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narcissia's review
3.0
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads, and I was pleasantly surprised. I liked it. It wasn't the best, most shocking thing ever, but it was good and worth reading. I did figure out who the killer was without much trouble, but I could never be completely certain so it didn't get boring.
gatoraly's review
4.0
This book really touched me. The lengths Audrey and Neily went through for the love of Carly were amazing. So many things about this story hit me. Neily was such a great character and I really felt for Carly. She was self destructive, but she was someone I could relate to in a lot of ways. I really recommend this book to anyone that likes a good puzzle.
abaugher's review
5.0
yep, this was a pretty awesome mystery book. things get wrapped up a bit too neatly toward the end, but overall i really enjoyed the story, and the narrators.
stephxsu's review
I have to admit, I did not take to this book. Excellent writing clashes with unsympathetic characters and a snail-like plot to make ALL UNQUIET THINGS a difficult read for me.
There is no question that Jarzab’s writing is great. Like Curtis Sittenfeld, Jarzab meticulously analyzes nearly every facet of Neily, Audrey, and Carly, making them feel as if they could be your flawed classmates. However, also like Sittenfeld’s characters in Prep, Neily, Audrey, and Carly simply aren’t very likable, sympathetic, or appealing. We know their history and their thought processes as if they were our therapy patients—an overly intimate and annoying form of relationship that I, as a reader, found disturbing and unenjoyable.
I don’t really mind psychoanalysis—at least not when the person has some ultimately redeemable qualities. However, the three main characters in ALL UNQUIET THINGS are just so unlikable. Neily spends most of his time sulking and remembering the past, his relationship with Carly, while Audrey bullies Neily into helping her uncover the mystery behind the identity of Carly’s murderer.
I also found an unsettling disjuncture between how Audrey and Neily are in the present time, and who they were in their flashbacks. I think this is a result of all the telling-not-showing that went on in the narration. I don’t want Neily to tell us that he hates Carly’s new friends, then be shown a passing moment in which they snap off, like, two biting remarks to one another; I’d rather see the tension between the characters, the strain of the past versus the present, of what they think of one another versus who they truly are. As a result, I couldn’t connect to the main characters as real people, so much like untouchable character sketches they were.
I mentioned earlier that Anna Jarzab is a great writer, and I’m not contradicting myself by saying so: if you enjoy ultra-complete character analyses, you’ll find this a great book, a wonderful achievement by a debut author. However, I felt that her writing skills were unfortunately used in the wrong way—too much in the telling and flashbacks, and not enough in the playing out of a genuinely interesting story arc—which led to my lack of connection with the book.
There is no question that Jarzab’s writing is great. Like Curtis Sittenfeld, Jarzab meticulously analyzes nearly every facet of Neily, Audrey, and Carly, making them feel as if they could be your flawed classmates. However, also like Sittenfeld’s characters in Prep, Neily, Audrey, and Carly simply aren’t very likable, sympathetic, or appealing. We know their history and their thought processes as if they were our therapy patients—an overly intimate and annoying form of relationship that I, as a reader, found disturbing and unenjoyable.
I don’t really mind psychoanalysis—at least not when the person has some ultimately redeemable qualities. However, the three main characters in ALL UNQUIET THINGS are just so unlikable. Neily spends most of his time sulking and remembering the past, his relationship with Carly, while Audrey bullies Neily into helping her uncover the mystery behind the identity of Carly’s murderer.
I also found an unsettling disjuncture between how Audrey and Neily are in the present time, and who they were in their flashbacks. I think this is a result of all the telling-not-showing that went on in the narration. I don’t want Neily to tell us that he hates Carly’s new friends, then be shown a passing moment in which they snap off, like, two biting remarks to one another; I’d rather see the tension between the characters, the strain of the past versus the present, of what they think of one another versus who they truly are. As a result, I couldn’t connect to the main characters as real people, so much like untouchable character sketches they were.
I mentioned earlier that Anna Jarzab is a great writer, and I’m not contradicting myself by saying so: if you enjoy ultra-complete character analyses, you’ll find this a great book, a wonderful achievement by a debut author. However, I felt that her writing skills were unfortunately used in the wrong way—too much in the telling and flashbacks, and not enough in the playing out of a genuinely interesting story arc—which led to my lack of connection with the book.
vizira's review
dnf-ed at about 2/3 because wow I just do not care about anyone in this book. the writing is very stilted and awkward, there are constant time jumps that are very convoluted, and the voices of our two protagonists are very similar and difficult to distinguish from one another
audreychamaine's review
3.0
It's been about a year since the murder of high school student Carly Ribelli. Her murderer-uncle is behind bars, and most people have moved on. However, her ex-boyfriend Neily is still tormented by the loss, as is Carly's cousin and murderer's daughter Audrey. After Audrey convinces Neily that her father is innocent, the two former enemies team up to try to find the identity of the real killer. They soon learn that digging up the past can be dangerous. How far are they willing to go for justice?
All Unquiet Things is a thrilling mystery that keeps readers guessing until the end. The point of view switches between Neily and Audrey, both of whom are slowly finding new information about who Carly was and what she did. I felt really irritated at times with Carly's character. She wasn't the best person, and I spent much of my time reading just thinking that, while she may not have deserved to be murdered, she definitely deserved something. Neily and Audrey were both interesting, if not always the smartest, characters. Jarzab throws in the requisite red herrings, which don't always make the most sense, but they do keep the story moving. I thought that All Unquiet Things worked better as a story about grieving and loss than as a mystery. This book kept me reading way past my bedtime, and was a well-written YA title.
All Unquiet Things is a thrilling mystery that keeps readers guessing until the end. The point of view switches between Neily and Audrey, both of whom are slowly finding new information about who Carly was and what she did. I felt really irritated at times with Carly's character. She wasn't the best person, and I spent much of my time reading just thinking that, while she may not have deserved to be murdered, she definitely deserved something. Neily and Audrey were both interesting, if not always the smartest, characters. Jarzab throws in the requisite red herrings, which don't always make the most sense, but they do keep the story moving. I thought that All Unquiet Things worked better as a story about grieving and loss than as a mystery. This book kept me reading way past my bedtime, and was a well-written YA title.
andreaah's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
thetamari's review
5.0
Nicely sophisticated YA thriller. This book is comparable in many ways to the movie Brick - the same style of clever noir mystery set in a high school. I would have rated this book four stars, but compared to other books of its genre it does an excellent job. The pace cracks along nicely and kept me reading all evening til I was through.
ckausch's review
5.0
I loved All Unquiet Things. Anna Jarzab has written a fantastic mystery, and I am not normally a mystery fan...
...The mystery development is believable and surprising. I found myself suspecting just about every character at some point in the book...
...While the mystery is page-turning, at heart the book is about relationships, love, and loss...
...All Unquiet Things is a strong, well-written novel that I highly recommend to high school and adults readers. Definitely one of my favorites of the year.
Full review at http://dogearedandwellread.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/all-unquiet-things-by-anna-jarzab/
...The mystery development is believable and surprising. I found myself suspecting just about every character at some point in the book...
...While the mystery is page-turning, at heart the book is about relationships, love, and loss...
...All Unquiet Things is a strong, well-written novel that I highly recommend to high school and adults readers. Definitely one of my favorites of the year.
Full review at http://dogearedandwellread.wordpress.com/2010/02/17/all-unquiet-things-by-anna-jarzab/