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Riding Invisible Sandra Alonzo Nathan Huang Books

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Riding Invisible Sandra Alonzo Nathan Huang Books

I loved "Riding Invisible" and had a hard time putting it down. The story begins with young Yancy running away from home on his horse, Shy, and the journal of his adventure. Yancy also happens to be an illustrator, and his illustrations help put the reader in the mind of an adolescent boy. While the subject matter is serious - abusive brother, parents trying to cope with the brother's mental illness, homelessness, and more - the book is not morose or depressing. The author clearly writes from the boy's point of view, seeing all these issues as he sees them.

I would say "Riding Invisible" is appropriate for ages 13 and up due to some of the language and situations. But as an adult, I truly appreciated the child's perspective, and it made me think about fairness in families when one child's behavior creates chaos. Perhaps I cared about Yancy so much becasue the character was so well developed. Spoiler alert: in the end it seemed there was hope.

I highly recommend this book. It is a very different read, and one that will leave readers of all ages thinking beyond the pages.


Tags : Amazon.com: Riding Invisible (9781423118985): Sandra Alonzo, Nathan Huang: Books,Sandra Alonzo, Nathan Huang,Riding Invisible,Disney-Hyperion,1423118987,Social Issues - Depression & Mental Illness,Social Issues - Physical & Emotional Abuse,Children's Books - Young Adult Fiction,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 10-12),Juvenile Fiction,Homeless persons,Children's 12-Up - Fiction - General,Runaway teenagers,Fiction,Domestic violence

Riding Invisible Sandra Alonzo Nathan Huang Books Reviews

Yancy Aparicio is a good kid. He stays out of trouble, he gets good grades, his parents are proud of him, but there's a catch. Yancy feels invisible. Even though his folks say all the right things about his excellent behavior, they aren't focused on him. Their attention is constantly directed at his older brother, Will.

Will has something the experts call Conduct Disorder. The way Yancy sees it, the kid is simply out of control. Will is in treatment, sees a therapist, goes to special classes, and takes meds - however, all of that makes very little difference in his behavior. He is a danger to society.

Yancy has decided to document events in a journal. He's calling it his Adventure Journal because he has decided to run away. Will's last act of violence involved Yancy's best friend, a horse named Shy. Will threatened to kill the animal. He cut off the horse's tail and viciously attacked him with a pair of scissors. Yancy has had enough.

The boy and his horse set out through the suburbs and head into the desert. Their destination is a place called Palmdale, some fifty miles from home. Yancy plans to camp out along the way, and once he arrives in Palmdale, hopefully find a job on some ranch for room and board and a stall for Shy. His only thought is to put as much distance between his horse and his psychotic brother as possible.

Despite the supplies he packed, Yancy's journey gets pretty rough. The heat, difficult trail conditions, and lack of water take a toll on the traveling pair. Before he knows it, he and Shy are in trouble. Fortunately, a Mexican ranch hand from the Triple R Ranch comes to his rescue. He convinces his boss that Yancy is his nephew and gets him a job and a place to stay. The work and companionship help Yancy feel a safety he hasn't felt in a long time, but how long will it last?

RIDING INVISIBLE is the journal of a fifteen-year-old boy trying to protect his horse and himself from violent behavior caused by mental illness. Yancy's family is in the midst of a battle that threatens their very survival.

Author Sandra Alonzo captures their emotional story through Yancy's journal entries. His tortuous descriptions of Will's behavior reveal his own feelings of guilt as he attempts not to hate his parents for their lack of attention and tries not to give up on his own brother. Mixed in with the writing are drawings and cartoons that illustrate Yancy's inner thoughts as he attempts to make sense of the mess around him. RIDING INVISIBLE is a simple yet powerful book that is sure to captivate readers everywhere.

Reviewed by Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
This was a pretty good book. It's a problem many kids can identify with -- almost every child (except only children obviously) experiences sibling bullying, even if it's not as severe as what went on between Will and Yancy. The author did a good job of keeping up the suspense -- how will Yancy survive on the run? will Will hurt Yancy's horse again? -- and the reader could understand and sympathize with the overburdened, conflicted parents trying to balance the needs of both sons. And the details about horses were interesting and well-placed.

My only real complaints are these The book is way too detailed to sound like a real journal (alas, a very common problem in diary format novels), and I thought it wrapped up too neatly and far too quickly, almost smacking of deus ex machina. But it was still a good solid read and I would read this author again.
Yancy Aparico has family trouble. It's not his mom and dad that are the problem, but his older brother Will, who suffers from what the doctor's call "conduct disorder". But Yancy thinks this is just another way of saying what Will really is--a monster. The situation at home is bad; Yancy lives with constant tension and fear. His parents are trying to fix things, but Will is broken beyond repair. When Will attacks Yancy's horse, Shy, Yancy packs up his saddlebags and gallops away.

During his more than two-week adventure on the trail, Yancy faces many hardships but never considers returning home to be an option. He eventually befriends Tavo, a hand at the Triple R ranch, who guides Yancy to an understanding of his parents predicament. Life at the ranch is calm and Yancy doesn't mind the work--it's an improvement from home. But all the while, Yancy knows he must face his family situation. It's clear to him that the family can't continue to live together. His parents have run out of options and Yancy realizes they will need to make an unbearable choice--which of their children must go.

Debut author Sandra Alonzo tells Yancy's story as a journal, always writing in the open and honest voice of a teen boy dealing with a family crisis. Nathan Huang's illustrations add an authenticity to the journal and depth to the character by highlighting his playful side. Highly recommended
--Reviewed by Michelle Delisle
This is a great story and probably happens in a lot of families. I enjoyed reading it and was so easy to read. Didn't want to put it down.
Great story Sandra Alonzo.
I loved "Riding Invisible" and had a hard time putting it down. The story begins with young Yancy running away from home on his horse, Shy, and the journal of his adventure. Yancy also happens to be an illustrator, and his illustrations help put the reader in the mind of an adolescent boy. While the subject matter is serious - abusive brother, parents trying to cope with the brother's mental illness, homelessness, and more - the book is not morose or depressing. The author clearly writes from the boy's point of view, seeing all these issues as he sees them.

I would say "Riding Invisible" is appropriate for ages 13 and up due to some of the language and situations. But as an adult, I truly appreciated the child's perspective, and it made me think about fairness in families when one child's behavior creates chaos. Perhaps I cared about Yancy so much becasue the character was so well developed. Spoiler alert in the end it seemed there was hope.

I highly recommend this book. It is a very different read, and one that will leave readers of all ages thinking beyond the pages.