Invisible as Air by Zoe Fishman. William Morrow| September 2019| 392 pages | $15.99| ISBN: 978-0-06-283823-0

RATING: ***/5*

Good novel but I put it down and went back to it weeks later. It didn’t have quite the emotional pull I expected but I’m not a mother or a wife so maybe I’m not the right audience although good storytelling and writing should have a wide appeal and take people into an experience, they aren’t personally familiar with. It wasn’t that compelling when I wanted it to be. Maybe if it were a bit shorter it would be better.

I did appreciate a novel centered around a woman over 40 years old. Sylvie is 46. She’s still mourning the loss of her daughter, born stillborn. Her husband had been dealing with his grief by putting all his free time into biking. When he hurts his ankle, his doctor prescribes him oxycontin. He doesn’t want to take it and managing his pain with ibuprofen. Sylvie sees the pills one day and decides to try one to see how she feels. Turns out she likes how she feels: “It had almost been two hours since she had swallowed the pill. Inside, Sylvie was an undulating ripple of goodwill, despite the fact that she was steeled for Paul’s unwelcome reverence and splattered with batter.” Not unexpectedly, as Sylvie becomes addicted to the oxycontin, her marriage and relationship with her son spiral out of control. She also loses her job. It’s a solid story about a family coping with grief. I started reading it because I love the cover of horses on a beach during sunset.

–review by Amy Steele

I received a copy of this for review purposes from William Morrow.