Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
| Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan | |
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| Category: Teens | |
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Reviewer: Loralei Haylock
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| Summary: A book with interesting characters that explores a variety of challenging, realistic relationships central to the main character's life. And to top it off, the creepy atmosphere and fantastic plot will have you itching for the next book. Great stuff. | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 384 | Date: September 2012 |
| Publisher: Simon and Schuster | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-0857078070 | |
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Kami Glass, intrepid journalist in the making, has always been used to being an outsider. She might have a best friend and run the school paper, but she also talks to a boy in her head. A boy who talks back. Though her imaginary friend has lost her real friends in the past, Kami is quite happy with her life as it is. As long as she doesn't get caught staring into space as she conducts conversations with him in her mind too often, things are pretty good.
But then the mysterious Lynburn family move back into Sorry-in-the-Vale, Kami's hometown. The Lynburns are spoken about with both reverence and fear by the older population, and Kami's journalistic instincts were honed in on them long before cousins Jared and Ash turn up at her school - Ash-blonde and perfect, Jared dark and dangerous, both gorgeous. And one of them strangely familiar...
Because something dark and horrible is happening in the woods, and Kami is determined to get to the bottom of it, and to the bottom of why everyone in town is acting so weird about the Lynburns, even if it puts her life in danger.
I love Sarah Rees Brennan's writing. I love the plots, I love the slightly creepy style and the interwoven folklore. And most of all I love the characters. It's so refreshing to read a story where the relationships are not all about boy meets girl, but female friendships and family as well. It's important that we remember that boyfriends aren't the be-all and end-all, and doubly important that that message is sent out to teenage girls.
Kami is a character who has goals in life, and she's ruthless in her pursuit of them. She's not the sort of person who would compromise her views for anyone, even the imaginary friend she's known all her life who's suddenly flesh and blood in front of her.
And that relationship is interesting as well - there's no smooth sailing, but a realistic and deft exploration of the challenges involved in having a confidant you thought could never hurt you, because they aren't real, suddenly be a living person.
Downsides to the book? The ending is a killer and will have you gasping for the next book and wishing the time between now and it's publication date away.
My thanks to the publishers for sending a copy. We have a review of the next book in the series.
For another creepy, folklore based novel, try Long Lankin by Lindsey Barraclough.
Sarah Rees Brennan's Lynburn Legacy Books in Chronological Order
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You can read more book reviews or buy Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan at Amazon.com.
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