The Schwa Was Here - Neal Shusterman “Antsy” Bonano befriends Calvin Schwa, a boy who is “functionally invisible”; Old Man Crawley, an elderly recluse; and Crawley’s granddaughter, Lexie, who — although blind — sees more than most people.“It’s like he’s functionally invisible.”“The proper term is ‘observationally challenged,” Howie says.“Whadaya mean ‘proper term’? How can there be a proper term for it when I just made it up?”“Well, if you”re gonna make something up, make up the proper term.”One of the things I enjoy most about Neal Shusterman’s writing is how he creates a unique, yet totally believable voice for each of his first-person narrators (which is why Bruiser, featuring four first-person narrators, is one of my favorite books). This book pulls the reader into the mind of Anthony “Antsy” Bonano with narration that makes you feel like you’re talking to a good friend about these crazy things that happened to him. The casual, slightly cynical, and humorous tone works perfectly for this Brooklyn teenager. The story itself is a spunky tale of identify and our perception of people that at times reminded me a bit of Holes.It is obviously intended for a slightly younger audience than many of Shusterman’s other books, and if you’re only going to read one of his books, this isn’t the one I’d pick. However, but if you’re already a fan of his writing style, it’s definitely worth the read.Overall: A fun, easy read with a witty narrator and unique premise.