Wonders of the Invisible World

The captivating Stonewall Honor-winning novel of love, family, and ghosts of the past

Aidan Lockwood lives in a sleepy farming town, day after unremarkable day. But when Jarrod, his former best friend, suddenly moves back home, Aidan begins to see clearly for the first time—not only to feelings that go beyond mere friendship, but to a world that is haunted by the stories of his past. Visions from this invisible world come to him unbidden: a great-grandfather on the field of battle; his own father, stumbling upon an unspeakable tragedy; and a mysterious young boy, whose whispered words may be at the heart of the curse that holds Aidan’s family in its grip.
            Now, Aidan must find his way between the past and the present to protect those he loves, and to keep the invisible world at bay.
 

Stonewall Honor Winner

★ “The unpredictability of curses, magic, and love are inexorably entwined in this gracefully written story.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred
 
“The complexity of the pairing of real and the unreal . . . is striking, and rather haunting.” —Tor.com
 
“A wonder itself—a coming-of-age, coming-out, and crossing-into-the-mystic novel all rolled into one.” —Tom McNeal, National Book Award finalist for Far Far Away 

“Brilliant storytelling that unearths new intersections of love and magic.” —Scott Westerfeld, bestselling author of Uglies and Zeroes

“If you don’t want a book with magic, mystery, lying parents, ancient curses, and true, true love (plus wonderful writing), then I’m not sure I care to know you. But if you do, then Wonders of the Invisible World is the book you’ve been waiting for.” —Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club
 

 
Christopher Barzak's fiction includes the award winning adult novel, One for Sorrow, which was recently made into the major motion picture, Jamie Marks is Dead, the Nebula Award finalist, The Love We Share Without Knowing, and the short story collection Before and Afterlives, which won the Shirley Jackson Award. Christopher grew up in rural Ohio, has lived in a southern California beach town, the capital of Michigan, and has taught English outside of Tokyo, Japan. Currently he teaches fiction writing in the Northeast Ohio MFA program at Youngstown State University. Learn more about Chris at christopherbarzak.com