I also thought that what people saw as symptoms of schizophrenia (him more than likely seeing Andy as a hallucination) was to me just a case of PTSD from the Tuttle incident, his mind's way of coping with the fact that Andy is dead and gone from his life, or simply just an illusion that Doug sees everyday without having warning bells go off in his head like say, veterans with PTSD would have. Personally, I thought that perhaps Doug was an Aspie, that is, someone with Asperger's Syndrome, because of his inability to communicate with his classmates, his rants on his favorite subjects-basically trains, train models, and the Golden Gate Bridge he's making a miniature model of-as well as his straight, to the point, and literal minded way of looking at things. Ahem.īut there's more to Doug's relationship with Andy than meets the eye, and as your read on, you'll find that there's something dark and sinister and potentially lethal he's hidden so far away within himself that even he has forgotten, forgotten about the "Tuttle Incident".
Doug asserts himself when he says that he and Andy are like this -(crosses fingers)-.close, I mean. (I've decided to write a small review in light of the fact I chose to re-read this book for my English class's literature circle).ĭoug is a socially awkward, literal-minded middle school student who is basically ignored by everyone but a super popular kid in his own grade named Andy. The book mercilessly bullets toward its denouement and skids to a satisfyingly oblique ending that neither absolves or completely punishes the actions of its characters.
The chapters are short and taut, infused with a sinister edge that is typically unfound in YA novels. What saves Invisible from being a wash is Hatuman's pacing: it is terrifically unnerving. Knowing the twist added to the suspense: I constantly wondered how Hautman would tie it all together. The central concept of Invisible is embarrassingly apparent by page 25 even if you figure it out, don't give up. Dougie is clearly a disturbed individual, but Hautman peppers him with cloying asides and "quirks" that come off as a third-rate Christopher Swindon (from The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time).
In fact, I'd argue that Hautman missed the boat completely with Dougie, the narrator. Invisible continues the weird/twisted trend, but with a more linear plotline (read: mechanical) and less likable characters.
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