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trisha_thomas's review against another edition
4.0
"Remember who you are, Tenner."
wow, lots of twists and turns in this one! It gave a lot of answers and really let us see the worlds, get to know portals and their use good and bad. We also see whole new sides to Ben, Janelle, Cecily and many others. It was a great page-turner and I love how all the pieces came together. There were literally pages that I was holding my breath!
I loved this one!
wow, lots of twists and turns in this one! It gave a lot of answers and really let us see the worlds, get to know portals and their use good and bad. We also see whole new sides to Ben, Janelle, Cecily and many others. It was a great page-turner and I love how all the pieces came together. There were literally pages that I was holding my breath!
I loved this one!
wrenl's review against another edition
4.0
I love the action and Barclay and his cocky attitude. I ADORE the romance and loving between Ben and Janelle. You gotta love Struz, like always. The only thing that makes this book a four....the confusing connections. How does Barclay knows EVERYONE? I do love the idea of alternate realities. Just change one small, or not small, thing..BAM! totally different place!
becs_l's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
The ending was really good and the rest was just ok. The plot was interesting and I did want to know where it was going. However after two books, I wish I was better connected to the characters.
The ending was really good and the rest was just ok. The plot was interesting and I did want to know where it was going. However after two books, I wish I was better connected to the characters.
paradoxically's review against another edition
3.0
What is with these books and (MAJOR SPOILERS) This happened in the last book as well! It's like the author can't go a book without making me whine to myself and flop around like a depressed eel.
I'm still not so enchanted with the entire Ben/Janelle romance. Mostly because it seems a bit forced and still kind of unbelievable. On the plus side, most of the book is Barclay and Janelle trying to stop a human trafficking ring. I'm still not convinced that Barclay should have chosen Janelle (because while I love her and she's competent, it's not like she's a trained agent of some kind), but I'm willing to gloss over such thoughts.
Again we have another countdown, but this one is less world shattering than the last one. It doesn't make it less immediate for Janelle though. It wasn't as exciting though, maybe because I knew what was going on and what was going to happen (generally), so that air of mystery that surrounded the beginning of the last book was gone.
Janelle's grown up a bit more in this book, but in some ways she took a backstep with me because of how much she thought of Ben. I like the guy, in a vague sort of way, but the constant revolving thoughts around him made me unhappy. Also the whip lash of emotions at several points of the book concerning Ben... eh.
What I did love was the evolution of Barclay and Janelle's relationship. Not in that way (though, uh, I may have had some hopes in that general direction), but the snarking and the gradual trust and everything. I ended up really liking Barclay. Guess that guy grows like a mold on you.
The plot was pretty quickly paced and at least Barclay had a clear picture of what he wanted to do and how he was going to go about it. Along the way you get the bumps along the roads that comes with every book. I do think it's quite silly that they called the humans that were kidnapped the Unwilling because it seemed so formulaic for a book.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. The romance was a tease and a flop, the plot was mildly interesting, but several character decisions made me want to hit something. Or someone. Like Ben. Um. But I did love Barclay and I did love Janelle still (even with all of her hangups). 3 stars.
Spoiler
killing people I finally like? Whyyy Barclay, whyyy.I'm still not so enchanted with the entire Ben/Janelle romance. Mostly because it seems a bit forced and still kind of unbelievable. On the plus side, most of the book is Barclay and Janelle trying to stop a human trafficking ring. I'm still not convinced that Barclay should have chosen Janelle (because while I love her and she's competent, it's not like she's a trained agent of some kind), but I'm willing to gloss over such thoughts.
Again we have another countdown, but this one is less world shattering than the last one. It doesn't make it less immediate for Janelle though. It wasn't as exciting though, maybe because I knew what was going on and what was going to happen (generally), so that air of mystery that surrounded the beginning of the last book was gone.
Janelle's grown up a bit more in this book, but in some ways she took a backstep with me because of how much she thought of Ben. I like the guy, in a vague sort of way, but the constant revolving thoughts around him made me unhappy. Also the whip lash of emotions at several points of the book concerning Ben... eh.
What I did love was the evolution of Barclay and Janelle's relationship. Not in that way (though, uh, I may have had some hopes in that general direction), but the snarking and the gradual trust and everything. I ended up really liking Barclay. Guess that guy grows like a mold on you.
The plot was pretty quickly paced and at least Barclay had a clear picture of what he wanted to do and how he was going to go about it. Along the way you get the bumps along the roads that comes with every book. I do think it's quite silly that they called the humans that were kidnapped the Unwilling because it seemed so formulaic for a book.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. The romance was a tease and a flop, the plot was mildly interesting, but several character decisions made me want to hit something. Or someone. Like Ben. Um. But I did love Barclay and I did love Janelle still (even with all of her hangups). 3 stars.
erinarkin20's review against another edition
4.0
4-4.5 stars
Unbreakable picks up 4 months after the end of Unraveling and a lot has changed for Janelle. She’s now out of school and working with the FBI. She absolutely misses Ben and hopes every day that he will come back. While looking into some mysterious disappearances of people, Taylor Barclay happens to show up with some interesting news for Janelle.
Here is where the action picks up and it doesn't really stop until the book is done. Janelle has made the decision to partner with Taylor to help bust this kidnapping ring and find Ben and Elijah. On top of all of that, they don’t really know who can be trusted in the IA. I’m not going to go into a lot of the detail of the story only because there is no way I can write about everything that happens but so much happens throughout the book that changes who these characters are and their relationships.
I was happy to see that the story focused on the kidnapping ring and the corruption within the IA. As a girl who appreciates a good romance, I was also happy to see the relationship stuff between Janelle and Ben threaded through the story but not be the main focus. Janelle is such a tough character and she has lost just about everyone important to her. When she finally does see Ben again, I thought her reaction fit who she is and I really liked the fact that Barclay is the one she ends up leaning on.
That is another piece of the story that I enjoyed – the progression of the friendship between Janelle and Barclay. I wouldn't say they were BFF’s but they were definitely on better footing by this point than they were at the end of book 1.
I was happy with the way the book ended. Norris is definitely not afraid to make people feel all of the feelings and it certainly made me do that. If you haven’t started this series, go out and get these when you can. They have action, romance, and a different twist on alternate universes.
Unbreakable picks up 4 months after the end of Unraveling and a lot has changed for Janelle. She’s now out of school and working with the FBI. She absolutely misses Ben and hopes every day that he will come back. While looking into some mysterious disappearances of people, Taylor Barclay happens to show up with some interesting news for Janelle.
Here is where the action picks up and it doesn't really stop until the book is done. Janelle has made the decision to partner with Taylor to help bust this kidnapping ring and find Ben and Elijah. On top of all of that, they don’t really know who can be trusted in the IA. I’m not going to go into a lot of the detail of the story only because there is no way I can write about everything that happens but so much happens throughout the book that changes who these characters are and their relationships.
I was happy to see that the story focused on the kidnapping ring and the corruption within the IA. As a girl who appreciates a good romance, I was also happy to see the relationship stuff between Janelle and Ben threaded through the story but not be the main focus. Janelle is such a tough character and she has lost just about everyone important to her. When she finally does see Ben again, I thought her reaction fit who she is and I really liked the fact that Barclay is the one she ends up leaning on.
That is another piece of the story that I enjoyed – the progression of the friendship between Janelle and Barclay. I wouldn't say they were BFF’s but they were definitely on better footing by this point than they were at the end of book 1.
I was happy with the way the book ended. Norris is definitely not afraid to make people feel all of the feelings and it certainly made me do that. If you haven’t started this series, go out and get these when you can. They have action, romance, and a different twist on alternate universes.
0rdinaryreader's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 / 4
The romance we a little much in this one too for my likings. I didn't like this one quite as much as the second one. It dragged a little bit.
And Elizabeth Norris has a way with handling my favorite characters that just kills me a little.
This was still a pretty good book, but I liked the first one better.
The romance we a little much in this one too for my likings. I didn't like this one quite as much as the second one. It dragged a little bit.
And Elizabeth Norris has a way with handling my favorite characters that just kills me a little.
This was still a pretty good book, but I liked the first one better.
sonshinelibrarian's review against another edition
4.5
I liked this even better than the first one. I thought the writing was tighter, the adventure obviously much bigger and more intense, and the characters more interesting. I did think the ending was a little too wish fulfillment - I mean, nothing really changed between when they left each other and when Ben came back. His parents and brother are still recovering and he's going to feel guilt for leaving them. I understand why it happened, but it just felt like they didn't actually solve the problems, just determined "love would be enough." However, overall this was a solid sophomore novel and a great ending to this duology.
jlove731's review against another edition
5.0
When I first read Unraveling, it instantly became one of my favorite books. I completely fell in love with the world and the concepts and the brilliant characters. Unbreakable absolutely in every way stood up to any expectations I had for the book. There were new factors I absolutely adored, parts where my heart completed ached, and overall yet another amazingly weaved, mind-blowing book from Elizabeth Norris.
Find the full review at Shortie Says
Find the full review at Shortie Says
novelheartbeat's review against another edition
5.0
Wowza! Unraveling blew my mind, and I shouldn’t have expected anything less from the sequel. It’s fast paced and will have you on the edge of your seat! I couldn’t get enough of this book – even when I wasn’t reading it, I was thinking about it.
You can always count on Elizabeth Norris to yank the rug out from under you. There were a few times where I gasped out loud or just stared at the pages agape because I could hardly believe what I was reading! The shock factor is high, the stakes are high, and time is running out. That’s something that is still present in this one that I loved about Unraveling: Each chapter is a countdown, adding a sense of desperation and anticipation to the story.
The characterization in this book is fabulous. Each character has his/her own individual personality, and they’re so realistic you feel like you know them. Which, in turn, makes you even more attached to them. And you know who I really loved, that caught me by surprise? Barclay. I didn’t care about him in the first book and he came off as a bit of an asshat. But I found myself loving him more and more as the story went along, because even though he was a pain in the arse, deep down he was a good man and he protected Janelle no matter what. And insanely enough, there were certain scenes when I actually almost shipped him with Janelle. Crazy, right?! Not that I don’t love Ben anymore. Because I still do. But he did something that really disappointed me, and I felt the hurt right along with Janelle.
I still adored Janelle! I mentioned in my review of Unraveling that she reminds me of myself. She’s a bit more badass in the sequel than I could probably ever be, but I could still relate to her and I felt a connection to her and her feelings. I still loved Ben even though the two of them had some issues and distance between them, even though he wasn’t perfect by far (but who is?) and made mistakes. He was still a sweetheart with good intentions.
The world building is fabulous as well! The idea of interverse travel is absolutely fascinating! And the way everything was done was so convincing. It was cinematic! Very easy to picture, very realistic. This would make an AWESOME movie.
Something that did kind of annoy me was Elijah’s cursing. I mean, I actually know people who use that kind of language that frequently (even I curse like a sailor sometimes), so it was realistic. But in YA I don’t think the F word should be used that much. A few times in the whole book, fine. Like I said, it’s realistic. It’s nothing that a teenager wouldn’t hear from their peers. But once a chapter gets to be a bit much, and Elijah grated on my nerves. But that’s the only complaint I have.
I love a book that is engaging to the point that I’m 100% emotionally invested. The ending ripped my heart out! I cried. I did. It was like Spell Bound [Rachel Hawkins] all over again! Gahhhh, I love you dude. Seriously, seriously love you. *hugs book to chest while sobbing* If you’ve read it, you know what I’m talking about!
Even though things were tied up pretty neatly at the end, I’m still kind of hoping there’s another book. Or that Elizabeth Norris will write something else. Please? *puppy eyes at Elizabeth*
Favorite character: Barclay, surprisingly enough!
Favorite quotes:
“Giving up on something is like admitting you never wanted it in the first place.”
“I’ve thought of you every single day since I left, about the way you look up and pinch the bridge of your nose when you’re thinking really hard, the way your lips curl into this tiny smile when you’ve figured something out, even the way you roll your eyes. I remembered every moment we spent together. I replayed them over and over in my mind. Every morning when I woke up, I would forget that we weren’t together, that you were a world away. [...] Even though I wasn’t there, you were always with me. Always.”
ASSESSMENT
Plot: 5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Characters: 5/5
World-building: 5/5
Pace: 5/5
Cover: 5/5