Can
we talk about the cover? *___*
It's even more gorgeous in person.
The background is this beautiful scarlet that fades in the center
and darkens again near the bottom. The
title and leaves are bright gold, the gate and vines inky black. Whimsical, dramatic, romantical (yes, I went
there J).
Luckily,
the story totally matches up to the jacket.
Unspoken centers around Kami and the imaginary boy in her head. She's comfortable with Jared, has gotten used
to the way their feelings tangle and is unwilling to give him up--even if it
makes people look at her funny. But when the mysterious Lynburns return, Kami
gets a shock. Jared is real. He knows everything about her. And she's not sure how to feel about it.
The
mystery surrounding the Lynburns (what they are, how Kami and Jared's
connection came to be, etc.) is icing on the cake. The real heart of this story is character
and a fantastic concept. Imagine being mentally linked to another person. I've seen this done before, but never so well executed.
Sounds
kinda romantic, right? And in some ways, it is. Still, that
doesn't stop Kami and Jared from freaking out. Each struggles to come to terms with the reality of the other's existence. Their connection was soul-deep and at times
invasive. It was one of the strongest
parts of the book imo.
I
loved how close we got to all the characters, especially the two leads.
The
third person narrative helped, but Sarah Rees Brennan obviously knows her world
and each and every person in it. Kami is the kind of curious you just can't
help but like. She's a self-proclaimed
sleuth, searching for the secret truth of her town, Sorry-in-the-Vale. When animals and people start dying, she
trudges along, determined to find the truth.
The girl had a great sense of humor and was an unapologetic Nosy
Parker. Loved her J.
Also
loved how Brennan was able to infuse the same life and personality into her
secondary characters. Angela, the people-hating, nap-loving, always-loyal best friend. Kami's dad and her brothers, Tomo and Ten. Great, great, great.
And
the humor. That was the surprise! Kami and her friends are hilarious. Romance + Funny = One Very Happy Nnja :-)
Here are
a few quotes I loved from Unspoken.
Kami whispered
into Jared's hair: "I'm always on your side."--Unspoken
pg. 74
"I used to
have an imaginary friend when I was seven," Holly contributed. "A unicorn called Princess Zelda."--Unspoken pg 85
Then
later, Angela to Jared:
"I'm not
calling you that," she announced flatly.
"It's too weird. I'm going
to call you Carl."
Jared
scowled. "I don't want you to call
me Carl."
"That's
interesting, Carl," said Angela, cheering up.--Unspoken
pg 86
The
dialogue was lol funny; the writing was gorgeous; the mystery had enough twists
and turns to keep you guessing; and the character relationships were
fantastic. Beware: One of the most devestating cliff hangers on the planet. But worth it. (Still, seriously, it'll make you wanna bang your head on the wall.) Unspoken was a Gothic mystery YA with a nice blend of genres, a great
Halloween read, but also a great anytime read J
Hope
everyone has a wonderful weekend,
Ninja
Girl
