Invisible Emmie will likely appeal to readers who also felt invisible, who wished others could see them as they are, could be their friends. Her story intertwines with that of Katie, a popular, self-confident girl beloved by all. Emmie still points out the kids who smell or who spit or who do other things readers are supposed to think are amusingly “so middle-school.” But the book starts to focus more on Emmie’s reticence, her fear of being seen, of speaking up for herself. Still, she comes across as a female Greg Heffley, trying to be funny with her “witty” observations of middle-school life, but ultimately just coming across as mean.Īfter this awkward introduction, the story does improve. Her only redeeming quality is that she keeps her unkind thoughts private instead of taunting kids to their faces. Emmie censures the school bully for making fun of others, but she does, too. She makes fun of them for being weird or smelly or having acne or having a “disability,” which she tries to make seem less horrible by then describing a “math disability” (that is, the kid just struggles in math–he, does not, as far as we know, actually have a learning disability).
Unfortunately, Emmie positions herself as a normal, relatable character by making it clear that others in her school are not normal. I had hopes this would be a story about Emmie finding her way, not by discovering an amazing, hidden talent, but just by being herself. As a result, she does not believe she could ever be a heroine in a story. She is not an outsider because awkward or weird or anything. Invisible Emmie is initially interesting because it seeks to put a twist on the trope of the outsider protagonist, as Emmie herself notes. Emmie’s mockery of her fellow classmates ultimately makes her less of a likable–or relatable–protagonist than she is supposed to be, taking away power from her story.
Clearly inspired by Diary of Wimpy Kid (published ten years prior), Invisible Emmie attempts to provide humor by making fun of middle-school stereotypes, even as protagonist Emmie struggles herself with trying to fit in and survive bullying. Invisible Emmie proves an uneven addition to the number of middle-school graphic novels currently on the market. Will Emmie find the courage to defend herself? Then an embarrassing note to her crush starts getting passed around school and, suddenly, everyone seems to know who she is. Afraid to speak up or have anyone notice her, she goes through her days hiding in her sketchbook. Series: currently has two companion novelsĮmmie is invisible.
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