By David Owen

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When Kat deletes her online presence after being targeted by trolls, she doesn’t realise quite what the implications will be…

David Owen’s last novel, The Fallen Children, was a clever reworking and updating of John Wyndham’s classic, The Midwich Cuckoos. His latest book doesn’t – so far as I can see – owe a particular debt to any one work, but instead tackles a theme that has been run through science fiction for decades: what would you do if you were suddenly invisible? In the case of Kat Waldegrave, she literally becomes invisible to nearly everyone after a humiliating series of events, but, as she learns, she’s not the first this has happened to – and there are even some who seek this state.

The story on one level is about Kat trying to stop those who ruined her life from doing the same to another girl, and finding that her worsening condition makes it increasingly difficult as she starts to fade away. But that is purely the surface – beneath, Owen has penned a tale about loneliness, and all the different forms in which it can manifest itself in our current society. There’s the loneliness that comes from pride, from self-hatred, from family rifts or from misunderstanding (the relationship between Kat and her father is one of the saddest in the book) and there’s no easy answers given: reaching out and connecting with others is what can save many… but not all.

Owen has a keen ear and eye for how teenagers and young adults behave, and there are strong warnings in here about the misuse of social media. By chance I’ve been editing a non-fiction book that touches on a lot of the topics in here, and Owen identifies many areas that should concern parents.

But it’s important to emphasise that all of this is contained within an enjoyable story – of course, once she’s realised she’s invisible, Kat has some fun with it – and the way in which the plot is foiled is cleverly realised.

Verdict: A timely reminder that the “ills” of social media actually relate to much deeper issues – and a clever use of an old trope. 8/10

Paul Simpson