Book Review: Unspoken

Title: Unspoken
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Release date: September 11th 2012

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.But all that changes when the Lynburns return.The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Dear fellow bloggers and readers, it has been a while since I have posted anything on this site, and I really apologize. I will blame it on school, for they have made me a slave to the quadratic formula and allegorical statements. Since it's almost summer, I will be on here a lot more, for I have no social life besides my darling books. So without further a due, my review of the wonderful novel, Unspoken.

REVIEW--

I got this book way back in September when it came out. The summary and cover immediately drew me in. I don't have a logical explanation for why it took me four months to actually pick up the book and read it, but thank goodness I finally did. 

Out of the hundreds of books I have read in my lifetime, I don't think I've ever come across such an enticing summary as the one you see above. "Kami Glass loves someone she's never met." Ah I just love it! 

So, the book takes place in a small town in England named Sorry- in- the -Vale. The setting is beyond perfect for the story, for the town kind of has this gothic feel to it, like the book does. Kami Glass, the main protagonist is an amazingly witty, smart, and funny character who I just fell in love with instantly. As an aspiring journalist, Kami starts a school newspaper with her best friend Angela. Angela, hater of people and an extremely lazy person, was one of my favorite characters, along with her brother Rusty who shares similar personality traits. While the two start the newspaper, newcomer Ash Lynburn saunters in, fascinating Kami and everyone else in the town. The Lynburn's founded the town way back when but then left, leaving a big creepy house behind. (But they come back!)

Throughout her entire life, Kami has been able to talk to a boy living inside her head,Jared. She doesn't know where he lives, what his last name is, but she does know that he is very very real. Throughout the first half of the book, Jared and Kami share conversations in their head, conversations that at times are heartbreaking and at others, breathtakingly humorous and insightful.

Everything is as it's supposed to be in Sorry-In-the-Vale, until Ash Lynburn's mysterious cousin, Jared, (coincidence or not?!?!) shows up in town as the new bad boy. He infuriates Kami, leaving her confused and utterly speechless. But with the mysterious animal sacrificing rituals going on in the woods, and the strange ways of the Lynburn family, Jared, Kami, Angela, and some more friends investigate their once normal town and are utterly stunned at what they find.

One of the best thing about the book is the characters. The readers will easily fall in love with the young Kami Glass, with her witty comments and humorous insight. The reader will also watch Jared's character transform from nice and funny, to jerk, then to sad, lonely, misunderstood boy, and then right back to jerk. Character development, in my opinion anyways, is the best part of YA fiction and this book gets an A+ in that department.

My favorite part of this book had to be Kami and Jared's relationship. They have a relationship unlike any other relationship I have ever read about. It's so unique and complicated, and I just loved it. They've known each other forever, but they've never met.

 I was also really impressed with the writing in this book and I actually had the honor of meeting the author of this book, Sarah Rees Brennan, when she accompanied Cassandra Clare on her Clockwork Princess tour in Arizona. She was hilarious and super nice, as she was dressed up as Tessa from Clockwork Princess

WARNING WARNING

The last couple pages of this book were pure torture. The second I finished the book I threw it at my wall while screaming and wailing like a little baby. The second the next book comes out, Untold, I will be running to the bookstore at non-human like speed to find out what happens next in this addicting series.

--AMANDA