Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan

Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan
Buy Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Teens
Reviewer: Loralei Haylock
Summary: A dark story that doesn't lack complicated teenage romance and laugh out loud dialogue. An emotional rollercoaster ride with characters so real and likeable they feel like old friends. An excellent book.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 384	Date: August 2013
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-0857078094
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Kami Glass' hometown is about to become ground zero for a sorcerer fight for supremacy. And the sorcerers aren't bothered about humans becoming collateral damage - in fact, one faction wants a human sacrifice to increase the power of their magic.

But Kami's not about to let the hometown she loves be overrun. She has a plan to fight back against the bad sorcerers and prove to Lillian Lyndburn that humans aren't just something to look down on.

Meanwhile, Kami's trying to come to terms with her new relationship with Jared - the normal one, where they aren't constantly in each other's heads. With the link between them severed, she can no longer simply sense his emotions. The only problem is, she doesn't need to - Jared is making it quite clear that he can hardly stand to look at her, and after having him know her every thought all her life, Kami isn't sure if she can bear not having him around.

Rees Brennan picks up where Unspoken left off with every ounce of her trademark wit, characterisation and romance.

Untold is quite a dark story - with ritualistic sacrifice, murder and a grisly war between the sorcerers all featuring. But the strength of the tale is the juxtaposition of these wider elements against the quiet teen drama that's threaded throughout and Rees Brennan's ability to find laugh-out-loud moments even in the most desperate of situations.

Kami and her friends may be embroiled in a magical battle for their hometown, but they don't stop being teenagers - teenagers confused by their emotions and sexuality, trying to navigate the scary transition into adulthood. There's a lot to like about all of them - the dialogue zings between them carrying plenty of comic punch. They feel almost like real friends, people you've met and bonded with. Which makes it very easy to invest in them and their various plights.

Sarah Rees Brennan seems to be going from strength to strength in her writing, and long may she continue producing excellent books. I'll await the conclusion to this trilogy with bated breath.

My thanks to the publishers for sending a copy.

Fans of creepy teen fiction may enjoy Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick.

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