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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
The Unleashed is the sequel to the The Haunted. After finishing the Haunted, I was a bit apprehensive about a sequel to a seemingly standalone book and I was correct in my apprehension. The Haunted does nothing to improve on the weak world building and character work while creating more questions than answers.
I always enjoy Danielle Vega’s books, & definitely had fun with this one. I will say it was less engaging than her other books & I was able to predict this one a little easier than the others. This was still a cool concept & fun book!
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really would have liked to keep going with this, but I need softer stories right now. Maybe another time!
The story was pretty good, but the editing was bad. I was pulled out of the story many times from poor editing. What took the cake was during the a climax part Hendricks did one thing but then on the next page she wasn't even though it was vital to the story that she was still doing the thing. It pulled me out of it so strongly that I had to put the book down for a bit.
I really loved this installment. I didn’t even know they’re be a second novel! Growth development of unexpected proportions and dark twists to boot. I love Vega’s book and this ghosty tale has been a lot of fun.
Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordpress.com/2020/10/29/how-to-seance-for-dummies-the-unleashed-a-book-review/
Full Review:
https://thescarletreaderreviews.wordpress.com/2020/10/29/how-to-seance-for-dummies-the-unleashed-a-book-review/
this was still good. had me yelling at the characters for being dumb but the end was good
Actual rating 3.75 stars.
Danielle Vega has quickly become one of my cherished authors – an auto-buy – with her spooky and suspenseful stories that play out like campy horror flicks in your mind’s eye. I just can’t get enough of them. ‘The Unleashed’ is book two following ‘The Haunted’ where we wonder are ghosts really laid to rest, or is there more to the story…
A few frustrating things that are common sense that didn’t happen in the plot... why weren’t parents or another grown-ups told/involved. If my child was behaving the way the main characters were, I'd be inserting myself into the drama no matter what. The other thing... why didn’t anyone search how to protect yourself from ghosts? A circle of salt, or iron filings? Hendricks felt a little too dumb – then just as I was thinking that, she got herself some protection. But I felt like I’d been arguing with the characters for the last five chapters.
After the halfway mark the pacing ramps up big time. I read this book in two sittings anyway, so it is a quick read, but it was hard to put the book down. Danielle knows how to write a YA horror that feels like you are watching a Netflix movie. It has all the same notes as what is typical for this genre. It’s like a cult favourite read of mine. But in saying that, some readers might find this formulaic. It’s just a matter if you want some campy, scary fun, or an original dark tale that will leave you unsettled for months. Either way, Danielle knows how to craft action, an eerie vibe, and moves the story along without getting side-tracked with indulgent prose. Perfect for this demographic.
It was fun meeting the characters again from ‘The Haunted’ and the aftermath of the events that took place in that debut for the series. But I didn’t get the sense of a lot of character development. It didn’t feel as emotional. We do get some great arcs and practical handling of the surviving teens from ‘The Haunted’ which I appreciated.
Some of the side characters did not rally get the chance to shine in the narrative, which was a shame, I was really getting into the book and wanted to see a variety of reactions to the events that take place. Sometimes their actions were a little too convenient... and others, just plain stupid; which is a trope in this genre.
Danielle has become an auto buy author for me, she has a great writing style that is generally not that predictable and told with a tongue-in-cheek sarcasm I find appealing. Definitely recommend even if it did not feel like the strongest novel in her catalogue.
There were a number of grammatical issues that were overlooked where it appeared like an AI had auto-corrected the spelling of a word, but it was the incorrect one in context, disappointing for me. Razorbill really dropped the ball on this one with Danielle because it was more than just a few instances.
On a side note the Epilogue for ‘The Unleashed’ was totally endearing and well worth the read. I hope there is more of this series to come in the future.
Danielle Vega has quickly become one of my cherished authors – an auto-buy – with her spooky and suspenseful stories that play out like campy horror flicks in your mind’s eye. I just can’t get enough of them. ‘The Unleashed’ is book two following ‘The Haunted’ where we wonder are ghosts really laid to rest, or is there more to the story…
A few frustrating things that are common sense that didn’t happen in the plot... why weren’t parents or another grown-ups told/involved. If my child was behaving the way the main characters were, I'd be inserting myself into the drama no matter what. The other thing... why didn’t anyone search how to protect yourself from ghosts? A circle of salt, or iron filings? Hendricks felt a little too dumb – then just as I was thinking that, she got herself some protection. But I felt like I’d been arguing with the characters for the last five chapters.
After the halfway mark the pacing ramps up big time. I read this book in two sittings anyway, so it is a quick read, but it was hard to put the book down. Danielle knows how to write a YA horror that feels like you are watching a Netflix movie. It has all the same notes as what is typical for this genre. It’s like a cult favourite read of mine. But in saying that, some readers might find this formulaic. It’s just a matter if you want some campy, scary fun, or an original dark tale that will leave you unsettled for months. Either way, Danielle knows how to craft action, an eerie vibe, and moves the story along without getting side-tracked with indulgent prose. Perfect for this demographic.
It was fun meeting the characters again from ‘The Haunted’ and the aftermath of the events that took place in that debut for the series. But I didn’t get the sense of a lot of character development. It didn’t feel as emotional. We do get some great arcs and practical handling of the surviving teens from ‘The Haunted’ which I appreciated.
Some of the side characters did not rally get the chance to shine in the narrative, which was a shame, I was really getting into the book and wanted to see a variety of reactions to the events that take place. Sometimes their actions were a little too convenient... and others, just plain stupid; which is a trope in this genre.
Danielle has become an auto buy author for me, she has a great writing style that is generally not that predictable and told with a tongue-in-cheek sarcasm I find appealing. Definitely recommend even if it did not feel like the strongest novel in her catalogue.
There were a number of grammatical issues that were overlooked where it appeared like an AI had auto-corrected the spelling of a word, but it was the incorrect one in context, disappointing for me. Razorbill really dropped the ball on this one with Danielle because it was more than just a few instances.
On a side note the Epilogue for ‘The Unleashed’ was totally endearing and well worth the read. I hope there is more of this series to come in the future.
Intriguing story, but too quick to wrap up
The ghost part of this story is very intriguing and keeps you turning the pages to see what will happen next. The characters are just your normal teenagers, in any hometown setting. As good as the ghost storyline is, just like book one the story wraps up so quickly and leaves a big hole in the story. This leaves you wanting more. Unfortunately there is no book 3 to continue on with, so it leaves you wanting more of the story.
The ghost part of this story is very intriguing and keeps you turning the pages to see what will happen next. The characters are just your normal teenagers, in any hometown setting. As good as the ghost storyline is, just like book one the story wraps up so quickly and leaves a big hole in the story. This leaves you wanting more. Unfortunately there is no book 3 to continue on with, so it leaves you wanting more of the story.
I want to start off by saying how much I love Danielle Vega/Collins and the lengths she goes in her books, they are one of a kind!
This is the second book to The Haunted. The Haunted was actually one of my least favorite books out of all Vega's work. BUT I didn't hate it. The Haunted just wasn't as scary as her other books but the character development in the Haunted was great and I think that helped.
The Unleashed takes place after the Steele House has fallen and Eddie, the boy she loved died. This book started off kind of slow and honestly it had been so long since I read the last book I had to brush up a little bit. I think the storyline was great how she was trying to get in contact with Eddie but ended up calling someone else. I was a little disappointed we didn't get to understand more about Eddie but I see why, we needed closure and we definitely got that. This is a young adult thriller so there was some romance and I was totally okay with that especially because Hendricks made it seem more realistic. She didn't get over Eddie quick and go fall in love with Connor. No, she still cried over Eddie and wanted him back but she was trying her best to still be friends with Connor and maybe except she had feelings for him.
Overall it's a great second book, while its not as scary as her other books it was a great story.
This is the second book to The Haunted. The Haunted was actually one of my least favorite books out of all Vega's work. BUT I didn't hate it. The Haunted just wasn't as scary as her other books but the character development in the Haunted was great and I think that helped.
The Unleashed takes place after the Steele House has fallen and Eddie, the boy she loved died. This book started off kind of slow and honestly it had been so long since I read the last book I had to brush up a little bit. I think the storyline was great how she was trying to get in contact with Eddie but ended up calling someone else. I was a little disappointed we didn't get to understand more about Eddie but I see why, we needed closure and we definitely got that. This is a young adult thriller so there was some romance and I was totally okay with that especially because Hendricks made it seem more realistic. She didn't get over Eddie quick and go fall in love with Connor. No, she still cried over Eddie and wanted him back but she was trying her best to still be friends with Connor and maybe except she had feelings for him.
Overall it's a great second book, while its not as scary as her other books it was a great story.