I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

All The Invisible Things is the kind of book for older YA readers that we keep needing more of: ones that looks at issues such as sex, identity, mental health, and the realities of the internet whilst staying witty and character-driven.

I wanted to love this because being bisexual myself I heard of the positive bisexual representation but unfortunately I couldn't.

I hated the tropes and the fact that the main character doesn't seem to realise that she is bi even though she has know since she was 12 that she liked girls.

Read August 2020

I honestly found this book disappointing. We follow Helvetica, known as Vetty, named for her late mother's obsession with fonts. We open with her hanging out with friends feeling awkward about something we only find out about at the very end of the book. We start to get to know this group (sort of) and then hey presto we're moving home, somehow to the exact same house/flat as before. Three years later. In London. I'm not a Londoner and even I know that wouldn't happen. Also sidenote but Somerset is way too vague, It's a massive county, I live in a Northern bit of it, it would be nice to have a point of reference: Taunton, Cheddar, Minehead, Bridgewater? Give me something!

I didn't really understand why Vetty cut Pez off, surely even a distant friend can help you grieve? The way his friends were introduced was a little hard to follow. Some scenes throughout the book were rushed and I'd have to re-read passages to work out who was saying what.

The themes and what the book wanted to say were also unclear for me. It talked candidly about porn, masturbation and hair removal but Vetty got weird about telling er sister about periods and refused to consider even the existence of the word "bisexual" until the end of the book despite it being obvious to me at the beginning. i'm sad that things with the girl (avoiding spoilers) didn't work out. Instead we get the implied beginning of a straight-passing relationship. Overall pacing and plot were messy and I found the book disappointing.

Unfortunately I no longer wish to review this book as the first few chapters did not reel me in. Thank you for the opportunity.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

All the Invisible Things was such a refreshing and interesting read. I loved how we got to delve into Vetty's world, not to mention that on page bisexual representation which actually uses the word bisexual is always a good thing in my book. I really enjoyed seeing how Vetty's expectations and the reality of the situation clashed against each other; any YA that doesn't tie everything up in a bow and leaves things a tiny bit messy is great! All the characters seemed pretty well rounded but I have to admit they did all read as slightly similar to each other; not always a bad thing considering the interweaving storylines and how important both past and present is in this novel but I would have loved to see deeper into the friendships that formed.

Sadly this was archived before I had the chance to download it so I cannot give an accurate review. I'm still really excited by this book and hope to pick it up sometime soon.

Okay, this is an odd one. I thought I had written a review for this book but can find no record of it. I definitely had thoughts when I finished this book and I looked everywhere to find a record of these thoughts but there must have got lost in the drama of another hospital stay. Not mine but I did a lot of dring this week.

This has a Bi main character realising she bi, but it's an odd one because it's like she doesn't have access to the internet. She knows she like girls at the start of the novel but has never heard of any Queer labelling outside of the LG, I mean Bi is the next letter after that. I mean this book name drops Tumblr and apparently before it managed to destroy itself. At the age of sixteen, she does a quiz to find out if she Bi, but knew she liked girls at age 12. It does have a moment of "I hate Labels" which is a trope I hate when it comes to people who are attracted to multiple genders. Yeah, some people haven't found labels they comfortable with, but why is always people who are Bi/Pan in media.

This book was meant to be set the during the time I read it and I have some tragic news. It either really dated or lives in a parallel universe as the plot involves NSFW things being still allowed on Tumblr. Maybe Tumblr will try to save itself and allowing NSFW stuff back on it. In the internet age, books can date so easy when listing the actual website. Even with a website that still exists, people who uses them changes. Facebook was for young people, not only parents use it. It's still good for group work but not much for else.

A lot of issues are dealt with in this book, including grief and addiction. The friendships and family relationships in this book were done well.

Overall, I give this book 3/5 stars for Wedding Planning. It is good to have a book about having someone know that they Queer and coming terms to the attraction to the opposite sex. The intention is very good, but cultures change over time, so I don't buy that main character even with her gay Aunts, I just don't buy she wouldn't have realised that multiple-gender attraction is a thing.

I loved this book and though I didn't really know what to expect, I found it to be very different and a totally fascinating read.

I liked the author's, Orlagh Collins, straightforward style and also the main protagonist, Vetty. The author had drawn a selection of well-formed and credible secondary characters, all of whom had a part to play in the story. The plot itself held my interest and explored some very important issues around grief, friendship and sexual identity.

Overall, I found "All the Invisible Things" to be extremely interesting, well balanced and worthwhile. Rating; 4 Stars.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) for the review copy.

DNF for now. I really want to love this book but I'm struggling with it at the moment so I'm going to put it down for a few months and then come back to it.

Hmm. To be honest, I'm not really sure what to say in a review of this one. I liked elements of it, particularly the honest discussion of bisexuality and the various ways people invalidate that even while trying to be supportive, as well as the frank and open discussions about teenage concerns to do with body hair, sex, and so on.

On the other hand, it wasn't really what I was expecting from the blurb I remember reading on NetGalley; I thought it would have a bigger focus on friendship (which, don't get me wrong, it did have), and a major element of the book is a character's struggle with a porn addiction, which isn't something I was expecting at all. Possibly this was down to me skimming the blurb and misremembering what it said, but it caught me out somewhat.

It was nice to have some UK-based contemporary YA -- I'm always saying we need more of it, so it's important to actually read it when it does exist! I immediately feel a stronger connection with characters when they speak the same English as me and when their school system looks like the one I went through, but that's about where my resemblance with the characters in this stopped, which may be why I found them a little hard to relate to.

Anyway. Idk. If you want some UK-based YA contemporary featuring a bisexual protagonist, you might enjoy this one, but it didn't entirely win me over, in part because it wasn't quite the book I was expecting it to be. Probably 2.5*s, if I could give half stars here.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I was initially drawn in by the cover but then when I read the synopsis I just knew it would be a book I would enjoy reading.

I loved the characters in this novel, they were all so well written, and all very relatable for a teen audience- wanting your best friend to get together with your boyfriends friend so you can go on proper double dates together, wanting to explore your sexuality, feeling left behind because you may not be as “up to speed” as the rest of them. I feel like this novel has a character going through what most teens go through.

One thing I did find interesting was the addition of porn/masturbation addiction- as far as I am aware this hasn’t been touched on in YA before so kudos to Orlagh for making it a key point, it is something that people do go through and it should be recognised.

At the beginning there was part of me that would have loved Vetty and Pez to rekindle their friendship like she had never been away and maybe progress onto a romantic relationship, but I love the way it played out, they had both been through their own troubles and changed because of them, yet there was still a connection there, it was just a little different and they needed to work out how to be around each other again, all whilst Vetty was finding herself.

I have been loving novels that focus on friendships and familial relationships as opposed to wholly romantic relationships and this is a perfect example of that kind of novel, not only was Vetty coming to terms with the changes in her friendship with Pez, her relationship with her family was altering- needing to help raise her sister after her mother passed away, her father unfortunately taking that for granted, figuring out her sexuality and then trying to come out as bi-sexual and having a loved one project their coming out onto her.
Vetty definitely had a lot to deal with and by the end of the novel she is much more stronger in herself.

I will definitely be purchasing a physical copy of this.

A fantastic coming-of-age story set in Britain dealing with sexuality, mental health, death and the grieving process and generally finding your identity in a world full of labels.

Great to read not only a female-led LGBT book but specifically one with a bi character. For me, it was a really refreshing take on what has come before. I really connected with Vetty and her struggles. She was flawed in so many ways that made her feel all the more real.

I was sure at around 80% through that I knew how the book would end but even at that late point, the story still managed to subvert my expectations and end on a really perfect note.

The only reason this isn't a 5 star read is purely because I sometimes felt that some of the situations Vetty ended up in could have been delved into much deeper. Without spoiling, I think going even further into the group dynamic that was being built would have been really interesting to read and would have bumped my rating up.

In saying that, I can't really fault this book as a whole and I would recommend it to anyone!

Thanks to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for providing me a copy to review.

Vetty and her family are moving back to London, back to her old place opposite her childhood friend Pez. It has been years since she’s seen him, and everyone is telling her it will be different now they are older because, god forbid, a boy and a girl are friends. But when Pez tells her she’s ‘not like other girls’, she begins to think about what a girl should be.

I went into this with high hopes because UKYA needs more Queer YA so I was really excited to read a book with a bisexual protagonist. Throughout the book, Vetty is questioning her sexuality because she likes girls but she also likes boys too, she’s not a lesbian but she isn’t straight, so where does that leave her? It was good to see her figuring this out for herself and figuring out that you can like both girls and boys.

I really enjoyed the friendships in this book too and the complexity of it. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Vetty and March and I think it explored the unrequited crush thing really well.

There were also some really good discussions on body image, female masturbation, and puberty. There was also some good talk about sex and female pleasure BUT it definitely needed some more sensitivity regarding sex. So, the next bit is going to have some spoilers but I feel the need to mention it since I haven’t seen anyone else say anything. So, it is revealed that Pez has a porn addiction and some of his discussions of how this has affected him came across as a little acephobic. He struggles to feel aroused and he described himself as being ‘broken’ and that his ‘body doesn’t work any more’ and that ‘a plug has been pulled’ and while yes, this was discussed in the context of his porn addiction, erectile dysfunction, and the ramifications of that in regard to his anxiety and depression, and I know it wasn’t the intention of the author but I believe this is kind of a harmful narrative, especially as he then feels incapable of being in a relationship with his girlfriend because he can’t have sex with her, so he breaks up with her. A relationship isn’t all about sex and while the scene and comments weren’t about a lack of physical attraction or sex drive, I do believe a lot more sensitivity AND nuance AND discussion could have been given, especially for ace readers. I feel like the whole book and narrative sort of portrays sex as being vital & ‘normal’ & ‘natural’ to a relationship and that just… isn’t the case for everyone. Perhaps it’s not a big deal, but it just didn’t sit right with me?

Overall, it wasn’t a horrible book and I did enjoy some of it, but it did sort of leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Vetty us about to move back to London and all that is on her mind is seeing Pez again. When the pair were younger, they were inseparable, they roamed the city together and shared everything. The thing is that everyone is telling her that it’ll be different now. Is it possible for a boy and a girl to be friends without their feelings getting in the way?

CaptureAll the Invisible Things is such a powerful and heart-warming YA novel all about finding real connections with people and learning to be honest. I love a good coming-of-age story and this is certainly that. It tackles some serious topics but also makes the topics easy to read and has humour elements throughout.

This YA shows readers of all ages that there is not one way to be yourself and sometimes it isn’t easy to be true to yourself even if you are around the best people for you. This book and the way it discusses the topic of bisexuality stood out for me. I haven’t read many books where the main characters are bisexual, and it was both interesting and eye-opening to read. I loved that Vetty doesn’t have a large coming out, it is more subtle and to the point. I am not a fan of when books when the coming out such a big event when it isn’t necessary. Vetty’s coming out in this book is excellently written!

Vetty is such a bright, complex and true-to-life narrator who has many complex elements to her life. She is a role model for her younger sister, Vetty has also lost her main passion which is in photography. Vetty is trying to be an excellent role model but also rekindle her love for her photography passion. March was one of my favourite characters throughout the book, she is strong, independent and all-round excellent character. Also, Pez brought some excellent aspects to the book and I enjoyed his character. The friendship element of this book is excellent. Orlagh Collins wrote these friendships authentically and made sure they weren’t perfect. I loved reading this book to watch Vetty and her friendships grow!

I’ve seen a few people discuss this regarding this book, there isn’t much big drama. I didn’t find this an issue at all and enjoyed the fact that there was any big drama throughout the book. It didn’t stop me from turning my page and keeping reading. I flew through reading this book!

Overall, I feel that All the Invisible Things is a book for older YA readers that we need more of! It looks at issues such as identity, mental health, sex and the realities of growing up in this day and day. It is a very character-focused YA contemporary fiction that is real, heart-warming and witty. I will certainly be recommending this book to many people!

This book really delved into finding out who you are. At the centre of it, Vetty is trying to work out who she is attracted to and why does she feel this way about boys and girls. At times I wished it had been clearer and had been like "Hey she's bi" much earlier on but that doesn't mean that the way Collins dealt with it was lacking. Collins handled all elements sensitively, from bi attraction to porn addiction to losing a parent.
The strongest elements in the book was the family element and there were several scenes that caused me to start tearing up because of how honest and open they were. The main male character, Pez, was a bit hit and miss for me at times. His arc was dealt with well but there were a couple of occasions that he did not feel as fleshed out as some of the other characters. On the whole, this is definitely a book I would have loved and devoured when I was sixteen. Collins has really made something that is needed when you're trying to work yourself out.

Vetty is taking time to work out how she feels about all sorts of things. It was easier when she was younger: her mother was alive, her best friend knew her instinctively and she didn’t have to worry about people trying to label her.
For the last few years they’ve lived in Somerset with her aunt, struggling to come to terms with losing mum. Now the family are moving back to London and Vetty is trying to pick up where she left off.
Some of the initial interactions we watched Vetty have were very self-conscious. It was hard to know how we felt about her and her friendship with Pez. As the two talk, it’s evident that Vetty has feelings for boys and girls and is going to have to think about what’s important to her.
I felt Vetty was a really engaging character. She didn’t always get things right, but it was easy to identify with her uncertainty.
Thanks to NetGalley for granting me early access to this in exchange for my review.

All the invisible things. I would give this book a 3.5/4 star rating. I was so glad to finally see a bisexual character in a book, most books always miss out the B in LGBTQ+. I found the book quite hard to get into and nothing kind of happened til the middle but once it got to the middle I was hooked and finished the book as quickly as possible. I absolutely adore the author of this book and proudly own No Filter. I did enjoy this book and look forward to more books from Orlagh in the future. Thanks Netgalley for the early review copy.

A fun, character-driven read that manages to perfectly combine more serious topics with light-hearted fun. It felt realistic and relatable, and didn't shy away from some really difficult issues that teens face, but never once felt heavy or forced. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and wish I'd been able to read it when I was younger.

Recommended for teens and fans of contemporary YA.