it, as it is pretty depressing. It is ultimately rewarding in the end to see Finn begin to overcome his grief.
Rating: ****
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