Monday, September 30, 2013

Review: Unbreakable

UNBREAKABLE
The Legion Series #1
Kami Garcia
Paranormal Young Adult
320 pages
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Available October 1st
Source: BEA

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.


MY THOUGHTS
Unbreakable is a fast-paced, deliciously creepy tale, one that practically dares us with its haunting cover and synopsis to sit by ourselves and read it into the dark hours of the night, and when we accept said dare and crack the spine, we find Ms. Garcia has a gift for sending shivers across our skin. We hit the ground running in this story, swiftly and brutally exposed to death and demons along with Kennedy as a rag tag team of extraordinarily brave fighters lifts the veil from her eyes to reveal a terrifying world ruled by vengeance. Once we're in this story it never lets us go, catapulting us from one place to the next as Ms. Garcia tests our hearts to see how fast and how loud they can pound before they suffer irreparable damage.

Kennedy is someone who could be described as frustrating realistic (this is more of a compliment than it sounds), thrust into a life-threatening situation so far beyond the scope of her understanding as to be completely incomprehensible, and struggling to hold onto anything familiar about herself before she loses the person she thought she was to the girl the members of the Legion tell her she is now. The frustrating aspect of Kennedy comes into play when we try and place ourselves in her shoes (something very easy to do), the fervent hope that we would be strong in the face of the terrors of this new world causing the disappointment when Kennedy flinches or falters to be all the more acute; our sense of failure stemming not so much from her but more so from ourselves because we know it's likely we would react just as she does, no matter how much we wish a different truth in its place. Thus Kennedy's fears and flaws both beautifully but painfully reflect our own, making her feel so very real against the most unreal of backdrops.

The romance between Kennedy and Jared, while an enjoyable distraction from the various ghosts and the mysteries they're protecting, isn't quite as strong as it could have been, things between them staying primarily on the surface rather than giving us the opportunity to poke at their sore spots in order to find out why they're there. A love triangle between the two of them and Jared's brother Lukas does threaten to form, but luckily Kennedy is pretty clear on which brother she prefers from the beginning, and though Lukas doesn't necessarily give up the fight even when he senses the direction of her affections, the angst between the three of them is relatively low. Jared plays a bit of the push-pull game however, his reasons for doing so not explored to the degree that would help us understand and emotionally connect to his motivations, but given the romance is secondary to the search to find and destroy a demon, it doesn't detract too much from our overall enjoyment.

In addition to the romance, there are a couple other elements that could have benefited from a more thorough exploration so as to really allow us to sink our hands into the grit and grime of the characters' lives, though Ms. Garcia does an admirable job of giving us just enough backstory to help us get our bearings without exhausting us with histories and explanations. Those looking for a quick, creepy read will devour Unbreakable, skin covered in goosebumps and eyes darting to dark corners repeatedly to check for signs of movement as we sit back and allow Ms. Garcia to entertain us. The ending manages to be both nicely wrapped up yet also open, the team's purpose in this first installment more or less achieved but it's clear that what happens is only the beginning, and I have no doubt the intensity (and maybe the romance) will be ratcheted up another level or two in the already much-anticipated sequel.

Rating: 4/5
 

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This book was given to me at BEA by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

33 comments:

  1. I've been seeing mixed reviews for this book, but I'm happy to have seen your positive thoughts, Jenny! Kennedy actually seems like a character that I would really relate to, and since you mentioned that she is very relatable and real, all the better! Although the romance isn't done the best in this story, it doesn't sound awful, either. It doesn't seem like an annoying love triangle or anything, and I sometimes love that push-pull romance. I'm curious about it! Perhaps the lack in character background will come later on in the series, but it looks like Unbreakable turned out to be really successful! I'm hoping to read this one around Halloween time. :) Beautiful review as always, Jenny!

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    1. It's definitely going to be a book that gets mixed reviews - I went into it just wanting to be entertained, and I definitely was. There could have been more depth in a lot of the characters, but it's the first in a series so that may come with time. I blew right through it in a single afternoon though, so it gets a good rating from me!

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  2. I am glad the triangle does not form cos I read brothers and were all no!

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    1. It thought about forming for sure, but luckily Lukas acknowledged Kennedy preferred his brother and was pretty good about it:)

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  3. I'm glad you enjoyed this one, Jenny! I haven't read anything by this author before and I'm not entirely drawn to this story arc, though I'm really thrilled it has your seal of approval. I think I'll wait to see how the series plays out before picking this up. Great review, Jenny!(:

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    1. I'm hugely excited to see where this series goes Keertana! It was a good thriller I thought even if the romance was a tad frustrating at times.

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  4. Glad to see you enjoyed this one, Jenny. I was a bit iffy about it, but have a review copy since I'm on a blog tour for it. Thankfully most of the reviews I've seen for this one have been positive (so far!)

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    1. I was iffy as well just because I'm a giant wuss, but it was more suspenseful than outright scary, and I just had fun reading it. It didn't blow my mind, but I enjoyed every page I read:)

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  5. I liked this one but didn't love it. The creep factor was great, as was Kennedy but the boys annoyed me (I'll have to skim back over to remember why, since I didn't take notes!) as did the threat of a triangle (I've become skittish when I even sense the possibility of one).

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    1. I have high hopes that we'll get more from Jared in this next one, the push-pull thing got on my nerves, but I so enjoyed the creepiness of the book that it didn't bother me too much. It seemed to me like a romantic decision had definitively been made in this book, and I'm hoping Kennedy doesn't start waffling in the future!

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  6. I think you liked this one a little bit more than me, Jenny, but I'm glad to see that the creepiness of the tale overpowered the flaws for you! I just desperately wanted more from the story...but I was intrigued enough to get invested in the series (always a plus haha). Great review, lady!

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    1. It was a really fast read and I didn't want to put it down, so that fact made up for some of the smaller issues I had:) I'm definitely curious to see where things go for all of them in the next book!

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  7. Even though Kennedy is a little frustrating at times, I really think this sounds like the perfect read for this time of year! I am sad the romance wasn't a little better but I think I can deal with that too. :)

    Lovely review Jenny!

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    1. It is perfect for halloween! The romance had it's frustrating moments, but nothing absurd or overly irritating, I'm just hoping we get a little more in the next book! You know me and my romance:)

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  8. I've heard this one is quite a creepy one, and I'm all about dark, creepy and twisted :) Plus I like the sound of the brothers, Jared and Lucas, they remind me of Dean and Sam from Supernatural TV series (huge Supernatural geek here). The cover is pretty creeptastic too and your review makes it sound like a pretty awesome book - what else can I say? I'm in! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Jenny! As always, love your review :)

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    1. I just started Supernatural Evie! I knew of Sam and Dean before from Tumblr and Tweets and things, but I'd never really seen the show, but I downloaded the whole first season on my iPad to take on vacation a few weeks back and now I'm addicted. I watched 7 episodes on the plane alone, I love that there are so many episodes per season! Sam and Dean for the win.

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  9. I like the sound of the MC, especially since she has her fearful, faltering moments (instead of being a total badass). I wasn't really interested in this book before, but I'll definitely keep an eye out for it now.

    Fabulous review!

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  10. I haven't read anything by this author before and I've read less than stellar reviews about it. The story arc seems ok but I feel like it's a story I've read before. I think I'll wait to see how the series goes before picking it up. Glad you enjoyed it!

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  11. I'm quite excited for this book, Jenny, especially since I heard it's quite similar to Supernatural and that is one of my favorite shows. I'm a bit worried about the love triangle though. You know how I feel about those, but I'm glad to hear that the romance is secondary to the plot.
    I actually like that Kennedy is realistic and not brave all the time. I think I would connect with her well although I will probably be frustrated too.
    Great review, Jenny!

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  12. As not a huge fan of Beautiful Creatures I wasn't sure about reading this one. I mostly have problems with her characters. This sounds like a really interesting story and I love the whole idea of it. Too bad that the romance isn't deeper but still it sounds like a really good read. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Great review Jenny :)

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  13. Gads I would really like to read this one Jen, it sounds deliciously creepy!

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  14. I love that these one really manages to bring the creep factor. I also like that Kennedy struggles here and there with everything that is going on around her. So often things just go too smoothly in books like this but it's great to hear that this one has some realistic elements to the way the MC deals with that is going on around her.

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  15. I really liked this as well but had somilar feelings and reservations.

    I loved this part " frustrating realistic (this is more of a compliment than it sounds)" - hehe I actually love when a character is so real with flaws and not just perfectly strong and kick ass. And you are right, Kennedy was exactly this and I liked her the way she is.

    The romance could have been stronger, much stronger and it frustrated me a little. Still, It was such a great read and I'm looking forward to the next!

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  16. I'm still on the fence about this book. Sigh. =/ I love your review, but I can also see where it didn't work for you.

    And I miss you. A lot.

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  17. It makes sense to me that the romance isn't as strong. Usually in these type of books it is a much slower burn. I usually like that in a series. Oh I do think that I need to get this book. I love the sound of the characters.

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  18. Oh, I am seeing really mixed reviews of this book now that the release date is upon us. Not sure if I want to dive into this series or not. *torn*

    The Mad Scientist is in a bit of trouble.  I am in need of some help getting back on my blogging feet after exploring Thailand, Laos & Malaysia for the past 6 months. Please do stop by and visit one or more of posts to help out & to let me know what your bookish self has been up to.  :)

    Mad Scientist @ Steampunkery & Book Reviews

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  19. I love creepy reads and this has been high on my wish list since I first read that intriguing synopsis. Kennedy seems like a character that I would quite like, I think I'd want more depth from the romance though.

    A fabulous review! I'm pleased to see you enjoyed this.

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  20. I have heard a lot of mixed things about this, but I think I just have to read it! I'll be sure to read it when it's light out though! :)

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  21. This sounds super creepy, but in a good way! Lol! I do like scary reads and I'm happy to hear that the love triangle isn't much of one. Wonderful review, Jenny. I'm looking forward to this one. :)

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  22. I'm really looking forward to this. I have an ARC but I'm not sure when I'll get to it. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  23. YES, I am soooo looking forward to the sequel. I agree that the intensity will be ramped up. I was a fan of Kennedy/Jared, but I did want more. I have so many theories about Kennedy's involvement in the circle (involving her parents), so I'm excited to see if I'm right in book two. Awesome review Jenny, glad you enjoyed it overall!

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  24. You're making me regret that I didn't get a chance to finish this one, Jenny. I remember some of the deliciously creepy moments -- like the house breathing shards of glass. And how quickly paced and action packed this one seemed even if I had to skim it (ARC tour - one week limit to read).

    It always strikes me a bit strangely when MCs are not frustratingly realistic. We all do want a spot of escapism, true, but when characters don't falter in the face of the terrors you mention, sometimes I wonder if they're actual people or just idealizations of ourselves. "We know it's likely we would react just as she does, no matter how much we wish a different truth in its place" <-- Exactly. Though, at the same time, it still can be very frustrating to read if the MC gets too downtrodden in her circumstances (which might very well happen to us too).

    Yeah, although I didn't read this in full, just skimmed, I thought the same of the Kennedy / Jared situation and was a tad unsure of where Lukas even came in. You're right that the angst was low, but I wonder if it would increase in the next books since she and Stohl wrote Beautiful Creatures and that series was pretty angst-ridden. Not that that's a bad thing but still. And push-pull games - *sigh*. Is it just me or does that seem to happen more frequently with YA heroes? The heroines rarely get to have that kind of behavior before someone snaps at them whereas the heroes - yeah, some do end up getting called out but a lot go un... punished.

    What was your favorite scene? / part? The ending? The creep factor?

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  25. I love books that are fast paced and creepy, and this has been sitting on my shelf for a while, but I haven't been super compelled to pick it up. It's definitely because of the high probability of a brother love triangle, which is a huge turnoff for me. Even if it's not in this one, I'm afraid to invest my heart and then get burned later. I'm so predictable. Your review is making me want to reconsider when to read this one, but as of now I'm planning to wait until more of the series releases before I invest. I asked Kami briefly about the triangle at BEA when she signed my book and she said it's a "different kind of love triangle, because she was tired of the same old thing." (or something close to that) So I don't know what that means exactly -whether it will get really triangle angsty, or if it will stay in pseudo land. Makes me curious, however. Another convincing review, friend!

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