“Invisibility is not a superpower. It's a curse.”
— Ethel Leatherhead reflects on her newfound condition after accidentally turning invisible.
Archivist's Choice
What Not to Do If You Turn Invisible
Ross Welford (2016)
Genre
Fantasy / Children's / Science Fiction / Young Adult
Reading Time
8-10 hours
Key Themes
See below
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Thirteen-year-old Ethel's attempt to cure her acne with untested medicines and a sunbed backfires, leaving her permanently invisible and sending her on a quest to become seen again while unraveling the mystery of her origins.
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Ethel Leatherhead, desperate to cure her acne, mixes untested medicines with a sunbed session. This gives her the ability to turn invisible. She enjoys this power at first, using it for pranks and to avoid her mother. Only her best friend Boydy knows her secret. When the invisibility becomes permanent, Ethel gets scared. She must live unseen, fearing discovery while searching for a cure. Her quest leads her to Dr. J.G. Finch's research notes, which connect to her past and her birth mother, Mary. Ethel and Boydy follow clues on an expedition into a remote cave and find the antidote. Ethel faces a choice: return to visibility or embrace her unique state. She chooses a new beginning, accepting her invisibility as part of who she is, finding belonging and self-acceptance.
Reading time
8-10 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Pacing
Moderate
Mood
Whimsical, Adventurous, Heartwarming, Mysterious
✓ Read this if...
You enjoy heartwarming and adventurous stories about self-discovery, with a touch of magic and mystery, perfect for young readers.
✗ Skip this if...
You prefer realistic fiction without fantastical elements or are looking for a very fast-paced thriller.
Plot Summary
Ethel's Desperate Quest for Clear Skin
Thirteen-year-old Ethel Leatherhead suffers from severe acne and wants a cure. After seeing an ad for a 'miracle' acne cream and looking online, she decides to combine it with a sunbed session, hoping the UV light will help. She also takes what she thinks are herbal supplements from her mother's cupboard, despite warnings. During the sunbed session, she feels a tingling. When she gets out, she discovers a side effect: she can turn invisible. This first invisibility is temporary, lasting only a few minutes, but it shocks her and starts the strange events that follow.
The Secret Experiment and Boydy's Discovery
At first, Ethel has trouble controlling her new ability, becoming invisible at bad times. She tells her best friend, Boydy, who is skeptical but soon becomes an enthusiastic helper. They do experiments to understand her invisibility, like how it affects objects she touches and how long it lasts. They use her ability for small mischief, such as sneaking into a cinema. They keep her secret from Ethel's mother, Mary, and the world, understanding the dangers if others found out. Boydy's scientific curiosity and loyalty are very helpful during this time.
The Invisibility Becomes Permanent
Ethel, still hoping to cure her acne and the intermittent invisibility, tries another, longer sunbed session. She believes it might 'reset' her condition. This time, the outcome is bad. Her invisibility becomes permanent and uncontrollable. She is trapped, unable to become visible again. Panic sets in as she understands how serious her situation is. She cannot go to school, interact normally with her family, or even eat without great difficulty. The immediate challenge is living an invisible life while searching for a way to become visible, all while avoiding detection.
Living in the Shadows and Seeking a Cure
With Boydy's help, Ethel tries to live her permanently invisible life. She learns to move carefully, avoiding bumping into people, and relies on Boydy to talk to the outside world and bring her food. They plan for her to 'attend' school by sitting in the back of classes, hoping to learn without being seen. Ethel becomes more isolated, with Boydy as her only real connection. She also starts investigating the mysterious supplements she took, suspecting they played a role in her condition. Her mother, Mary, worries more about Ethel's sudden 'illness' and withdrawal, not knowing the real reason.
The Discovery of Dr. J.G. Finch's Notes
While looking for clues in her mother's room, Ethel finds a hidden compartment in a locked box. Inside, she finds a diary belonging to a mysterious Dr. J.G. Finch. The diary entries show that the supplements Ethel took were not herbal remedies but experimental drugs developed by Finch. The notes detail Finch's research into 'chameleon cells' and invisibility, and his attempts to copy a rare phenomenon. This discovery confirms Ethel's suspicions about the supplements and provides a scientific explanation for her condition. It also raises questions about her mother's connection to Dr. Finch and the truth about her birth.
The Truth About Mary and Dr. Finch
With Finch's diary, Ethel confronts her mother, Mary. Mary, crying, tells Ethel the truth: Dr. J.G. Finch was Ethel's biological father, and he was obsessed with finding a cure for his own genetic invisibility, a condition he passed to Ethel. Mary had been Finch's research assistant, and they had a secret relationship. Finch died in an accident, leaving Mary to raise Ethel and protect her from the same fate. The supplements Ethel took were a concentrated form of Finch's experimental 'chameleon' cells, meant to activate or control the invisibility gene. This news changes Ethel's understanding of her family and her identity.
The Search for the Antidote
Finch's diary contains a formula for an antidote, but a key ingredient is missing: a rare, bioluminescent algae found only in a specific cave near the coast. Realizing this is their only hope, Ethel and Boydy, now with Mary, plan a dangerous trip. They use clues from Finch's notes and Mary's memories to find the cave. The journey is hard, as Ethel remains invisible and vulnerable, while Mary deals with her past and Boydy provides practical support and scientific insight. They know time is short, as Finch's notes suggest the invisibility could become permanent.
The Perilous Cave Expedition
The trio arrives at the remote coastal cave, which is dangerous. Inside, they navigate narrow passages and unstable ground, using Boydy's torch and Ethel's heightened senses as an invisible person. They find a pool of water with the rare bioluminescent algae. As they collect the sample, the cave starts to collapse from shifting tides and unstable ground. They barely escape, with Ethel using her invisibility to find exits and Boydy helping Mary through the crumbling rock. They leave the cave shaken but successful, having secured the ingredient for the antidote, though the experience affects them all.
The Antidote and a Difficult Choice
Back home, Mary, using Finch's notes and the collected algae, carefully prepares the antidote. As Ethel is about to take it, she sees a faint, almost invisible message in the margin of Finch's diary, visible only at a certain angle. The message, from Finch, warns that the antidote is not a permanent cure but a temporary reversal, and that continued use could have unforeseen side effects, possibly making the invisibility permanent. He also hints at a deeper purpose for her unique ability, suggesting it might be a gift, not a curse, making Ethel rethink her path.
Ethel's Decision and a New Beginning
After much thought and talks with Mary and Boydy, Ethel decides not to take the antidote. She realizes that her invisibility, though challenging, has given her unique perspectives and a deeper understanding of herself and the world. Instead of seeing it as a curse, she chooses to accept it as part of who she is, a legacy from her father. She starts to explore ways to use her invisibility for good, perhaps by helping others or observing unseen things. Her journey ends with her accepting her identity, changing her from a self-conscious girl into a confident young woman ready to live with her extraordinary gift. Mary and Boydy support her decision, ready to face the future together.
Principal Figures
Ethel Leatherhead
The Protagonist
From insecure and desperate for a 'cure' for her acne and invisibility, Ethel evolves into a confident individual who embraces her unique identity and extraordinary ability.
Boydy (Boyd McWilliam)
The Supporting
Boydy remains a loyal and supportive friend, his scientific curiosity deepening as he helps Ethel understand and cope with her condition.
Mary Leatherhead
The Supporting
From a secretive and overprotective mother, Mary transforms into a more open and supportive parent, revealing her past and actively helping Ethel understand her condition.
Dr. J.G. Finch
The Mentioned/Supporting (posthumous)
His character is revealed posthumously through his diary, showing his scientific ambition and the personal cost of his research.
Mr. Henderson
The Supporting
Mr. Henderson remains a concerned and observant teacher, whose presence underscores the challenges Ethel faces in maintaining a normal life.
Gran (Ethel's Grandmother)
The Supporting
Her role remains consistent as a source of familial love and support.
The School Nurse
The Mentioned
Her character serves to emphasize the escalating problems Ethel's condition creates for her attendance and health monitoring.
Themes & Insights
Identity and Self-Acceptance
Ethel's journey centers on her struggle with and eventual acceptance of her identity. Initially, she sees her invisibility as a curse, an extension of her self-consciousness about her acne. She wants a cure, believing that being 'normal' will bring happiness. However, as she learns about her father's legacy and the meaning of her ability, she starts to see it not as a flaw, but as a part of who she is. Her decision to not take the antidote shows her acceptance of her true self, extraordinary and unseen, finding strength and purpose in her uniqueness.
“Perhaps I wasn't broken. Perhaps I was just... different. And maybe different wasn't so bad after all.”
The Nature of Beauty and Self-Image
Ethel's story begins with her insecurities about her appearance, specifically her severe acne. This focus on outward beauty leads her to take extreme measures, which result in her invisibility. The irony is that by becoming invisible, she removes the very thing she was self-conscious about, but gains a more isolating problem. The theme explores how society's focus on appearance can lead to extreme actions and how true self-worth comes from within. Her invisibility forces her to look beyond the surface, in herself and others, helping her understand that her value is in her character, intelligence, and resilience, not her skin.
“I hated my face. I hated my spots. I hated everything about how I looked. And now... I looked like nothing at all.”
Family Secrets and Legacies
The story is driven by the uncovering of family secrets, especially those about Ethel's biological father, Dr. J.G. Finch, and her mother, Mary. Mary's overprotective nature and her initial reluctance to tell the truth come from her guilt and wish to shield Ethel from the same fate as her father. Finch's diary entries reveal a complex legacy of scientific brilliance, obsession, and a genetic condition passed down through generations. Ethel's invisibility is not an isolated event but an inheritance, making her confront her family history and her parents' choices. The theme shows how family histories, both known and hidden, shape individual identities.
“My father wasn't just a name on a birth certificate. He was a ghost in my genes, a whisper in my cells.”
Friendship and Loyalty
The strong bond between Ethel and Boydy is a central theme. Boydy's loyalty, scientific curiosity, and practical support are essential to Ethel's survival and her search for understanding and a cure. He never leaves her, even with the challenges of her invisibility, acting as her eyes, ears, and voice in the visible world. Their friendship highlights the importance of having a trusted friend during hard times. Boydy's acceptance of Ethel's condition, without judgment or fear, allows her to stay connected to the human world and find the courage to face her situation.
“'You're still you, Ethel,' Boydy said, his voice quiet but firm. 'Just... a bit less visible.'”
The Ethics of Scientific Experimentation
The book explores the ethical issues of scientific research through Dr. J.G. Finch. His obsession with his own genetic invisibility led him to do experimental research, passing a complicated legacy to his daughter, Ethel. The supplements Ethel takes were part of his untested work, showing the dangers of uncontrolled experiments and unforeseen results. While Finch's goal may have been to find a cure, his methods raise questions about the responsibility of scientists, the line between innovation and recklessness, and the impact of such research on future generations.
“He wanted to understand it, to control it. And in doing so, he made me into it.”
Plot Devices & Literary Techniques
First-Person Narrative
Provides direct access to Ethel's thoughts and experiences as an invisible girl.
The story is told entirely from Ethel's perspective, allowing readers to intimately experience her struggles, fears, and eventual triumphs. This narrative choice is particularly effective because Ethel is invisible; her internal monologue becomes the primary way readers connect with her. It highlights her isolation and the unique challenges of her situation, as she observes the world without being seen, and provides direct insight into her evolving self-perception and emotional state as she grapples with her extraordinary condition. This perspective enhances empathy and suspense.
The Diary of Dr. J.G. Finch
A crucial exposition device revealing the scientific basis of Ethel's invisibility and her family history.
Dr. Finch's diary serves as a pivotal plot device, functioning as a narrative means to reveal critical backstory and scientific explanation. It is through these hidden entries that Ethel and the reader learn about the genetic origins of her invisibility, the experimental nature of the supplements she took, and her true parentage. The diary not only provides the 'how' and 'why' of her condition but also guides the quest for an antidote, detailing the formula and the missing ingredient. It acts as a posthumous voice for her biological father, connecting past scientific ambition with present-day consequences.
The 'Chameleon Cells' and Invisibility Gene
The scientific explanation for Ethel's ability, grounding the fantasy in a sci-fi context.
This concept provides the pseudo-scientific framework for Ethel's invisibility, distinguishing it from pure magic. Dr. Finch's research into 'chameleon cells' and a specific invisibility gene attempts to offer a plausible (within the story's context) explanation for her condition. This device allows the author to explore the biological and genetic aspects of her ability, rather than simply presenting it as a magical phenomenon. It also adds a layer of complexity to the narrative, as the search for a cure becomes a scientific endeavor based on Finch's research, rather than a fantastical quest.
The Sunbed
A catalyst for Ethel's initial and permanent invisibility.
The sunbed acts as a crucial plot catalyst, serving as the trigger mechanism for Ethel's invisibility. Initially, she uses it in a misguided attempt to cure her acne, inadvertently activating her dormant genetic predisposition when combined with the experimental supplements. Her subsequent, longer session on the sunbed is what makes her invisibility permanent, escalating the central conflict of the story. It is a mundane object transformed into a powerful, life-altering device, symbolizing the unexpected and drastic consequences of desperate actions.
The Rare Bioluminescent Algae
The MacGuffin that drives the quest for the antidote.
The specific, rare bioluminescent algae is the central MacGuffin that propels the middle section of the plot. It is the crucial, missing ingredient for Dr. Finch's antidote, forcing Ethel, Boydy, and Mary on a dangerous expedition to a remote cave. Its rarity and specific location create urgency and adventure, providing a tangible goal for the characters and allowing for moments of peril and teamwork. The quest for this ingredient is what brings the family together and moves the story towards its climax, before the ultimate twist of Finch's hidden warning.
Critical analysis
Notable Quotes
“Sometimes the hardest thing to see is what's right in front of you.”
— Ethel realizes she's been overlooking important truths about her family.
“You can't hide from yourself, no matter how invisible you are.”
— Ethel grapples with her identity and secrets she's been keeping.
“The world looks different when nobody's looking at you.”
— Ethel observes how people behave when they think they're alone.
“Being invisible doesn't make you invincible.”
— Ethel learns that invisibility comes with vulnerabilities.
“Secrets have a way of making themselves known, one way or another.”
— Ethel discovers hidden truths about her grandmother's past.
“Sometimes you have to disappear to find out who you really are.”
— Ethel's journey of self-discovery through her invisibility.
“The most dangerous thing about being invisible is forgetting you exist.”
— Ethel struggles with feeling disconnected from the world.
“Friends are the people who see you even when you're invisible.”
— Ethel's friend Boydy remains loyal despite her condition.
“Magic isn't in the disappearing; it's in the reappearing.”
— Ethel learns the value of being seen and present.
“You can't fix everything by turning invisible.”
— Ethel realizes invisibility doesn't solve her problems.
“The truth is like light: it finds its way through the darkest places.”
— Ethel uncovers long-buried family secrets.
“Being different isn't a weakness; it's what makes you strong.”
— Ethel embraces her uniqueness after her ordeal.
“Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is let yourself be seen.”
— Ethel decides to reveal herself and face consequences.
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Key Questions (FAQ)
The novel follows 13-year-old Ethel Leatherhead who accidentally turns invisible after combining untested acne medication with a sunbed. Initially enjoying the freedom, she faces a crisis when the invisibility becomes permanent, forcing her to navigate lies, deception, and a quest to reverse her condition while uncovering secrets about her own birth.
