Invisible Ellen

By: Shari Shattuck

Narrated by: Shari Shattuck

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

In the best-selling tradition of Jennifer Weiner, a clever, funny yet poignant novel about the friendship between two absolutely unforgettable women. For many of us, there comes a moment when we wish we were invisible.

For Ellen Homes, not only does she wish it - she actually lives it. She spends her days quietly observing but unobserved, watching and recording in her notebooks the lives of her neighbors, coworkers, and total strangers. Overweight, socially stunted, and utterly alone, one night Ellen saves a blind young woman from being mugged.

Then everything changes.

Character-driven, poignant, and leavened with touches of humor and witty dialogue, Invisible Ellen is a remarkable novel about personal transformation, morality, the power of friendship, and the human need for connection with others.

©2012 Shari Shattuck (P)2014 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"An upbeat, entertaining survival story about the souls of lost human beings often ignored by society. With her well-drawn characterizations and distinctive protagonists, she shows how lives can be profoundly transformed through unlikely human connections.” (Shelf Awareness)

“Shattuck delivers strong, well-balanced characters and clever dialogue, making this both a fun read and a satisfying story of personal transformation.” (Booklist)

"Invisible Ellen is a heartfelt and moving portrait of life on the sidelines. It is a book for anyone who has ever felt they didn't count. And who hasn't felt that way at least once? A lovely, compelling novel about a woman you won't soon forget." (Kristin Hannah, number-one New York Times best-selling author of Fly Away)

Loved this book

I found this book very entertaining to listen to. The reader did a fantastic job of keeping my attention and changing her voice to separate out the characters.

quite enjoyable

while initially the narrator's voice, inflection, and what i felt was over pronunciation, made me think I wouldn't enjoy the book, she grew on me. the characters are loveable, the story is good hearted and fun. it actually makes you think about perception, just as Ellen mentions herself. definitely recommend this one. thoroughly enjoyed start to finish.

Invincible Ellen!

A lovely story told with humor and wisdom about a woman who has been so hurt by life her highest goal is not to be noticed by others . This woman finds an unexpected friend and her mundane life becomes a delightful adventure.

Never have I felt COMPELLED to write a review

To begin with, WHAT A TREAT to have the author narrate her story. It felt so personal, I just knew she was reading with the inflections that she purposed in her writing, JUST BLEW ME AWAY how it added something so special to a terrific story!
To be honest, I really wasn't sure I would like this book in the beginning, I wanted something with ACTION and oh boy! I was not let down. This book was just great! So much fun! You can't help be truly care for the characters. The book may have started slow (to me) but it certainly took off and I just had to finish, to see what happens next and I was well rewarded in 2 days when I finished.
I am SO EXCITED to see that she has put out a sequel, Becoming Ellen, that starts where this one finishes.
I really hope the author reads to us again.