All the Invisible Things

January 1, 2020

Gr 10 Up-It's been four years since Helvetica "Vetty" Lake's mother passed away, and her father moved the family to a new town. The time away was good for them, but it was always meant to be temporary, and now they are heading home. For Vetty, this means reuniting with her childhood best friend Pez, whom she lost touch with during their time apart. Vetty and Pez both changed over the years, with Vetty discreetly trying to figure out her sexuality and Pez having secrets of his own. Collins has crafted an intriguing story of family, friendship, and self-identity. The story is well written but unnecessarily broken down into five parts. Vetty's difficulty discovering her bisexuality and determining how to tell those in her life is done respectfully. The characters are all wonderfully crafted, and their relatable feelings aid the story. There are numerous realistic conversations about sex and porn, as well as a scene involving masturbation, making this a better choice for mature readers. VERDICT A solid story about a teen figuring out her sexuality.-Amanda Borgia, Uniondale Public Library, NY

Copyright 2020 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2020
A British teen tries to rebuild her life after her mother's death and come to terms with her sexuality in this sophomore novel. Helvetica, Vetty for short, has a lot on her plate. After her mother's death from lymphoma four years ago, Vetty has taken on more than her share of responsibilities in order to help her father and younger sister. Returning to London from the countryside, where the family moved after her Mum's death, Vetty is worried about her relationship with her best friend, Pez, her childhood neighbor. Then there's her sexuality: Vetty is pretty sure she's bisexual, but having only kissed boys and with experiencing so much societal biphobia, she doesn't feel ready to come out. On top of this, she's unsure who, if anyone, she's starting to develop feelings for--Pez, Pez's friend Rob, or Pez's girlfriend, March, with whom Vetty is becoming fast friends. Collins handles these questions with care and respect, carrying over that thoughtfulness as she frankly explores other underdiscussed facets of teenage sexuality, including masturbation, body hair removal, and pornography and porn addiction. A biphobic incident involving Vetty's lesbian aunt is treated with exceptional insight. Vetty and her family are white while light brown-skinned Pez is implied to be biracial (black/white), and March is cued as black. Quiet and compassionate. (Realistic fiction. 14-18)

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February 1, 2020
Grades 10-1 After being away from her childhood home and best friend for four years as a result of her mother's death, Helvetica is finally going back, after her father decides it's time for the family to return. While Vetty is happy about the move, she realizes time and distance has made her old neighborhood less comfortable than she remembered. On top of it all, she is trying to grasp what her burgeoning bisexuality means to her and attempting to define herself in a world full of labels. Collins writes a well-rounded character in Vetty, who's enduring many of the problems surrounding herself and her friends, old and new. She is confused, anxious, and flawed, which makes her all the more relatable to other teens discovering their own sexuality or trying on different labels to see how they fit. Along with this, Collins doesn't shy away from the more explicit thoughts and events teens are bound to witness, especially while on a similar journey, while keeping the most vital theme in mind: self-discovery and understanding.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)