Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken
(The Lynburn Legacy #1)
by Sarah Rees Brennan
Published: September 11, 2012




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?

Hearing a plot line like that, I couldn’t help but think this book would be focused more on its romantic aspect. I couldn’t be more wrong. With very outstanding characters that would surely pull you in plus a good dose of romance, humor, mystery and magic, Unspoken started with a laugh riot and ended with me staring at every bits and pieces of my broken heart scattered on the floor.

If I really think about it, under familiar circumstances, I would have thought this book was slowly paced but in this case, I woundn't have noticed otherwise. I was busy admiring Kami - a self-appointed investigative journalist seeking for truth and justice (can also be considered an amazing mastermind criminal if not because of the former occupation) who can kick ass and double you over with laughter at the same time. Seriously, that girl is cool. What's more to like? She's brave, sensible, smart, funny and the type of girl who doesn't just sit there waiting for some miracle to happen. Being the researcher that she is, the return of the revered yet feared Lynburns to their small town is not something she can pass up and uncover the mystery of the whispered stories about the said family.

I loved this book in every way I could think of. Ever since the first chapter, I couldn't bring myself to part with it (but I have to because like the goner that I am, I can't help but give in with only 30 minutes left before class -- I've wanted to read this for so long and I can't bear another minute of waiting! And it felt like the perfect time to pick it up, ironically speaking). There is not a moment where the word cliche or predictable managed to sneak inside my head no matter how you may want to look at it the first time. The plot, the twists, the writing style, the remarkable way the characters were made, the flow of the story and the vivid images of the setting and place I thought of while reading the book, it's all amazing.

Also, Kami's Dad is so cool. Check this out:

“Why are you putting on lip gloss, my daughter?” Dad asked. “Trip to the library? Trip to the nunnery? I hear the nunneries are nice this time of year”
…
“Is this true, Kami? Are you going out on a date?” Dad asked tragically. “Wearing that? Wouldn’t you fancy a shapeless cardigan instead? You rock a shapeless cardigan, honey.”

I was very much aware and kept noting of how noticeably fast the pages left kept thinning out. I really don’t want the book to end. And then somehow I forgot about it all during the last few chapters because I was deeply consumed with the intensity, excitement and every emotion I can think of all scrambled together that when I came to the last word of the very last chapter, so eager to find out what happened next, flipped to the next page and then..

*deep deep breath*
*holds it there*
*tears pooling in my eyes*
*exhale*
*screech*
WHAT THE HELLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????????
That’s all. THAT PRETTY MUCH SUMS IT AAAALLLLLL!!!
Oh, it didn’t end with a cliffhanger so much as an i-dont-want-to-stop-reading-why-is-this-book-so-short-i-want-the-sequel-now-dear-author-can-i-live-with-you-instead ending.

And YES, Ms. Brennan. I found it. I found it!

Words!

“Hark,” he said, his tone very dry. “What stone through yonder window breaks?”

Kami yelled up at him, “It is the east, and Juliet is a jerk!”

Jared abandoned Shakespeare and demanded, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Throwing a pebble,” said Kami defensively. “Uh… and I’ll pay for the window.”

Jared vanished and Kami was ready to start shouting again, when he reemerged with the pebble clenched in his fist. “This isn’t a pebble! This is a rock.”

“It’s possible that your behaviour has inspired some negative feelings that caused me to pick a slightly overlarge pebble,” Kami admitted.”

__________________

“Hi," Kami said to Dorothy, the head librarian…"Can you tell me where I could find the books on Satanism?"

Twenty minutes later, she had Dorothy convinced that it was for a school project, and she really did not have to telephone Kami's parents.”

___________________

“Boys. Listen up. We are going out for a girls’ night, where there will be dancing.”

Kami did an illustrative shimmy. Angela looked resigned.

Jared looked amused. “What was that?”

“You’ve got to dance like nobody’s watching, Jared,” Kami informed him.

“Have you considered that perhaps nobody’s watching because they’re too embarrassed for you?”

“Fine,” said Kami, grinning at him. “Be a hater of dances. Be a hater of joy. I don’t care. You’re not invited!”

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