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    Transparent
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    Transparent
    Audiobook7 hours

    Transparent

    Written by Natalie Whipple

    Narrated by Tavia Gilbert

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Plenty of teenagers feel invisible.
    Fiona McClean actually is.

    An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona's own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.

    After sixteen years, Fiona's had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona's father isn't giving up that easily.

    Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateMay 21, 2013
    ISBN9780062268280
    Author

    Natalie Whipple

    Natalie Whipple loves testing new concoctions in the kitchen, and sometimes pretends she's actually mixing potions instead. Her food has yet to curse anyone, which she supposes is a good thing. Along with cooking, Natalie loves anime, kdrama, drawing, and exercising (so she can eat more food). She lives in Utah with her three kids and husband.

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    Reviews for Transparent

    3.5/5

    48 ratings10 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I enjoyed this story well enough to listen to it in one day, despite the complete improbability of a person's body (and bodily fluids) being entirely invisible. But I was actually kind of disappointed near the end, when I realized that the story was basically a variation on the theme of a teenager falling in love with someone because that person can "see" who they "really" are.

      Yes, it's sweet that Seth is into Fiona even though he can "see" her as she really is, without any of the trappings of appearance she would've bothered with if she had been visible (like shaving her armpits or covering pimples with makeup). But the fact that she's apparently "smoking hot" kind of mitigates the sweetness a bit. Plus there's the fact that there are so many MORE interesting things that could happen to a person who is entirely transparent. But maybe that's to come in a followup novel.

      I don't yet know how interested I'd be in a second installment. It depends on how long the story of the first novel sticks with me.
    • 1/5
      Argh, I hate that I'm getting credit for finishing the book when I didn't, but there it is.

      I wanted to like this book. In the beginning, I did. I love the premise of heroes versus villains, something that Renegade X did very well. Unfortunately, the world building in this book was not quite as exciting.

      For the first few chapters, I enjoyed the dynamics. Then we have the unnecessary love triangle, because what's a YA book pitched at girls without a girl tripping all over herself over a boy? *sigh* That's when things started to go downhill. Between that, the simplistic dialogue, and the feeling that I want to know what happens yet at the same time, I think I could live without finding out...

      I gave up. As a reader, I need to remember to exercise my right to give up on a book.
    • 5/5
      I really enjoyed this book, like complete awesome read. Once I started I didn’t want to stop. I wanted to keep going… I wanted all my questions that was stirring in my head to be answered and I couldn’t sleep til I got those answers. With the sleep thing: having a 5-year-old, and an infant the sleep thing means a lot, haha!Fiona’s honesty was so blunt, and her dry humor reminded me a lot of my mother, haha! She was definitely a likely character in this book. I loved watching her character grow as the book went deeper into the storyline. Fiona has never seen herself due to being born with differing ability of invisibility. People could see her clothes, but not her body. I thought that was different from other “invisibility” characters from what I have read before.I loved how Fiona got to meet people her age, and got to see how her transformation started to take place. All the characters in this book were so great, and I can’t imagine how they will develop more into the series, but I will definitely have to keep my eyes open for the next book.
    • 3/5
      Although I was initially wary of this book, the more I read, the more the story grew on me. I think the story could have been strengthened by paying closer attention to the protagonists' voice and by taking away some of the more cartoonish aspects of the mafia scene.Fiona was born invisible, and her mafia-boss father has used her to steal, manipulate and spy since she was old enough. When he tries to use her as an assassin, however, Fiona's mother decides enough is enough, and they run away. However, the mind-control powers her father employs are addictive, and Fiona and her mother have run away before, only to succumb to their craving for his approval. On tenterhooks, surrounded by strangers, and terrified that her mother will give them up at any moment, Fiona starts school and tries to live a normal life.The tone of this book came across as too juvenile for my liking - Fiona has a weirdly light way of describing the mafia, her father and what they get up to, never seeming to really realise how dark those things are. She judges the students at her new school for not realising how good they have it, but I never saw any evidence that she herself had any idea. When the mafia do make appearances, it's comical and over-exaggerated, and even the violence becomes weird, slapstick. I'm not convinced there was ever any gravitas to the crime scene used in the novel, even though the very idea of a teenager being used in the ways Fiona was terrifies me. The violence between Fiona and he family members felt unrealistic and gratuitous and yet strangely troubling. I almost feel like the author watched an episode too many of The Sopranos while writing this.I liked the world that Natalie Whipple has created and the powers, big and small, that everyone possesses. There are the usual powers - flight, strength, charisma, telekinesis, mind-reading - but Whipple has also created some unique ones as well. I think my favourite power is the scent-replication that Fiona's brother Miles posses - even though he thinks it's useless, I think it's really cool. Plus he can do some awesome things with it. Bea's voice throwing is also awesome.I found it really hard to like any of the characters in this book - they're all under-developed and annoying (some only mildly so, but others infuriated me). Fiona, in particular, is a whiny brat who makes nonsensical decisions and likes to blame everyone but herself for her problems. She won't cut her mother a break, even though the woman was in an abusive relationship, and she treats the students at her school with contempt and hates a girl on sight because she's pretty. It's ridiculous. I also couldn't understand is Graham, who claims that he cares about Fiona and her mother, and is trying to protect them, but degenerates to violence alarmingly quickly any time Fiona questions him or refuses to follow his orders. The rest of the cast is two-dimensional and stereotypical, but there are nuggets of brilliance in the relationship between Bea and her brothers, and between Fiona and Miles.Transparent is a very quick, light read, enjoyable on some counts, but amateurish and clichéd on others. Although the book leaves a lot to be desired, there are moments in characterisation and plot that shine through.A copy of this book was provided by the publisher for review.You can read more of my reviews at Speculating on SpecFic.
    • 4/5
      While I might think it would be neat to be invisible every once in a while I can not imagine ONLY being invisible and never seeing my self or have someone else see me. Fiona's father has put her talent to use for him and has her steal things and do his other dirty work. Her mom who is 'addicted' to her father takes Fiona and runs giving Fiona a chance at a somewhat normal life. TRANSPARENT and its elements ended up being unlike any other book I have read. This might read a little jumpy and I apologize in advance, I did not want to give away any spoilers. It is made clear that this is not the first time that Fiona and her Mom have been on the run. It has never worked out before and Fiona has no doubt that her father will show up at anytime or that her mom will end up taking her back. Fiona is really standoffish with a group of people who are trying to be her friends. She has no doubt that they think she is spoiled, or there to cause trouble. Once she lets them in things start to get even more interesting. All of the characters in TRANSPARENT where great. Bea and her family were just so much fun to be around. Fiona's brother Miles was extremely easy to like, was protective of his sister and was willing to do just about anything to help her out. Seth surprised me the most. I would have never guessed his ability and I just loved who he turned out to be by the end of the book.TRANSPARENT was enjoyable and unique. I hope we get to see more from this world but I have not seen anything that mentions this being part of a series. It works as a standalone but I do want more.
    • 5/5
      For a while now, I wanted a different read. And this folks is it! Jackpot!1. Uniquely Different. Look folks, when you’ve read over 1500 books in your lifetime, plot lines and twist began to become repetitive. I enjoyed this book immensely because it caught me off guard. I love that. I love that it was different. A different world, new powers and of course a plot that is nicely written.2. Plot. This plot is built up nicely that I couldn’t help but let myself fall into the story. I was so drawn to the world that the author created that it literally pulled me in. Hook. Line. Sinker.3. Love interest. After reading this book, I had countless thoughts on what it would be like to be invisible my entire life and then one day, a guy could see me. WOW! The emotions and thoughts running through my head were almost similar to Fiona. I’m excited to where this love interest would go. Oh, and for the love of God, please no love triangles. It is fine as is!4. Minor characters. The best part about this book are the minor characters. They each carry a unique role in Fiona’s life. Some good and others bad. Still each characters fulfills role for the destine of Fiona. My fave character is the “worthless son.” Once you read the story, you’ll understand why.5. Comedic relief. The author does a great job in creating hints of laughter and enjoyable moments through the story. One moment, you’d be so wound up and the next, a joke or a stupid pick up line that lets then reader relax. I really loved how well this element is used.This is a fantastic story. Brilliantly written and superb in the plot, Transparent is the start of an excellent series. Spicing up the YA-world, Transparent shines like no other. A well anchored story that leaves me craving for more, Transparent rocks!
    • 2/5
      This one had a great premise. A girl with a superpower and a crime boss father? Hello! It sounded totally up my alley. I love anything superhero related and if you throw in an evil crime lord on top of that, it’s bound to be awesome, right? Well… it sounded like it would be…Fiona is an invisible teen. When I say she’s invisible, she doesn’t just feel invisible, she really is invisible. She works for her crime-lord dad, breaking into vaults, spying on people, etc. One day he gives her an assignment which requires her to assassinate some girls, and it’s too much for her. Desperate to get away, Fiona’s telekinetic mom packs her up and drives her to Arizona to hide. They’ve done this before, though, and eventually, Fiona’s father manages to rope them back with his (literal) powers of persuasion. Still, they are hopeful that this time things will be different.When in Arizona, Fiona starts school for the first time and actually makes some friends and even develops her first crush. For once, things feel somewhat normal. But then Fiona’s older brother, Graham finds them. Graham is her father’s number one guy, so when he tells Fi and her mother that he wants to help them, it’s only natural for them to be weary. Will Fi’s chance at a new normal come to an abrupt end, and if her father finds them, how forgiving will he be this time around?Strong characters (or at least relatable characters) are a must for me. Sometimes I can look past the lack of character development if the writing and story is really strong. Sadly, that wasn’t the case here. The story had promise, but was weakly executed. There is a ton of telling — we’re told how the abilities came about and we’re told how they are used, and we’re told how Fi feels, etc. etc. I didn’t feel like I experienced anything while reading this book. I almost DNF’ed, but I had already invested enough time in it that I decided to stick it out, hoping for at least a bang of an ending. Instead, I got a less than lackluster payoff.I could run through all of the characters and how I felt about each of them, but I can save us all some time by saying that I didn’t like any of them. The only thing that differentiated them from one another were their powers. Fiona, as I stated earlier, is invisible. Her mother is telekinetic and her crime-lord father can persuade women to do anything he wants. Graham can fly and Miles, Fiona’s other brother, can emit any smell he pleases, whenever he pleases. There are “normal” people in this world, but aside from a teacher or two, we don’t meet any of them. All of Fi’s new friends also have abilities. Brady, one of the boys she likes has super-strength and his brother Seth — well, his ability is unknown until much later in the book, and it’s (supposed to be) a big deal, so I won’t spoil it for you. There’s also a family (their last name escapes me) that Fi spends time with, and honestly, aside from Beatrix, I don’t remember any of their abilities.Aside from Graham (the asshat brother), all of the other characters were flat and lifeless. What made it worse is that I really didn’t like Fiona. In the beginning, I was interested in her and her ability. I can’t imagine how going through life as an invisible girl would be and I felt as if I might be able to at least sympathize. About halfway into the book (maybe even before), she started to get on my nerves. She was all over the place emotionally. It was exhausting. Aside from a promising first couple of chapters, I didn’t connect with this book at all. The characterization is extremely weak, the writing was flat and the story lacked any real punch. I went into this with extremely high hopes. Sadly, for me, the most interesting thing about the book is the premise.
    • 4/5
      Review courtesy of All Things Urban FantasyPure fun. That’s what Natalie Whipple’s TRANSPARENT is. Universal themes regarding identity and independence are explored alongside twisty fun supernatural abilities like flight, the protagonist’s invisibility, and all the way down to seemingly trivial powers like fear induced stink. More series issues arise thanks to Fiona’s crime lord father and ‘jobs’ he literally charms her into carrying out for him.The invisibility metaphor is one that has been explored before, especially in relation to those awkward teenage years, but Natalie Whipple’s take is fresh and refreshingly devoid of depression laced prose. On the contrary, Fiona is bright and confident in her own skin–even if she can’t see it. That’s not to say she doesn’t deal with insecurity, she just doesn’t let it define her. She really doesn’t even let her invisibility define her. She demands that anyone who truly cares about her see her for who she is not what she is.Fiona is a genuinely likable character. Her situation–both being invisible and being forced to work for her father–is immediately easy to empathize with because of the way she reacts to it. She doesn’t constantly bemoan how she misses out on things by being invisible or wallow in self-pity, rather she is practical and resourceful and brave in a completely admirable way. And more than one guy notices her.When so many YA novels default to insta-love after a few paragraphs of holy hotness appraisal of the other’s physical attributes, TRANSPARENT eschews that type of romance. Yes, Fiona notices that guys are attractive, but she doesn’t define them based on appearance since she won’t let anyone define her that way. The result is an organic romance with plenty of realistic missteps and sweet intimate moments. There isn’t any info regarding a sequel, but I’d be first in line to read it if one comes along.Sexual Content:Kissing
    • 4/5
      I love the premise of this and it drew me in quickly. I liked the simplistic but fun set-up. There were of course complexities to the plot, and I was on the edge of my seat wondering how things would play out. Fiona is a character that is easy to root for. I totally cannot imagine being invisible! In some ways, it would be awesome, but it others it would suck. And we get to see both of these drawbacks through her eyes. I felt so sorry for her how her dad treated her like a tool, a means to his end. It is so brave of her and her mom to try to get a fresh start. Liked her relationship with her older brothers. Seemed realistic, and cool that they were close. The way they grew up and what they went through together made that bond even stronger. The protective side that Miles has, and their covert communication added another whole element to the story. Bea is a lot of fun. She is a girl at the new school who befriends Fiona. She also is gifted and her and Brady are the strongest and the ones ostracized in a community of mostly normal mutations. She is able to throw her voice, and Brady has strength. I liked Fiona and Bea's friendship, and how Fiona (and myself as a reader) had to work through the trust issues, and see her for what she was. I liked how she was bold, and told it like it was. She didn't pretend like Fiona wasn't unique, and didn't sidestep around her abilities. She also was so funny. I loved her lines and she made me laugh a lot. The other characters are great too. Brady, as I mentioned earlier is a guy at her new school, who is hot and has abilities. Seth is a hot math tutor, more of the broody kind that keeps to himself a lot. Bea has a ton of brothers, and I love the dynamic there as well. The dialogue feels authentic and it is downright hilarious at times. But there is a lot of emotional connections and depth when you look below the surface. She eventually lets them in, but she is keeping to herself at first, so there is just the minor flirting with whom I will not say but I def had a clear team and would love to talk to someone about it if they have read. I liked the slow build of the romance though, and the bantering that helped lead up to it. I am glad that Fiona wasn't afraid to speak her mind to this person because it made him respect her more I think. The town she is in just assumes that she is a spoiled brat and her dad put her there as a statement. Fiona's dad has a conflict going on with the leader of the area that Fiona and her mom are hiding it--hiding in plain sight, because they counted on her dad not thinking they would move into Juan's (his enemy) land. It wrapped up pretty well, but I have the feeling that there will be a sequel. While it was a good ending, and tied up the book, I just sense that the resolution can't last forever. But I could be wrong. Bottom Line: Great premise, executed well, with surprising emotional depth and well developed characters that are easy to root for.
    • 5/5
      Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales.Quick & Dirty: Great Sci-Fi book, with a great plot and awesome characters.Opening Sentence: I nearly died the second I was born.Excerpt: NoThe Review:Fiona McClean lives in a world where everyone has some kind of mutation. Years ago there was a drug called Radiasure and it was suppose to help protect people from radiation but it came with side effects that no one was expecting. Even though people stopped taking the drug — the damage had been done and it was passed on to their children. Some mutations were very mild and only affected the way someone looked but some were much more advanced like being able to fly, being super strong, or being able to smell like anything. There really is no limitation to what your mutation could be, but for Fiona she is one of a kind. She happens to be totally invisible. As long as something is in her body and she isn’t wearing any clothes she is totally invisible to the human eye.Unfortunately, Fiona’s father is a big time crime lord and he uses Fiona’s gift just for his advantage. Her father also has a rare gift; they call him a charmer because when he talks he can convince people to do what he wants. So he uses his gift to control Fiona and her mother to do things like steal, spy, and whatever else fits his agenda. But he finally crosses a line and orders Fiona to murder the innocent daughters of his biggest rival. Fiona and her mother flee to try and escape him, but over the years every time they run he always finds them. They run to a small town in Arizona where Fiona’s mother decides they should try to live a normal life, and by normal she means going to high school. But how long is this time going to last? Can she really ever be free of her father?Fiona has never attended school before, she always just had private tutors that her dad hired. She has never really had a chance to make friends or really get to know any kids her age. As she starts school she realizes that most people are afraid of her and don’t want her around, but there are a few kids who try to be nice. Fiona has a hard time trusting anyone and their intentions, she has been burned to many times in her life by the people closest to her. So opening up and letting people in is not her forte, but there are some kids at school who refuse to give up. As a character Fiona has some of my favorite qualities. She has a fun attitude and doesn’t mind sticking up for herself. She is also insecure at times and cares deeply for the people in her life. I really loved her and connected well with her.Bea and Brady are the two students who are determined to get to know Fiona. Bea is a beautiful girl who has the power to voice throw, which basically means she can make anyone hear what she wants them to no matter how far they are, and she can do it in any voice she wants. This is a pretty rare mutation so the kids in her school have always treated her as an outsider and she honestly just wants to be friends with Fiona. Once Fiona finally opens up they become very close and Bea is a very loyal and good friend.Brady has been best friends with Bea most of his life. He also has a rare mutation where he is extremely strong. He is the sweetest guy and a total hottie on top of it. Fiona can’t help but like Brady, he is just one of those guys that everyone likes. Fiona has never really dated anyone, but she wouldn’t mind getting to know Brady better.Last we have Brady’s Older Brother Seth. Fiona realizes that she is really behind most of the students in her studies — especially in math. The teacher recommends she go and visit the tutor who happens to be Seth. Right off the bat Seth and Fiona do not get along. He is an arrogant jerk and he makes Fiona feel very stupid. But as Fiona gets to know Seth better she sees a side of him she missed at first. Underneath his jerk attitude he really is a sweet guy that has had a hard time in his life. As Fiona discovers more about him she can’t help but be intrigued by him.I really loved this book. It caught my interest right off and I couldn’t put it down. I loved all the characters in this book. The plot was very intriguing and the story fascinated me. I loved Natalie’s writing and I can’t wait to read more books from her. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that likes YA Sci-Fi or just a really great read.Notable Scene:I’m surprised how many people are here, but relieved to find Bea smiling. Only now do I notice how not a single person sits next to her, as if she’s cursed. I’m such a jerk. I wave, the gold bangle around my wrist the only indication I moved at all. She pats the desk next to her, but before I head over I notice a guy coming from the front.He must be the tutor, though I’m surprised he’s not as old or geeky as I imagined a tutor to be. He’s tall and thin with strawberry-blond hair and a light dusting of freckles to match. His ears stick out, but he’s actually pretty cute. Cute enough that I end up smiling a little as I wait for him.Then his crystal-blue eyes meet mine directly, and I gasp.A smirk crosses his lips. “You here for tutoring?”“Uh.” My heart flips, and I look down, unable to hold his gaze. Sometimes people hit dead-on like that-Miles more than anyone. It’s unnerving, and yet comforting at the same time. I almost feel visible, just for the smallest moment.FTC Advisory: Harper Collins provided me with a copy of Transparent. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.