All the Invisible Things

All The Invisible Things is a powerful and warm YA novel about finding real connections with people and being honest. Helvetica—Vetty—moved from London to Somerset after her mum died, leaving behind her best friend Pez and her ability to feel comfortable as herself. Now she's seventeen and moving back to London with her dad and younger sister, but she's hiding the secret of the fact she likes boys and girls, and she's not spoken to Pez in years. Back in London, Pez seemed different, their connection isn't what it was, and Vetty finds herself navigating a new friendship too.

This is a great YA read that shows there's not one way to be and that it isn't always easy to be yourself, even when you find the people you can be yourself around. Vetty is a bright and complex narrator and Collins weaves in a lot of elements of her life, from her role looking after her younger sister to her lost passion for photography, to give her a real sense of authenticity. What is quite refreshing is that the real focus on the novel is about Vetty reforming old friendships and gaining new ones, and though her coming to terms with her bisexuality is important, it is one element of her life amidst other parts. The power of character-focused YA fiction is that it can depict three-dimensional protagonists that show the amount of things people have to balance in real life.

All The Invisible Things is the kind of book for older YA readers that we keep needing more of: ones that looks at issues such as sex, identity, mental health, and the realities of the internet whilst staying witty and character-driven.