Who is Jazmine? Introducing the Invisible series to a brand new audience
With beautiful new book covers in 2020, we’re excited to introduce the Invisible series of books, by Cecily Anne Paterson, to a new audience of readers.
What are the books about?
The Invisible series of novels follow 13 year old Jazmine as she negotiates the twists and turns of a life that isn’t easy. Her family situation has been tough, with her dad dying young, and an anxious mother trying to make a home for them. Her friendships have not been easy with multiple moves in just a few years. Finally, being partially deaf* adds an extra layer of challenge.
Over the course of three books, Jazmine must find her own voice and make her own decisions as she comes up against upheaval, bullying and control, difficult relationships and betrayal. She also learns what true friendship means, the value of family, and how change can be a source of joy.
Clean and inspiring, but also sensitively tackling real issues and feelings, these novels have all of the feels. If you love a good cry, or want to cheer on a female character who finds her voice and her spark, these are the right books for you.
Awards and Reviews
Invisible was a semifinalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Publisher's Weekly called it an 'exquisitely written story' and ' a stunning account of the reinvention of a compelling and sympathetic character'. Popular author of realistic fiction for children and young teens, Cathy Cassidy, called Invisible 'Lovely... sensitive, hopeful, empowering'.
Both Invincible and Being Jazmine were shortlisted in the Australian CALEB Writing Awards. Rosanne Hawke said of Being Jazmine, ‘ I think this is the first time I've seen myself in a book, my deaf self. Everything Jazmine was feeling, I felt at some time. Age does not matter when reading good books.'
About the Author
Cecily Anne Paterson grew up overseas, going to boarding school in the Himalayan mountains and spending her holidays in the deserts of Pakistan. She's the author of eight ‘brave-hearted' stories for preteen and young teen girls, focusing on friendships, real life and growing up. Her writing has a distinctive, contemporary Australian voice that's both innocent and emotionally complex.
The Invisible Books
Jazmine Crawford doesn't make decisions. She doesn't make choices. She doesn't make friends. Jazmine only wants one thing: to be invisible.
It's a lot easier to take out her hearing aid and drift along pretending that nothing's wrong than it is to admit that she's heartbroken.
So how will she be strong enough to face the truth about what really happened to her dad?
Finally, everything is going right for 13 year-old Jazmine . After years of being invisible, she’s making friends, talking to her mum and hanging out with Liam. But what happens when everyone around her changes? Will getting back in touch with her grandma help her cope or just make things worse? And who’s going to finally give arrogant Angela what she deserves?
Jazmine’s deaf. And she’s getting tired. Tired of having to try hard, tired of fitting in, tired of pretending to be like everyone else. When Jaz goes to deaf camp, a new world opens up to her. A world where things are easier, and she finally seems to have a place.
But when you leave one world and enter another, what happens to the people you leave behind?
All the Invisible series books are available on Kobo, B&N and Apple Books. Paperbacks available from this website, Booktopia, or you can order them from your local bookshop.
*Jazmine as a Deaf Character… what’s going on there?
(Three minute read) By Dr Sharon Pajka PhD
In the fall of 2014, I met Cecily Anne Paterson through her novel Invisible. It was one of those books that I just could not put down.
As an English professor who teaches adolescent literature, and a researcher who gathers books for my blog, Deaf Characters in Adolescent Literature, I am always searching for books that include deaf characters. My interest in the topic began about fifteen years ago with one of my students requesting summer reading.
Since I entered the field of Deaf Education, I have sought and read numerous books about deafness. While memoirs and biographical selections have been relatively easy to acquire, finding fictional books for adolescents including deaf characters has been more challenging.
Of the books I have read, some successfully portray deaf people in a realistic and authentic manner while others present inaccurate and unrealistic portrayals of deaf people. This does not surprise me. After all, authors write about topics in which they are often quite unfamiliar and the topic of deafness is filled with numerous complications and nuances.
Historically, authors have used deafness as a literary device to relay various messages about the struggles of humankind and elicit sympathy from readers. In my 2014 interview with Cecily Anne Paterson, she explained, “I certainly didn’t set out to write a book about a deaf girl. It all came about because I needed a plot device…”
I adored Invisible; and, although the character Jazmine and her deafness began as a plot point, Paterson brought to life a dynamic character. The story is told from the perspective of Jazmine Crawford, a deaf girl who functions as a hard of hearing teen when she’s wearing her hearing aid.
Having the deaf character share her own perspective is rare since many books with deaf characters are told from a hearing character’s point of view. Jazmine uses Australian Sign Language, more frequently known as Auslan, to communicate. In the same way that American Sign Language (ASL) is its own language here in the United States, Auslan is its own language of the Australian Deaf community; and, both of the signed languages’ grammars and vocabularies are distinct from English. They are natural languages that developed organically over time.
Another rare treat with Paterson’s books is that I find myself noting more about the characters’ relationships than struggles because of deafness. Jazmine experiences some obstacles because of her deafness but it is not the central focus of the books. For example, she attends a mainstream school and knows exactly what it means to be an outsider, not because she is deaf but because she and her mother have moved frequently since she was a child. The new girl is often perceived as the outsider.
After reviewing Paterson’s second novel in the series, I wrote, “I honestly feel this is one of the best books I have seen come across this blog.” Paterson never planned to write a sequel to Invisible but she received letters from fans wanting one. Not only did I want Paterson to write a third book in this series but I wanted her to include at least one other deaf character with whom Jazmine could interact.
In March 2015, Paterson and I started discussing how she would conduct research to be able to accurately tell the stories of multiple deaf characters in her novel. She put together a questionnaire that was posted on my blog and shared widely. The post received nearly 700 hits. She explicitly asked deaf people about their experiences meeting other deaf people for the first time.
After reading the manuscript for Being Jazmine, I think it’s my favorite yet. While this book shares the journey of the character Jazmine, it very much makes me reflect on my own journey as a researcher. How I wish that I had had this book, which you are about to read, to recommend to my former student for her summer reading.
Paterson’s character Jazmine and her new friends are deaf but this is not a book about deafness. With a wonderful garden metaphor that resonates throughout the series, this book offers believable characters and an unpredictable plot that would be perfect to add to any reading list. The series tackles teen relationships, mean girls, family secrets, fitting in, identity, and characters finding themselves.