Language: G (0 swears 0 'f'); Mature Content: G Violence: G
BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ESSENTIAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
12yo Etta has recently been diagnosed with Ménière disease which means that sometimes she has "quiet" days where she can't hear amongst other challenges. One day she meets Eleazar, a boy who lives down the street from her "Black section" of the neighborhood in the "Latino section." When his dog Louisa May Alcott jumps onto a mysterious train that has been filling Chicago with depressing and dangerous purple smoke, Etta and Eleazar team up (using Google translate to help their language and audio barrier) to save Louisa May. Once on the train, they begin a journey where each train car offers a new challenge they need to solve in order to escape. Meeting new friends along the way, they must learn to work through barriers, trust one another, and find their inner bravery - especially when Etta's very own comic villain comes to life.
Etta Invincible is a highlight if you're looking for diversity to add to your collection. Etta's auditory disability on top of the language barriers between the two main characters was a beautiful representation. Other characters dealt with depression, anxiety, grief, etc. and I appreciated seeing real human experience in something that was still uplifting. I did find myself wishing for a little more character development both individually and with one another. It felt like the same insecurities and pep talks were on repeat in each chapter; however, they got there in the end. Etta is Black, and her friend Eleazar is Latino.
Lisa J HS ELA Teacher
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