Genres
Publication
Century (2016), 464 pages
Description
''Do you ever wonder if you've lived the life you were meant to?' I ask her. She sighs, and dips her head. 'Even if I do, what difference will it make?' In 1988, two eight-year-old girls with almost identical names and the same love of ballet meet for the first time. They seem destined to be best friends forever and to become professional dancers. Years later, however, they have both been dealt so many cruel blows that they walk away from each other into very different futures - one enters a convent, the other becomes a minor celebrity. Will these new, 'invisible' lives be the ones they were meant to live, or will they only find that kind of salvation when they are reunited twenty years later?
User reviews
LibraryThing member jocelynam
A very powerful book of 2 friends both with the same name, however different spellings. Inseparable as children they both suffered abuse and the reaction of their families. No one listened, and how the adults concerned manipulated their victims, and the families. Each girl deals with the abuse in
A very thought provoking read on a number of levels. Two points I take away from this book. Listen and take seriously cries for help. Listen and give a person a chance to tell their story.
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their own way. Roni as a wild teenager into sex and alcohol, becomes a member of a convert and Nika goes into another abusing relationship before leaving and taking up a life on the streets, also abusive. Roni leaves the convent in order to find Nika and explain /apologise for failing to support her friend and why in her time of greatest need. 30 years on the girls now women, confront their pasts and their families. A very thought provoking read on a number of levels. Two points I take away from this book. Listen and take seriously cries for help. Listen and give a person a chance to tell their story.
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LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
The two main protagonists, Nika and Roni, have been friends since they were eight years old. The storyline moves around through the decades, from 1988 when they first meet, to 2016, when they are both in their mid-thirties. I found this very confusing at first, but it works very well as a device
The story builds up with just the right amount of tension, revealing exactly what needs to be told at each point, until the dramatic climax which reveals not just untold secrets, but unexpected motivations.
Some of the book is, as I’ve come to expect from this author, very shocking. She excels in letting the reader know what’s happening without gratuitous details, although I found some sections quite disturbing. Underlying the entire story is the importance of truth, of standing up for one’s friends, of being open with authorities. As such, I hope it will be read by some who may be at risk of the kinds of situations explored.
Recommended to older teens or adults with the caveat that there's more bad language than I'm comfortable with, and it's not an easy read. In addition, anyone who has been through some of the horrendous issues covered may find it too painful.
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for unfolding the complex plot. The story builds up with just the right amount of tension, revealing exactly what needs to be told at each point, until the dramatic climax which reveals not just untold secrets, but unexpected motivations.
Some of the book is, as I’ve come to expect from this author, very shocking. She excels in letting the reader know what’s happening without gratuitous details, although I found some sections quite disturbing. Underlying the entire story is the importance of truth, of standing up for one’s friends, of being open with authorities. As such, I hope it will be read by some who may be at risk of the kinds of situations explored.
Recommended to older teens or adults with the caveat that there's more bad language than I'm comfortable with, and it's not an easy read. In addition, anyone who has been through some of the horrendous issues covered may find it too painful.
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Language
Original language
English
ISBN
178089337X / 9781780893372
Other editions
When I Was Invisible by Dorothy Koomson (Paperback)