"This wildly imaginative theatre-set tale crackles with cryptic wit, otherworldly invention and storytelling excellence"
Longlisted for the UKLA Book Awards 2021
What a majestic conjuration of Middle Grade magic this is – think Alice in Wonderland in a dazzling theatrical setting. The year is 1870 and Celeste is a lowly orphan who runs errands in a Royal Opera House. She wakes one day haunted by a dream in which an enigmatic emerald suited-man spoke ominously of her involvement in a game called the Reckoning. Celeste recalls a shipwreck from the dream too and then, back in what appears to be real life, the opera house’s huge galleon-shaped crystal chandelier splinters into a thousand pieces and everyone thinks Celeste is someone else. The opening in which she cascades into the story world is as exhilaratingly bewildering as Alice’s entry to Wonderland: “Down she falls. Oh, how the world has tumbled.” Why does everyone think she’s a gifted dancer called Maria? Why can’t everyone see her? And so an intricate, suspenseful tale of identity plays out as Celeste struggles to untangle the truth, with dreadfully high stakes.
Gardner’s cast of larger-than-life characters is vibrantly drawn, and special mention must be made of vindictive diva Madame Sabina and her awful daughter, and Celeste’s ally Viggo. But the true star of this production is - of course – Celeste, whose resolve is adeptly expressed through the thoughts of the mysterious man in the emerald suit: “Seldom has he met a child with strength enough to move on to the final part of the game.” This is a dream of a book for confident readers who relish fiction that ignites their imaginations and delight in flexing their cerebral muscles.
| Suitable For: | |
| Other Genres: | |
| Recommendations: |
An imaginative novel [with] a suspenseful challenge and a vivid backstage world of intrigue and romance... Original and rich' Sunday Times Book of the Week. From I, Coriander to Invisible in a Bright Light, Sally Gardner's first middle grade novel in 14 years soars with the imagination of a master story-teller. A pitch-perfect story about a crystal chandelier that splinters into a thousand pieces, a girl abandoned as a baby on the steps of an opera house and a dangerous game called the Reckoning. It is 1870: opening night at the Royal Opera House in a freezing city by the sea, where a huge, crystal chandelier in the shape of a galleon sparkles magically with the light of 750 candles. Celeste, a theatre rat, wakes up in a costume basket from what she hopes is a bad dream, to find that everyone at the theatre where she works thinks she is someone else. When the chandelier falls, she is haunted by a strange girl who claims to know Celeste's past and why she must risk playing a game called the Reckoning to try to save the people she loves. 'This is a classic Gardner modern fairy tale, full of fabulous locations and mesmerising characters. lt's a complicated, layered history tale... but do not underestimate this age group's intelligence and focus; young book lovers will be as delighted as they are challenged' Big Issue, Books of the Year 2019.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed Invisible in a Bright Light and determined it is suitable for children aged 11-12 years old
Invisible in a Bright Light features in the following genres: Adventure Stories, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Fantasy / Magical, Historical Fiction, Star Books, Recommendations, Featured Books for 11+ readers
Invisible in a Bright Light is available in Paperback, Hardback
Invisible in a Bright Light was written by Sally Gardner and published by Zephyr an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing (UK)
Invisible in a Bright Light has 352 pages
£9.89
