Invisible Girl

First-time author Stone debuts with a careful and challenging examination of clique politics. After Stephanie’s abusive, alcoholic mother abandons the family, her ineffectual father ships her off to a wealthy family she has never met in Los Angeles, where Alpha girl Annie takes her under her wing (“Let’s tell everyone we’re real cousins”). Stephanie loves feeling included, but hiding her background—and her true self—soon becomes impossible. There is a lot of emotional territory for Stephanie to travel as she explores her troubled past and complex present. Readers may not feel like all of the story lines are examined completely; Stephanie’s relationship with her mother, who hit her but also “hugged me fiercely,” seems more like a narrative device than a real part of her story. However, Stone demonstrates smart insight into how Annie’s circle operates and how hard Stephanie works to be part of it (“I nod when she nods. I laugh when she laughs”). Though her inevitable transformation comes quick, readers will find it easy to rally for Stephanie as she becomes visible on her own terms. Ages 12–up. (May)