Read and Reviewed: The Invisibles by Susie Bower

Wednesday, 14 May 2025

The Invisibles by Susie Bower

✦ BLURB ✦

A magical kingdom. Four friends. One terrible mistake...

In the Land of Magic, four friends live a life filled with wonder. But there's one rule they must not break: never set foot on the Island of Darkness. So, when one child does the unthinkable, they must all pay a terrible price - exile to Wasteland, the bleak world where only grown-ups live.

For Grace, this fate is particularly cruel. She wakes up with no memory of her magical home, or how she ended up here - and the only clue to her past is guarded by two hostile and mysteriously invisible children.

As Grace uncovers the Invisibles' secrets, she must work out a way to return home, before Wasteland traps her forever...

✶ PRE-READING ✶

This sounded exactly like my kind of story - memory loss, magical kingdoms, forbidden places, and the tension between childhood freedom and adult responsibility. I was especially intrigued by the idea of the Wasteland being where only grown-ups live. That instantly evoked the feeling of a lost Neverland, or the moment you realise the magic’s gone. I was hoping for classic middle-grade fantasy with depth and a slightly eerie atmosphere.

✶ POST-READING ✶

This hit all the right notes. The world of the Land of Magic is vibrant and deeply imagined, and the contrast with the grim Wasteland was sharply drawn. I loved the way Grace's story slowly unfolded, with memories creeping back and the truth of her exile emerging piece by piece. The Invisibles themselves were both sad and unsettling, and the story never shied away from the consequences of choices made.

The book plays beautifully with the idea of what we lose when we grow up - not just magic, but imagination, hope, and trust. There’s a strong undercurrent of grief and change here too, making it resonate more deeply than the typical magical quest.

✦ RECOMMENDATIONS ✦

Book: The Land of Roar by Jenny McLachlan – another story that explores the blurred boundary between imagination and reality.
TV or Movie: Bridge to Terabithia – especially for the theme of how fantasy worlds shape our emotional lives.

✧ VIBE CHECK ✧

A colour palette: twilight blue, candle gold, soft ash grey
A soundtrack: echoing piano notes and a far-off lullaby
A season: late autumn – when the air smells of smoke and endings
A mood: nostalgic, wistful, a little uncanny
A scent: old paper and fading flowers

★ TAROT CARD PULLED ★

Six of Hearts – The Fountain of Youth (Storyteller’s Tarot). This card captures the core of Grace’s story: the yearning for home, the loss of memory, and the powerful draw of childhood’s magic. Like the Fountain itself, her past is elusive, shimmering, and bittersweet. This card reminds us that the magic of youth never truly vanishes — it waits, quietly, for the moment we’re brave enough to return.