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Guests | April 30, 2013
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$5.50
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More copies of this ISBNThis title in other editionsRiding Invisibleby Sandra Alonzo
Staff Pick
Riding Invisible was so not what I expected it to be, in the best way. The basic premise: A guy runs away from home on his horse and keeps a journal of his "adventure." What I slowly discovered is that this guy is not having an adventure at all; rather, he's desperately trying to stay out of the psychological and physical hold that his crazy older brother has on him, while deluding himself into thinking that he can keep himself and his horse alive on virtually no money while wandering around in the desert-y area outside Los Angeles. Through this illustrated journal (à la Diary of a Wimpy Kid but for high school), I got a heart-pounding peek at the havoc mental illness can wreak upon the "unaffected" younger siblings. Great for reluctant readers or anyone whose best friend is a horse (or who wishes they had a horse for a best friend). Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:Everyone has to know the truth in case I get killed on the trail. It'll be My Escape all written and drawn WHILE IT HAPPENS. Could be a little raw. I'm a little raw. I'm going to lay low, still and quiet, blend in, harmonize with the world out there. It's not an easy thing to be, a boy on a horse...riding invisible. So begins 15-year-old Yancy Aparicio's adventure journal. Tormented and abused by his older brother Will, Yancy runs away from home on the night that his brother viciously attacks his horse, Shy. With just a backpack, a flashlight, his horse, and a journal, Yancy takes to the California desert on a journey of self-discovery. There, he will learn the hardships of being homeless, experience his first kiss, and meet a Mexican laborer, Tavo, who has a thing or two to teach him about life and love. Debut novelist Sandra Alonzo creates an honest portrait of a family dealing with mental disease: parents who struggle to raise two very different boys, one son who cannot control his anger, and the other who must live in his shadow. Illustrator Nathan Huang captures the humor and angst of a teenager who sometimes needs more than words to make his point. In Riding Invisible, words and art come together to create a touching, funny, and wholly original story.
Review:"Written in diary form with poems and comic book — style drawings scattered throughout, Alonzo's (Gallop-O-Gallop) first novel presents 15-year-old Yancy Aparicio's account of life on the road — with his cherished horse, Shy. After Yancy's mentally troubled older brother attacks Shy, Yancy runs away, heading out into the California desert and filling his journal with his observations, interactions, and reflections. His nearly three-week journey might seem implausible to some, but there's a timeless, noble quality to Yancy's wanderings. His narrative has the scattered, frustrated tone of a teenager desperate to vent and who is slowly realizing what he's gotten himself into ('A few months ago, Mom and I watched an old black-and-white Western movie. It was so lame with this cowboy on the run from the law, but shit, that guy was prepared! I mean he wasn't eating pretzels for dinner'). While his voice can feel uneven, vacillating between polished thoughts and rougher play-by-plays of events as they happen, Yancy's friendship with a Mexican ranch worker and his family's genuine desperation give the book emotional resonance. Ages 12 — up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Synopsis:Tormented and abused by his older brother, 15-year-old Yancy Aparicio runs away from home on the night that his brother viciously attacks his horse, Shy. With just a backpack, a flashlight, his horse, and a journal, Yancy takes to the California desert on a journey of self-discovery. Illustrations.
Synopsis:Fifteen-year-old Yancy runs away from home on the night his brother viciously attacks his horse, Shy. With just a backpack, a flashlight, his horse, and a journal, Yancy takes to the California desert on a journey of self-discovery. There he will learn the hardships of being homeless, experience his first kiss, and meet a Mexican laborer, Tavo, who has a thing or two to teach him about life and love.
Debut novelist Sandra Alonzo creates an honest portrait of a family dealing with mental disease. Illustrator Nathan Huang captures the humor and angst of a teenager who needs more than words to make his point. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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