Review: Unspoken

Kami Glass is in love with someone she’s never met—a boy she’s talked to in her head since she was born. This has made her an outsider in the sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale, but she has learned ways to turn that to her advantage. Her life seems to be in order, until disturbing events begin to occur. There has been screaming in the woods and the manor overlooking the town has lit up for the first time in 10 years . . .

The Lynburn family, who ruled the town a generation ago and who all left without warning, have returned. Now Kami can see that the town she has known and loved all her life is hiding a multitude of secrets—and a murderer. The key to it all just might be the boy in her head. The boy she thought was imaginary is real, and definitely and deliciously dangerous.

Title: Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy ~ Book 1)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication Date: September 11 2012
Publisher: Random House 
Length: 384 Pages
Add it to your TBR Pile: Goodreads
Buy It: Amazon US / Amazon UK

Source: Purchased (Kindle Edition)
Cover Love: Simply lovely and in a way really captures the feel of the book!
Point of View: 3rd person

My Rating: 5 Stars

What a perfectly unique, delightful and wonderful read!

The setting that Sarah has written is perfect. Regardless of the bad things that are currently happening, I want to live in Sorry-in-the-Vale. I want to buy sweets in the candy shop, I want to have a quiet drink in the local pub and I want to walk down the high street lined with the yellowed Cotswold Stone buildings with the overgrown ivy. Not only do I want to live there but I want Kami Glass as my best friend. She is funny, quick witted, strong, loyal and very brave. Oh and did I mention funny? I laughed so hard I cried. I loved her interactions with her friends and with her family, her father is also hilarious! They easily joke with each other and through these interactions you can see how much they deeply love each other.

Jared. I love Jared. Ever since Kami and Jared were babies they have been able to speak to each other in their minds. They have grown up together and have grown to care for each other. They never ask too many questions about each other's 'real' lives and to be honest they both believe this is only a voice in their head and that the other is not a real person, I mean how could they be real... right?

Wrong. The Lynburns are the family that own the town. They own pretty much all of the land and the people of the village of quite scared of them. They have not lived in Sorry-in-the-Vale for many years but they have returned. The two youngest Lynburns are cousins. There is Ash who is a good student, good son, well just an all around good boy. Then there is his cousin. Gets into fights, doesn't do very well in school, rides a motorcycle, well just an all around bad boy. His name? Jared. At first Kami thinks that his name being Jared is a coincidence, it isn't. This IS Jared, HER Jared.

The interactions between these two are intense. They have to learn how to deal with each other being real and having a face and body to put with the voice in their head. As you can imagine this is difficult. Living your entire life half thinking you are crazy because there is somebody who can feel your emotions and who you have shared your entire life with only to then find out they are a real living breathing person. As they get closer they start to realize their feelings are not just about the closeness they feel toward each other but that of real love. I know a lot of people will get the 'instant love' vibe but it's not. You have to remember these two have grown up together their entire lives. They probably know each other better than their family knows them. So no instant love to be found here.

I was completely engrossed in this book. The pacing is marvellous, I was never bored and I can honestly say there were so many twists and turns that I didn't know what to expect next. I could picture easily in my mind every aspect, Sarah does an amazing job with the descriptions. I experienced every emotion and feel like I could walk into Sorry-in-the-Vale tomorrow and know my way around and already know the people who live there.

It was also very refreshing to read a story with such a strong and charismatic female lead. Kami is not arrogant or snotty. She doesn't see herself as drop dead gorgeous, she does think of herself as pretty but her looks are not something she focuses a lot on. She is no push over and she knows how to protect herself. She fights hard for her friends and will stop at nothing to find truth and justice. The side characters are also so well written that you fall in love with absolutely everybody.

And finally the ending... What can I say about the ending? A few words come to mind. What??? No!!! Stop!!!! UGH!!! Why??? The ending is a killer. I am not telling you to forgo reading this book because of the ending in fact I am telling you it is that good that you need to read it as soon as possible but it does not stop the fact that it is a dreaded cliffhanger. This is book one in the series with the next book, Untold (The Lynburn Legacy ~ Book 2), due to be published on August 29th, 2013. At the time of this review being published that is only 10 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, 1 Hour, 28 Minutes and 15 Seconds away... Not that I am counting or anything.

On a bit brighter note I have just found that the author has so far released two short prequels.  These are available as a free PDF download and can be found through Goodreads by clicking on the cover photos below.  They are only around 12-15 pages each but at least this is a little bit more of Kami and Jared while we wait.

“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.”

MORE QUOTES FROM UNSPOKEN