Invisible Monsters

Invisible Monsters was published in 1999, but still has strong messages today. The novel is the story of an ex-model who was shot in the face, leaving her with her lower jaw missing, told from her point of view, the narrator tells us her story in non-linear sequence; skipping from different dates.

The narrator gains many different names throughout the novel, usually different names at different stages of her life. (I found that the first half of the novel was easier to understand when I didn't over think it, as you do not really know where you are.) In the same way, she calls one character many different names, making the reader think that there are more characters than there actually are. She finally reveals this in quite an explosive way, leaving the reader with many questions.

The narrator, as she is missing half a jaw, doesn't speak. It is written like she is speaking to the reader, but she only speaks when the sequence goes back before her accident. Instead, when she is communicating, she writes it down, with quite bad grammar; and is usually quite rude and abrupt.

The ending isn't as tragic as some of Palahniuk's other novels, but still leaves the reader feeling bad, as if you wish the characters had made better choices. The book seems to portray a longing for something else, something other than perfect, or beautiful, which is what the narrator is showing with different points in her own life. I also think it shows a thought process, of working out that the world isn't actually that big after all.

Hilarious at times, morbid at others, Invisible Monsters is a good read if you like other Palahniuk novels, or books about a different way of thinking. My favourite Chuck Palahniuk novel thus far: 5/5 stars.