The Invisibles

Carla Rabinowitz is a blind teenager navigating her junior year at a mainstream high school in 1988 suburban Michigan. She has a small circle of friends and dreams of attending Harvard, but her life changes when a new student arrives at her school. The story follows Carla as she faces challenges in her academic pursuits, social relationships, and her evolving understanding of identity and belonging. Her growing friendship with the new student forces her to confront assumptions about herself and others. The narrative alternates between Carla's immediate experiences and reflections on defining moments from her past. Through these shifts in time, the reader gains insight into how Carla has learned to move through a world designed for sighted people. The Invisibles explores themes of perception, both literal and metaphorical, and questions what it means to truly see and be seen. The novel examines how teenagers construct their identities and find their place in the world, while challenging conventional narratives about disability.

Readers often mention DeWoskin's compelling characterization of the three female protagonists and her detailed portrayal of Brooklyn in the 1970s. Multiple reviews highlight the book's exploration of female friendship dynamics and how the girls cope with loss. What readers liked: - Rich historical atmosphere of 1970s New York - Complex relationships between main characters - Treatment of grief and coming-of-age themes - Vivid sensory details and descriptions What readers disliked: - Slow pacing, especially in middle sections - Some found the resolution unsatisfying - Multiple timelines can be confusing - Secondary characters feel underdeveloped Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (1,200+ ratings) Amazon: 4.1/5 (150+ ratings) LibraryThing: 3.7/5 (80+ ratings) Notable reader quote: "DeWoskin captures the raw intensity of teenage friendship against a gritty backdrop of 1970s Brooklyn. The mystery element keeps you guessing, but it's the emotional core that stays with you." - Goodreads reviewer

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🎓 Rachel DeWoskin taught poetry at Beijing Normal University and lived in China for six years, giving her unique insight into writing about cross-cultural experiences. 👥 The main character's blindness was inspired by DeWoskin's research at the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind, where she learned Braille and spent time with visually impaired teenagers. 📚 The book explores the rarely-discussed topic of sudden sight loss in teenagers, a condition that affects approximately 14,000 American children and youth annually. 🎭 DeWoskin drew from her experience as a soap opera actress in China (starring in the show "Foreign Babes in Beijing") to write convincingly about her protagonist's theatrical aspirations. 🌏 The novel's themes of identity and belonging were influenced by DeWoskin's own experiences as an outsider in China and her observations of her children growing up between two cultures.