Tackle the Text: Let’s Get Started

Are there questions you have from the book or passages that you think need exploring? Let us hear you! Paste the text and we’ll start to tackle these one by one.

47 responses

1. Milana 12.04.2009

   The dedication… who are they?  Jillellyn Riley and Lisa Holton?  Are they Melissa’s friends or Callies?

2. Milana 12.04.2009

   Also, on page 96, Amanda was telling Callie where the house was, and Callie thought it was cool that it was a lot like hers.  I think I mentioned this before (I can’t remember where or what) but Amanda has a lot in common with Callie.

   Also, the grandparents who “knew Callie” might know her mom.  Maybe they worked at Astro Raven Observatories, and they were waiting for Callie to pass a message from her mom, or from Amanda about her mom.  They could’ve been about the age to have worked there, or at least known about it, right?

3. Milana 12.04.2009

   Page 100-101 are meeting with “Amanda’s grandparents”.  Maybe Amanda had assumed that Callie would pick up on the code and said something, which Callie might have done if her dad was not there.  Maybe you should run back and check with them, Callie.  Amanda works in mysterious ways.

4. Fashionista 12.04.2009

   super good questions Milana! here’s my question: what’s cisco’s phone number? jk jk! no, seriously, here’s my question: on page 250 Hal’s mom gave him $2 for lunch, but he only has $1.75 when he goes to give it to Cornelia. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER QUARTER???? is it really gone or is Cornelia trying to squeeze money out of Hal? did Cornelia recognize one of the 8 “quarters” Hal gave her as some other kind of coin, maybe a message from Amanda? so she needed an extra real quarter to buy lunch? does Hal have a gigantic hole in his favorite pair of pants? What else might he have lost?
   JUST SAYING.
   discuss.

5. em2013 12.04.2009

   Ohhh i like this idea. I have a few BURNING questions about the real estate woman Callie Nia and Hal met when they were looking for Amanda.

   On page 194, we learn that Amanda visited the Riviera twice, she took a brochure for the penthouse, and on her second visit, she brought the real estate woman a little cookie.

   Is this a message to the guides? Eat more cookies? Go visit AwesomeAnna at Just Desserts? Why did Amanda need a brochure? Was she planning something that she needed to kno EXACTLY how many windows or square feet the penthouse has? and even more importantly - - - why did she have to visit twice? what was she doing that couldn’t be finished in one visit? Is the real estate woman holding back information?

   So mysterious.

6. VMisMyHero 12.04.2009

   omigosh i hadn’t event thought about any of these. how many times have you guys read this book???

   My question is pretty simple but maybe it could lead to something important! i noticed that on page 230 right after Callie left the Bragg’s house after confessing about Heidi, a mysterious FedEx truck pulled onto the block. Random. Was he waiting for her to leave? are the Braggs getting lots of secret packages? or was it just Mrs. Bragg’s new shoes that she ordered online? I think you guys should look at teh log for that day’s deliveries, or see if the fedex truck goes to the Braggs house alot.

7. aGirlLikeMe 12.04.2009

   The day Mr. Thornhill’s car was drawn on, the security camera showed two sweatshirt-ed people. Amanda was one of them but I think the other might be Cornelia, Hal’s little sister. I remember thinking of this when reading the book but I don’t remember where I got the idea. Maybe you guys could talk with Cornelia and see how much she knows about Amanda?

8. LuluDaniels 12.04.2009

   I always wondered how Hal and Nia got to the hill the same day that Callie did. Amanda used Callies knowledge of astronomy to get here there, but what message did she give Nia and Hal? They all thought that they were going to see Amanda there. Maybe thy were right, but the clues are more subtle in their messages…? Anyways I think you should bring those three clues together and see what you make of it!!

9. ♥MLE♥ 12.05.2009

   My question about the book is Mr. Thornhills car. I mean I realize that there were the totem animals of Calle, Hal, Nia, and Amanda. But it also says there were a lot of little other designs on it too. Do you think that there are other totems on it of other people Amanda touched and she is saying to find them too or something like that. I just seem to think that not all the car is described for a reason or something. You know like other people have to find the clues too. Does anyone else seem to think this…. I dont know… just putting it out there….

10. fluteplyr 12.05.2009

    I’m wondering about Mr. Thornhill and your mom’s relationship, Callie.  The note your mom gave him was stuck in the track for a drawer.  Why wouldn’t he keep it there and not look at it?  And it doesn’t seem like he watched out for you that much, or reminded you how much your mom loves you like she asked him too in the note.  What the note says is on page 154.

11. tazzykins 12.05.2009

    On page 86 you have a flashback of the night before Amanda left.  She tells you not to blame her for leaving.  You probably think that she meant that night after she heard your dad, but I think she meant leaving all together.  Just so you know.

    Also, did she mean for you to find the note from your mom to Mr. Thornhill?  I think she did.  And I think whoever doesn’t want you to find Amanda, doesn’t want you to find Mr. Thornhill and that’s why he got attacked.  I think he knows something Callie, I really do.

12. tazzykins 12.05.2009

    One more thing, when you tell Amanda that your dad is never going to change, she says something in French.  It translates to this:

    More this is the same thing, more that changes

    Does that mean anything?

13. LuluDaniels 12.05.2009

    Also how did that other note get into Mr. Thornhill’s car?? That still confuzzles me!!

14. AniStory 12.05.2009

    How come Amanda never told you about Nia or Hal? Or how come she never told them about you?

15. PiscesGirl 12.05.2009

    I’m wondering why Thornhill knows your mom, why she wants him to take care of you, and how Amanda and your mom are connected. To why you need to be looked after: Why are you in danger of something? And another thing: Are your mom’s and Amanda’s disappearances connected somehow? Just wondering…

16. PiscesGirl 12.06.2009

    I also have a question: what is an opus? I looked it up in the dictionary, and it says it’s a musical composition. ?????

17. crummyblaire 12.06.2009

    Could the stars be a clue?

18. stef_stone 12.06.2009

    First, responding to crummy blaire: The stars on the inside of the book? If so, I can explain what those are.

    My questions were mostly also about Thornhill’s car, and the relationship betweenCallie’s mom and Thornhill.

    Also, Amanda gave a different family history to Hal, Callie, and Nia.

    I also think we should go back and talk to the old people that Amanda claimed she was Callie too. :)

19. melissakantor 12.08.2009

    Hello!  Callie asked if I’d like to answer the question about the book’s dedication (to Lisa Holton and JillEllyn Riley) and I said I’d be glad to.  Here’s what happened.

    When you write a book, you usually dedicate it to someone close to you, but often you try to dedicate it to someone who’s close to you AND somehow connected to the book you’ve written (for example, my book “Girlfriend Material” is dedicated to my husband’s parents not just because they’re awesome but because they taught me about Cape Cod, which is where the book is set).  When it came time to write the dedication, I told Callie she should decide who to dedicate it to since it’s really HER story; I figured she’d pick her mom (for reasons that I guess are pretty obvious) or maybe even Amanda.  But then she told me I should decide who to dedicate it to since I wrote it.  We went back and forth until finally Callie had a brilliant idea: What if we dedicate the book to the people who brought us together to do this project?!  Duh.  Of course.  So that’s how we picked JillEllyn and Lisa. 

    JillEllyn is the goddess who helped us edit our writing (like, she’s the one who told us when we were kind of going off on a tangent or not making sense or even just splitting an infinitive or something like that).  And Lisa is the fabulous woman who first heard about Amanda’s going missing and thought it would be good for people to learn the story (most adults thought Callie, Hal and Nia were just being hysterical teenagers—big surprise).  We’re both really grateful to JillEllyn and Lisa for making Callie’s story shine and for taking Amanda’s disappearance seriously. 

    Also, on a bit of a different subject, I am so impressed by how carefully everyone’s reading “Invisible I” for clues.  I’ve spent so much time combing the novel over, but you brought things to my attention that I’m definitely rethinking (what’s with giving the old couple Callie’s name—did she pick them because their house looks like Callie’s, or is Callie the only one who noticed that)?  Here’s what I keep coming back to:  WHO WROTE THAT NOTE TO AMANDA ON THE WALL OF THE CLUB?  Remember when Callie and Hal found it?  To me, it means that SOMEWHERE in Orion, SOMEONE else must be looking for Amanda.  Who?  And is the person working for good…or evil?

20. Mnyca1213 12.09.2009

    On this website theres a little video thing that tells you about Amanda’s disapearance. In the video it says that Amanda chose 4 guides. But we only know of 3. The 4th one could be the person who helped Amanda with Thornhill’s car or they could be the person who wrote that note to Amanda on the wall of the club…

21. MandysBoy 12.11.2009

    I have a gut feeling that Bea R. Fits into this somehow. She seems like someone Mandy would befriend. Maybe she wrote the message, maybe not, but she has to tie in somehow. Also, how do we know Amanda is her name? She used so many fake names in the book Amanda could be a fake name too. She went by Mandy when I knew her at school but sometimes girls would call her Liz or Jamie. She said they were just confused and I pushed it to the back of my mind Now I wonder…

22. MandysBoy 12.11.2009

    Also stef_stone, if you need help talking to the old couple I’ll be in town for the next couple of days.

23. MandysBoy 12.11.2009

    Hal Callie and Nia: do you have the pictures you took of Mr Thornhills car? Pg 59

24. AnnaliseVell 12.11.2009

    I also wondered about the video on here that talks about the books. It says Amanda picks 4 guides, and so far theres only been three. Who’s the fourth?

25. aGirlLikeMe 12.11.2009

    Mnyca1213, what if the 4th guide is Cornelia, Hal’s little sister? I swear there’s something going on there that needs more looking-through.

26. ICUPEEKING 12.11.2009

    I’ve always thought the reason Amanda chose to put the symbols on Mr. Thorhill’s car was because she knew why Callie’s mom left and what was behind the connection Callie’s mom has with Mr.Thornhill. From what I have seen, Amanda always had a reason for everything she does. Could this be some sort of clue?

27. AwesomeAnna93 12.11.2009

    Hey Guys,

    I asked about the 4th guide once.  I doubt it’s Cornelia only because I don’t think she was one of Amanda’s friends. To me, I think Cornelia knew Amanda just about as much as we know siblings friends. Or our friends’ siblings lol.

    My guesses were: Laure, Aamina, One of us (someone’s just not spilling the secret) or a new character who has not been introduced.

28. haitianqueen 12.16.2009

    my questione is for hal. hal did u have any close relationship with amanda where u guys like boyfriend or girlfrien cuuz it look like u know more about amanda then callie and nina . be honest write back when u r done reading

29. Emmalee 12.22.2009

    Can anyone tell me what the word is once you unscramble the clue on the inside of the book cover?

30. Georgia 12.25.2009

    so a bunch of people are talking about who the fourth guide is and while i don’t know who it is exactly amanda did leave a pretty big clue maybe she was hoping someone else would pick up on it?
    we know that there were five totems on the car, amanda’s and four other ones(your guys’ and a lizard) i think people should be trying to figure out who the lizard is.
    it has to be someone you could know or you would never figure it out. people with lizard totems are supposed to be very intuitive and good listeners. the lizard is also known for it’s self preservation and represents change(either happening or about to happen) plus there’s this whole dream significance thing.

    does that possibly sound like anyone you know?

31. swordbird97 12.29.2009

    when you were watching the surveilence video of Mr. Thornhill’s car, you said there were two sweatshirted figures.  i think that the one that wasn’t Amanda was you’re mom.  i’ve been thinkin that the two would be helping each other because Amanda’s been leaving clues and that fortune teller from the carnival a few weeks ago said that your mom was leaving clues, too.

32. Cheerleader 12.29.2009

    I never got if Amanda had lived out of the contry or not. that whole thing confussed me. And her parents? Dead or Alive? And were is Orion?

33. Cheerleader 12.29.2009

    i have another ?, do hal and Callie like each other?

34. miss_ceceb 12.30.2009

    I don’t if anyone else asked this but who is Chloe? Since Amanda used Callie’s name with the old couple maybe Chloe is one of her friends and is the the person that was looking for Amanda in the club. Maybe Amanda uses her friend’s names as her aliases?

35. TakingChances 01.02.2010

    Why did amanda take the brochure from the riviera? What did she want it for? maybe there was a message inside? And how come Callie’s mom is such good friends with Mr. thornhill, and why was he attacked???

36. BookWorm15 01.02.2010

    do you not think that whoever the 4th guide is amanda has given the totem of lizard because in the book it said there were 4 animals chalked onto the trunk of Mr Thornhills car callie’s, Hal’s and Nia’s totems and a lizard. It could be that the lizard is the person that helped amanda chalk onto the car?

37. Strawbezz 01.02.2010

    Okay, I don’t have my book with me right now, but I have several questions also.
    1) Is the disappearance of Callie’s mom and Amanda connected?
    2) Who is the second person who helped decorate Thornhill’s car?
    3) Why does it say in Amanda’s note to Thornhill “Please help US.” There must be more than one person who needs help other than Amanda who just might be the second person *see question number 2
    4) And like Tazzykins said, Amanda told you not to blame her for leaving. This sounds like Callie’s mom telling Thornhill to let Callie know she loved her even though she HAD to leave. Are they stuck in the same situation?

    *confused* o_O

38. fun-lovingisi 01.04.2010

    Is the Raven Thornhill’s totem? (amanda left a raven in his office one time)
    and in the promotion vid it mentioned *4* guides?
    WAT????

39. Layla 01.04.2010

    I’m just wondering how Amanda is getting notes to her guides in the school and at their homes.  I’m wondering if the second person who helped draw on Mr. Thornhill’s car could be the one delivering notes instead of Amanda.
    And I agree that the second person might be your (Callie’s) mom.  If the lizard represents change, that could fit.  The fact that Callie’s mom left her changed Callie’s home and her father completely.  So the lizard might be able to fit with Callie’s mom if you really think about it.

40. AllieK 01.28.2010

    Thats interesting.  I think the second person might be Callie’s mom too.  I rememeber from the book, though, that when Callie, Hal and Nia went to visit that club that Amanda used to go that the bouncer had a lizard tatoo on his neck.  Either he’s the lizard or he knows Callie’s mom and Amanda.  There was also a message in the bathroom that said “Where is Amanda Valentino?” and maybe the bouncer wrote that?  IDK I haven’t completely put together this theory and I’m prolly wrong but its just a thought.

41. Havyn23 02.07.2010

    AllieK i was thinking the same thing!

42. lindzkin 02.11.2010

    Hey did anyone notice how different each of the guides are? I mean i hope i’m not the only one. Each guide comes from a different social class. Amanda had a reason to choose each one of her guides. So my question is why them?

43. alliksable 02.22.2010

    I agree. Amanda always had a reason for EVERYTHING… it was practically a quality of hers. Nothing binds together the four guides except school and Amanda. Lindzkin, your right. WHY THEM?
    I think that if Callie, Hal, Nia and whoever the 4th guide is could each give some of their most obvious traits, and traits that Amanda commented on or most likely noticed, it would be a HUGE help. Then we could compare them and see what would help Amanda. Or, if by some chance she would think ahead, what would help these specific guides find her (or not find her?).
    Another thing. The threat (person who has been disrupting our investigation) is most likely a member of the site. Does anyone else think it’s not exactly the smartest thing to post everything we are doing online? I think we should REALLY post some false (but very time-consuming) leads. That would defiantly buy us some uninterrupted time to investigate.

44. Jillybean 03.29.2010

    Does anyone know what the stars unscrambled say? I can’t figure it out! 15 letters…

45. catiemarie 07.27.2010

    In the video it says she picked four guides. Since we have only been introduced to three, i think maybe the fourth is callies mum. She seems so pop up everywhere, and most agree she is connected to Amanda in some way.

46. arvi777 11.24.2010

    HEEEEY did anybody ever think that the grandparents MAY have a clue about amanda or know something about her? it MIGHT HAVE BEEN A HINT since she choose of all names, Callie. FIND OUT MORE / DISCUSS

47. queenchuki 12.29.2011

    OK, I know this thing is really old, but I think that Callie’s mom is being hunted, and that some people want to take revenge on her and her daughter, but to protect Callie, Amanda pretends to be Ursula’s daughter.

    I mean, Amanda is good at disguises right?