Every Visible Thing

Very dark

This was a very dark and dismal novel which I found in the bargain book section at B&N. The story is told from two characters, Lena and Owen, alternating chapters. Lena is obsessed with finding her brother or at least finding out who he was. She finds his old camera and lots of undeveloped film. She takes a photography class to learn to develop it herself. As she sees the places and people that Hugh shot, she seeks them out looking for answers. This leads her down a dangerous trail as she skips school, becomes involved in drugs, and searches for her identity. Owen is ten and struggling with his sexual development and feelings for his best friend Danny. Some of these chapters were sexually explicit uncomfortable as they occur between two young boys and did not seem necessary to the story. At this point, I was ready to put the book down. But I continued because I was intrigued by Lena's story. Owen's story improved from there and focused on him be ostracized from his peers and he begins to pay attention to his sister and start looking for his own answers to Hugh disappearance.
I'm glad I stayed with the book. Though it was a melancholy story, it brought home the reality of what happens to a family when one of it's members is lost and what can happen if they then lose each other. Lisa Carey writes well though graphically at times but a tragic tale can not be sugar-coated. This is not a novel for the faint of heart, and not a light read but it has real depth and worth the emotional drain.

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1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Its now on my favorite book list...

This is one of those books that you just can't out down!! Each chapter is told alternately by the brother and sister of Hugh, who disappeared a few years earlier. They both 'use' Hugh in their minds to get thru the complications in their lives. This book was EXCELLENT!!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Watch and listen to the children- they keep growing

It has often been said that 'children should be seen and not heard'. But Lisa Carey's book EVERY VISIBLE THING shows that children will be seen until they are heard! This all too true and difficult story is beautifully written about how children react when parents fall apart after the loss of another child. Parents seem to give themselves permission to fall apart with the unreasonable expectation that their other children will just wait around to grow up any further until the parents can cope again. The question of if there are angels or not is handled with grace and style. Carey has the voices of these two siblings drawn realistically and with heartbreaking sincerity. Great book that considers the children and the need for communication within families --especially in the most difficult and heartbreaking situations. Caustically and sympathetically written story at the same time. Wonderful read for everyone. Great for discussions!

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A sadly touching story

I really enjoyed EVERY VISIBLE THING. There is lots of striking images and the dynamic characters are very well drawn. It is a bit graphic in some parts but overall I would read it again.

Was just OK

The book was OK. It really was hard to keep up with the book. It was confusing how the author would change from one character to another, it made it difficult to feel what what going on. The ending to me was also disappointing. I bought the book because it was so inexpensive to buy. This book will now collect dust in my library. I am considering donating the book to a local book vendor.

Very interesting

It's sad to see how this family reacts to the losing their son/brother. It was a little weird reading about the 11 yr old's sexual intimacy. It was a very different book from what I normally read but well written and enjoyable.

No thank you

I thought this book would be interesting, but I felt sick reading the detailed, graphic descriptions of little boys having sex. It's almost child porn. I couldn't even donate it to the library as I'd planned, because it's so disturbing. I have no problem reading about transgender, homosexuality, etc., but the little kids having sex was too much.

0 out of 6 people found this review helpful.

Every Visible Thing

Very touching story. I don't know what I would have done if I was in that position. It is a good book for young teenage girls. Almost everyone can learn a valuable life lesson from Every Visible Thing.

awesome book omg!

i read this book over my summer vacation and it was soooooooo great. it captivated my attention, and always kept me thinking and wanting to read more. It has become my favorite book :) READ THIS BOOK!

Every visible thing

Very realistically written, she captures teen angst and the loss of a loved one just as they are.

Not too bad.

An entertaining read about teenage angst, but ultimately I was a bit disappointed. There were many questions in my mind left unanswered, and the rushed ending was hardly satisfying.
Still, this is a pretty interesting and at times very fun novel about the self-destruction of two young siblings and their oblivious parents. The prose is fairly unique, which lessens the chance of boredom for those who've read teen angst (or just Catcher in the Rye) hundreds of times.
Despite the unimpressive ending, it's a good story by an equally good writer, and I'll recommend it to anyone who enjoys J.D. Salinger.

Love it!

Another tearjerker to be sure, but also so much more. There is so much pain and wrong done in this family. The parents are so preoccupied with the loss of their oldest that their surviving children are left to fend for themselves. There is so much to learn from the experiences of the characters. I truly enjoyed reading it more than once of course.

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