Balzer + Bray
April 24, 2012
445 pages
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The next thing Janelle is aware of, is Ben Michaels, one of the loners (and possible stoners) from school leaning over her. She can't explain it, she knows no one will believe her, but she knows that somehow Ben has brought her back to life.
How she's alive (again) isn't all Janelle has to figure out, though. Snooping around in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, Janelle finds something about a clock - that seems to be counting down to something. Putting everything together (including events that occur soon afterwards), Janelle knows that the countdown and the strange occurrences - maybe even including her accident - are all leading up to something huge.
To save the world she'll have to stop the countdown . . . after she figures out what it is.
Unraveling is a book that is pretty good when you start it, gets better after a few pages and then really just sucks the reader in. It gets better and better and better as it goes - and it's 445 pages so it gets realllly good.
I love that the countdown is there from the first page but what the countdown - even that there is one - isn't known right away. Things really do unfold in Unraveling very well. All of the information isn't just dumped in readers laps right away, it's slowly unveiled as necessary. Sometimes I was anxious to learn just a little bit more - but not knowing definitely kept me turning the pages so I could find out!
The romance in Elizabeth Norris' debut, while not the main focus of the novel, is incredibly strong and captivating. It's one of my favorite YA romantic relationships of late
The plot of Unraveling is tricky and full of twists and turns but it never seems to lose itself. There aren't any holes (that I could tell) nor does it get confusing, or bogged down at any point, either. The plot also doesn't take over, leaving the characters behind. The familial relationships and friendships were well done and added a great extra element and emotion that made the story something it really wouldn't have been without them.
Elizabeth Norris' writing/language is definitely worth noting. While the story itself was so very enjoyable, I also so enjoyed the certain phrasing she used and how well written Unraveling was.
*Also, Janelle gets so many points from me for having read (and retained) The Awakening by Kate Chopin (she loses a few for spoiling it, but . . .still).
Rating; 10/10
Other books you might like: Hourglass by Myra McEntire and Forgotten by Cat Patrick
thank you to the publisher for providing me a copy of this to review
This is a wonderful review. I can't wait to read the book.
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