10866624Title: Unspoken

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: September 2012

Genre: Young Adult Fiction/Fantasy

Series or Stand Alone: Series, Book One

 

 

 

Synopsis can be found here.
This book was received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

 

Review:

Kami Glass loves the voice in her head. He has a mind of his own, secure in her thoughts and open to all of her deepest desires and dreams. That is, until one day, he is in the flesh, standing before her.

Kami doesn’t know what to do- Jared, the voice in her head is here, in her town, along with his cousin Ash and their mothers. They are the Lynburns, powerful beings that can use magic. And as Kami uncover the secrets of her town, exposing the Lynburns and the cause of some horrific animal sacrifices, Kami can only think that Jared and his family have something to do with it.

Amazing. Witty, funny dialogue that made me laugh out loud. Kami is clever, smart, fearless. She is funny and the dialogue between her, Holly and Angela are so easy in nature, effortless, fun, they remind me of my best friends from home. Seriously. Kami is one of my favorite heroines this year, with such a unique voice and strong personality, I dove into book two after reading this one, secretly ashamed I had waited so long. I love how she recognizes what she doesn’t want to be, who she doesn’t want to turn into and makes every step to avoid doing that, making bad choices, being weak, doing things for a guy. She shines.

(Though I can’t feel that bad because I don’t know what I am going to do waiting here patiently for book three to come out. You hear that Random House?? I AM DYING FOR BOOK THREE)

Anyway.

Jared is of course, awesome. Broody and dark, tortured hero, he is the best of them. I could feel the chemistry between the crackle, (even in a well). And the ending sorta killed me. I mean, I think a piece of my heart broke off just a bit.

Ash is handsome, everything the leading man should be. And wow, he has some great depth to him too. Constantly wanting to please, but never supported, Ash is his own romantic tortured hero. I liked the contrast between Jared and Ash and how they played off each other.That goes for all of Kami’s friends and the secondary characters. I love love love them. Solid and realistic, I was fully enraptured with the story and the adventure in this magical town.

Also, a special bravo to Ms. Brennan. Thank you for creating Kami and her father, some of my favorite diverse characters. I love how Kami’s dad is Japanese, speaks Japanese and has an English accent. (Even the nurse gives him a curious look when he opens his mouth.) Being Korean and raised by Italian parents, I am always totally excited to find diverse characters in books I love. Especially ones like Kami’s dad who has some of the most hilarious lines in the book, he’s feisty, and breaks all the stereotypes out there. Bravo.

Make no mistake though, this book has some heft. I liked the very present danger through the story. Kami relies heavily on her friends and her detective skills, which is another reason I like her. There is some messed up stuff going on in the town, and in the Lynburn family. The story grabs you by the heard and doesn’t let go. I read this in one day. No work was done. No errands ran. No chores completed. I sat on the couch, forgo all television, movies and bunny petting, to read this. I couldn’t stop. I may have seen my husband. Not sure.

Cleverly written, solid writing and some very funny lines add another layer of charm and addictiveness to this book. There is nothing not to love.

Rating 10 One of the Best