Book Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Title: Unspoken

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Series: The Lynburn Legacy #1

Publisher: Random House

Publication Date: September 11, 2012

Number of Pages: 370 Pages

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

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is a paranormal mystery that is simply hilarious. I have laughed continually through the whole book, because the one-liners in the book are just fantastic. Kami Glass is a sarcastic journalist, who is determined to uncover the secrets of her small town. Kami has a secret of her own, that only her best friend knows Kami has an “imaginary” friend that she talks to in her head. What Kami really wants to know is the secrets of the Lynburns, the mysterious family that left town years ago before she was born, and when they Lynburns finally return, she has her chance. Kami befriends Ash Lynburn and wants to uncover the family secrets, but when Ash’s cousin Jared arrives, everything changes. 

Jared Lynburn is not just any guy, he happens to be the “imaginary” friend that knows all Kami's secret thoughts. The problem is that he is reckless, and now that he is real, Kami feel very insecure with someone knowing all her inner most thoughts. Kami finds out that there are animals are being tortured in the woods by her house, she decides that she need to find out who is behind it. The investigation puts Kami in terrible danger, and it is up to her and her friends to investigate what is happening in their town. Kami creates an investigation team with her best friend Angie, Holly, Ash, and Jared. Together they hope to piece together the terrible things going on in the shadows of their quiet town. 

Unspoken is a book that can has you laughing like a lunatic one moment and tense and apprehensive about what could happen next. That is not an easy transition to pull off, but Sarah Rees Brennan does it flawlessly. It is hard to find a good old fashion teenage sleuth book in young adult books today, or it is at least for me. Even with a bit of a paranormal twist, Unspoken had me feel nostalgia for Nancy Drew, and Trixie Belden. Unspoken has more sarcasm and comedy, but that just makes it better. Even the cover reminds me of the old covers for Nancy Drew. 

I am so glad I read Unspoken, and I really cannot wait for the next installment of the Lynburn Legacy. If you are a fan of mysteries, especially the teen sleuth variety, Unspoken is a must read! I loved every second of it, and I could not tear myself away. 

**Unabridged Bookshelf received an ARC of this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review**

BUY UNSPOKEN
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Book Depository

Thank you for stopping by Unabridged Bookshelf!