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:

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss by: Stephanie Perkins
Publisher: Dutton
Publication Date: December 2, 2010
Format: Paperback (with flaps)
Page Count: 372
Genre: Contemporary
Buy the Book: Amazon

Summary from Goodreads:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

My Review:

This year I have set a goal to read more contemporary novels and this one was at the top of my list. I’ve heard that Stephanie Perkins is like the Queen of Contemporary, so I just had to read one of her books. Anna and the French Kiss did not disappoint! From the gorgeous and romantic Paris nightlife to the even more gorgeous Etienne St.Clair, this book was fabulous all around!

I was shocked at the beginning when Anna was being sent to a boarding school in Paris and she wasn’t happy about it. I mean, who wouldn’t want to live in Paris for a year? But then, as I got to know her life and character more, I understood that it was taking her away from her friends and her potential boyfriend, and that it was her parent’s wish, not hers.

Anna Oliphant is seemingly the only new student in the senior class of the School of America in Paris. She doesn’t know much in French besides the basics that everyone knows like merci, and au revoir. So, naturally, she stands out.

A group of artsy students take her under their wings and they become best friends fast. Among this group is the history buff and swoonworthy Etienne St. Clair (St. Clair for short). From first glance, he has Anna’s heart. She can play the whole best friends game, but for how long? The tension builds throughout the whole book and it was so frustrating (in the best way)!

While Anna is falling more and more in love with St. Clair in Paris, she has a life in Atlanta that’s nagging at her. Her co-worker at a movie theater there, Toph, and her were about to become serious just before she left. Her previous life across the pond is becoming less of a priority than her new Paris life, especially after she visits home on her break.

St. Clair shows her Paris and all of the places that inspire him. While they watch movies and explore the city, he lets her into his life in a way he doesn’t to most people. About his lame excuse for a father and how he’s American, British, and a little French. There’s a catch to him that Anna can’t stop herself from thinking about. St. Clair has a girlfriend, Ellie. Anna knows that he must feel something for her and wonders why he stays with Ellie.

The complexity of the characters in Anna and the French Kiss is outstanding to say the least. With Anna dealing with her feelings for St.Clair and him trying to figure out his personal life in general, I found that I had a profound connection with the main characters, as well as some of the minor ones.

As Anna lives and loves in the City of Light, she discovers a new part of herself as well. St. Clair and Anna make for a pair that will make you laugh hysterically and bring goosebumps to your skin.

Official Rating:

Five Un-Birthday Cakes!

 

 

Top Ten Tuesday: Best Books of 2011

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Here we share our Top Ten lists; anything bookish counts!

2011 was such a great book year! It was so hard to narrow down ten favorites. After much debating on what to feature as the BEST of 2011, here is what I came up with.  I would love to hear in the comments what your favorites were for this year as well!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by: Laini Taylor:  This may be the most imaginative book I've ever read. I loved the fact that every character's name in this book I had never heard of before (ex: Karou, Issa, Madrigal, Akiva, Zuzana)

City of Fallen Angels by: Cassandra Clare: As the latest book in my absolute favorite series, The Mortal Instruments, I was already brimming with anticipation upon reading this.  Every time I think of Magnus, Jace, or Isabelle, I get goosebumps at how much I love them!  Still, every time I look at this book on my shelf, I think to myself "I can't believe how perfect this was!". Despite the wonderfully awful cliffhanger, of course.

Clockwork Prince by: Cassandra Clare: So many emotions coursed through me when I read this. Good and bad. There wasn't a moment when I wasn't totally mesmerized by everything. The way that Cassandra Clare writes, she reveals the deepest parts of all her characters and I absolutely cannot get enough of it.  Team Will!

The Iron Knight by: Julie Kagawa:  There couldn't be any better way to end a series. Being from Ash's perspective, we were able to see so much deeper into the brightest and darkest parts of him. The mystique and nature of the NeverNever and River of Dreams never ceased to sweep me into it's world in the pages.

Beautiful Chaos by: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl: I always adore books that are set in the South and this is positively my favorite! Ridley and Macon made me laugh and cry, as well as the other characters. I felt so in sync with everything in this book. It was one of those books that everything was rapidly building up to a climax that you were both dreaded and exited about.

The Power of Six by: Pittacus Lore: Six is my favorite YA female character, hands down.  She is so tough and unbelievable strong and will hold no prisoners. I especially came to love her  more this time around because she explains in depth her imprisonment by the Mogadorians. She is a fighter, to say the least. Also, I think it is great that some of the aliens are portrayed to have good intentions instead of the world dominating aliens we always hear about.

The Near Witch by: Victoria Schwab: The mystery alone in this book would be enough to gain it a spot on this list. Along with that, there was romance, suspense, dread, and obsessive page-turning to make it exceptionally fabulous!

Forbidden by: Tabitha Suzuma: This is the first book ever that has made me bawl my eyes out, literally. I honestly didn't know that I could develop such an emotional connection with characters. Alas, I was blown away by Maya and Lochan. The book alternated between their perspectives, which I think helped me understand more, especially because of the heavily controversial subject.

Passion by: Lauren Kate: Compared to the other books in the Fallen Series, this was immensely different, in a good way. Every chapter was set in a different time and place, each one unique. Daniel's devotion to Luce became all the more clear to me as he waited for her in each of her lives.

Afterlife by: Claudia Gray: This was another conclusion to a favorite series of mine. The last book, Hourglass, ended in such a way that I couldn't imagine there being a happy ending, and I was ecstatic when this ended and everything was in a stable place. I thought that after everything Lucas and Bianca went through for their love, that they deserved the peace that they got in the end.