Grades 4-7
Lily has been invisible for the past two years. She doesn't talk, she won't look people in the eyes, and the townspeople think that she's brain-damaged. She's not, but she's content to have them think that and leave her alone. She sits unresponsively in school, but when nobody is around, she loses herself in Nancy Drew mysteries. Tinny, the new girl in town, unexpectedly stumbles across the fact that Lily can read, and makes it her mission to torment Lily with the knowledge. But Tinny has some secrets of her own, and Lily is determined to discover them before Tinny can hurt her great aunt Fern. When a strange man comes to town, Lily realizes that Tinny's secrets are dangerous ones. Interwoven in the story of Lily and Tinny are flashbacks to Lily's brother Pete, slowly revealing more about their relationship and the reason that Lily hasn't spoken for the last two years. Andrea Beaty mixes in just enough mystery and suspense to make this a very hard book to put down. Don't be fooled by the rather bland title and cover... this is a page-turner. ( )

Awesome mysterious adventure. Starts kinda slow, but suspense begins to build and keeps you turning the page. ( )

Quick, great read. Beaty does a wonderful job of intertwining the story with bits and pieces of reality to bring the reader into the action. Twelve year old Lily does not speak. Not because she can't, it's because she chooses not to. Not since some terrible accident that everyone thinks has left her brain damaged. Due to this opinion, she is left on her own, a silent witness to the world around her. Without giving away the storyline, I would like to mention I particularly liked the father fingering his pocket overalls throughout the story. My only qualm is not the book itself, it's that it's a Sunshine State Nominee (Florida state prize) for students grade 3-5. Why do all the stories have to be about death? There are good stories out there that aren't so heavy. ( )

Lily loves reading Nancy Drew books. She loves them so much that she sneaks them out of the library to read them. Why does she sneak them out? Ever since an accident that took her voice, people have considered her brain damaged. She has let them. It is easier to handle the pain. Things change when a young girl named Tinny comes to town and discovers Lily's secret. She blames Lily when she steals from her great aunt. Lily is not the only one hiding something. Lily is sure Tinny is up to no good and just like Nancy Drew she is going to solve this mystery. This was a very good book. The characters were very believable. I didn't quite understand the situation with Lily's brother until I finished the book. Then I went back to the beginning and re-read the first chapter. It all clicked. There were two mysteries working side by side here. Great book. I recommend it to anyone who likes mysteries. ( )

Another of my son's books that he highly recommended. Lily lives in a mid-western town with her father. She hasn't spoken since a tragic accident and now the town thinks she's a little off in the head. When a new girl comes to town and brings trouble with her Liliy is forced to decide whether she will talk again and risk revealing the secrets of the tragic night. ( )