INVISIBLE IN A BRIGHT LIGHT BY SALLY GARDNER

Invisible in a Bright Light is the tale of Celeste and the riddle she must solve in order to save her family and the passengers and crew of the Empress. Her ship is caught in a ‘gutter of time’ – stolen by an evil menace. A man in an emerald suit plays a game called the Reckoning which he happily admits is impossible to win, especially by a child. With the help of her twin Marie, now a shadow and voice in her head, Celeste inhabits an in-between world where memories flit like shadows across her present reality. It is crucial that the man in the emerald suit doesn’t know of her twin’s existence, it is the only way they have a chance of winning the game.

She is living and working in a theatre that is putting on an opera with a most difficult and cruel diva, Madame Sabina Petrova. When disaster strikes and a huge chandelier shatters on the stage, injuring Celeste, the game takes on an even more sinister twist. Celeste discovers that when angered she emits a bright light. A brightness that resembles the sparkling slivers of luminosity that used to come from the chandelier.

With the help of her friend Viggo she is running out of time before New Year’s Eve when the riddle must be solved. Through the streets of the City of C-  and back stage at the theatre she works with Hildegard, the Diva’s daughter and Anna, her protector. Hildegard craves the love of her horrible mother but is constantly belittled and berated by her jealous parent.

When Hildegard is discovered to have a singing voice that is far better than her mother’s, she is chosen to play the main character in the end of year pantomime. Her mother is furious and takes revenge.

The characters inhabiting this fragile world are colourful and intriguing. Who exactly is the blind piano tuner Albert Ross and why is the seamstress his confidant? Will Mr Gautier, the director of the Royal Opera House, prove to be a friend? Is Mr Quigley as much of a fool as he seems or is the character he plays just a persona he hides behind? Floating in an undersea world, the man in the emerald suit seems to hold all the power. Can Celeste’s brightness overcome all the obstacles set before her?

Sally Gardner paints a wonderful world that is reminiscent of the fairy tales read by our grandmothers. Fantastical landscapes and characters, some of whom we would love to meet and others who would terrify us.

For Ages: 10+ years

Number of Pages: 340

Published: November 2019

Themes: Courage and friendships.

Rating: 3.5/5

I wish: I could visit the theatre and see the chandelier.