REVIEW: Unspoken (Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

 

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan

Series: Lynburn Legacy

Pages: 370

Genre: Young Adult

Publisher: Random House Books

Amazon: Unspoken

Release Date: 11^th September 2012

Synopsis. (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?

REVIEW: 4 out of 5 stars

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan is the first book in the Lynburn Legacy series and was kindly provided to me by Netgalley for Random House Books.

17 year-old Kami Glass is a wanna-be investigative reporter living in the small town of Sorry-in-the-Vale and has decided her next big story will be about the original founding family, the Lynburns.

Kami has spent her life being comforted and supported by her imaginary friend, Jared he is always with her and vice versa but that is all they have ever been to one another – imaginary. When the Lynburn family returns to town, everyone is intrigued but tight lipped about them and the history they share and imagine Kami’s complete and utter shock when she realizes the boy in her head is actually very much real.

Jared Lynburn is a mysterious, tortured hero who has relied on Kami to always be there for him; he was reluctant to get close to the ‘real life’ Kami which was understandable, she knew his secrets as well as his fears.

There are a number of secrets in the small town as well as surrounding the Lynburn’s and who or what they are so Kami sets out with Jared and his cousin Ash as well as her school paper colleagues and friends, Holly and Angela to uncover what they are hiding. But there are obstacles in the way preventing them from finding out the truth.

I really liked our main protagonist Kami, she was quirky, smart, sarcastic, daring and strong, she is so gun ho and shied away from nothing and noone. I loved the telepathic relationship she shared with Jared but you can imagine how it all went when they both realized they were very much real; it was enjoyable to watch the connection they shared. I was captivated by the innocence of both Kami and Jared whose lives are intertwined in so many ways, seeing them uncover everything together, including why they were linked was fascinating.

I really enjoyed the humor Ms Brennan bought to this book; the banter between the characters had me giggling on numerous occasions – especially those involving Angela. The dialogue was entertaining and the interactions between them all enjoyable.

Unspoken is well paced and engaging and Ms Brennan’s writing flows well, I found the premise of this book to be really intriguing and the light twists and turns kept me turning the pages. There were a number of revelations and big events so I am eager to get hold of the next installment.

The only thing which had me pulling my hair out was the ending! Argh!! Definitely not what I was expecting and left me with my mouth gaping. Book 2 can’t come fast enough for me.