Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Pages: 370 (Hardcover)
Series: The Lynburn Legacy #1
Release date: September 11th 2012
Rating: 
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?
I have a scale for YA books I read, since I’ve read so many. It looks something like this.
-I hope this book dies. Right now. And takes a 100km radius with it just to be sure.
-Terrible book
-Not my thing
-Meh
-Yeah that was okay
-Hmmm. Interesting
-I was pleasantly surprised
-Yeah I liked that
-That was a great book
-Wow I loved that book!
-FIZZJERBLEDEEGOOK! That was Freaking AMAZEBALLS!
-I will read that book again
Allow me to lay down some perspective. At this moment I have no fewer than sixty-three ARCs sitting around waiting to be read. I have specifically enough time to scratch my head in bemusement between reading one book, reviewing it, contacting the appropriate people and picking up the next one. I do not have time to reread books. So whilst there are plenty of books that I greatly enjoy and even love, the pool for the number of books I reread is currently at five. Five. This book makes five books I reread.
It is not that it’s a perfect book – but that it is perfect for me. I loved everything about it. Brennan’s writing style, humour, wit and dialogue shines in everything she writes. This book is filled with atmosphere, mood and the perfect level of creepy. It’s characters shine through as it’s strongest advantage. Each independently strong and lovable, Brennan pulls out all the stops in creating a Scooby Gang of epic proportions.
Easily the biggest selling point is Kami and Jared. But mostly Kami. Kami was rocking so hard that I had residual whiplash. Strong, smart, brave – a theme with almost all the women in the novel. She was quirky enough to be cute, independent enough to be admirable, vulnerable enough to be loved – strong enough to lead this novel and stand on her own. Jared with his flawed complexity and bad boy characteristics was lovable and pitiable. I know I have a soft spot for bad boys, but it’s hard not to root for him and hurt for him throughout the novel.
The pacing and plot were pretty much spot on perfect, never getting boring or easing up on the good times which balanced with the action and suspense.
I think this book earned each and every one of those five stars. It earned them hard and I need the next one NOW.
Kat Kennedy
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