Unspoken by: Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken by: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication Date: September 11, 2012
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Format: e-ARC (Thanks Netgalley & Random House!)
Genre: Mystery, England, Romance, Magic
Series: #1 in The Lynburn Legacy
Page Count: 370
Author Website: Sarah Rees Brennan
Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Summary from Goodreads:

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?

My Review:

I haven't read Sarah's Demons Lexicon Trilogy, but I might now! She writes with such wit and humor and realness. Unspoken was the best of mystery, secrets, and England, that I've seen in YA in a long time!

Unspoken hooked me from the first pages. Kami Glass has always wanted to be a reporter, revealing the juiciest stories and much as she's tried, there is nothing special to be found about her town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Or so she thinks. Just as school begins and Kami starts the school newspaper, the town's mysterious founding family, the Lynburns, return to town. All of the townspeople are wary around them. Naturally, this sparks Kami's curiosity, especially when she meets Ash Lynburn, the new boy at school.

Ever since Kami can remember, there has been a voice in her head of a boy named Jared. She was never alone with his presence in her mind, a constant comfort, even though she knew he wasn't real. Ash Lynburn has a brother named Jared. Coincidence? I think not. When Kami discovers that the voice in her head belongs to a very real person, she is overwhelmed with an onslaught of emotions; she doesn't know how to feel about it. Neither does Jared.

Soon after the Lynburns return, strange things start happening in Sorry-in-the-Vale. Everyone, including Kami's friends and parents, are telling her to stay away from Ash and Jared, that they are bad news, without explaining why. Her curiosity peaked, Kami begins spending more time with the boys and delving into the towns uncovered secrets, all the while stepping into a world that there will be no turning back from.

Kami's friend Angela, is one of my favorite "best friend" characters. She is brutally honest all the time and never holds back how she feels about anything. Now, I've seen these traits in characters before and it has been portrayed badly, but Sarah perfected Angela, I think.

There is definitely a love triangle in Unspoken, for those of you who don't like those. Personally, I usually like them and this one especially! There is so much complexity to Jared and Kami's relationship that she doesn't really know how to deal, but she knows that whatever she feels for him, it is strong. Ash is always right there for Kami, she doesn't have to worry about his voice inside her head and he is just there, without the issues she has with Jared. I cannot wait to see how this plays out in the next book!

There is a massive cliffhanger at the end of this book, so prepare yourself! Its all quite worth it, though. I absolutely recommend this!

Other books by Sarah Rees Brennan: