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sea_su's review against another edition
3.0
This book wasn't as good as I thought it would be but it was okay. There were many parts that made me laugh and also it was kind of a page turner.
stuckinafictionaluniverse's review against another edition
3.0
(This will be the last time in a while where I talk about action movies in my reviews, I promise).
Reading Unraveling was like watching an action movie.
Not one as thrilling, humorous and heartwrenching as The amazing Spider-man 2 or as boring, dull and slow as Taken, more like Mission Impossible; a solid film with its few golden moments.
It's an action with a sci-fi twist.
The book relies on its many surprises and the fast pacing, and would be nothing without the two.
The plot is very unbelivable and extreme, one of those where you wonder what the heck is going on, especially near the end.
It does read like something you'd see on screen - a film that's easy to digest and won't get anywhere near your list of favorites, but a good one nonetheless.
Just like with [b:Obsidian|12578077|Obsidian (Lux, #1)|Jennifer L. Armentrout|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328275091s/12578077.jpg|17588854], my rating of the book is mainly based on its entertainment value. And yet the flaws cannot be looked past, so therefore it's a 3-star rating.
It was enjoyable and not a book I regret reading, but one I'd never re-read.
If there's one thing I really liked about the book, it would be how self-aware it is. It calls itself out on clichés, particularly from the movies of the same genre, and makes fun of them.
"The world might end tomorrow."
"Alex, this isn't some lame-ass action movie. No good-bye monologues necessary."
"Is it wrong I'm hoping we'll get at least one diabolical monologue from a bad guy?"
One of the many examples of Janelle and Alex's funny conversations. They reminded of my own friendships, especially with a particular boy who thinks me not having seen Star Wars or Lord of the rings is a deadly sin.
I was worried that the connection between the two friends would develop into a romantic one, and we'd be tossed into another of those darn love triangles. I'm so glad the author decided not to go there, since it's one of my least favorite plot tools. They just create unnecessary drama in my opinion.
Janelle isn't a very memorable narrator. She's smart, almost too smart, and too perfect. I would've liked to her see more vulnerable and flawed. Her voice was close to robotic at times.
Unraveling has heart, though.
We see a family that is slightly involved in the story and almost manage to balance out the surreal aspects of it.
Things are rather troubled at the Tenner resident. With her father's demanding job, Janelle has to take care of both her younger sibling Jared as well as a bipolar mother.
I was happy to see this, since it made her into a more sympathetic and less stiff character.
The mental illness is well portrayed and isn't just a label sloppily placed on the mom to give her a role in the family.
The twist in the middle of the book makes Janelle open up even more, and it's interesting to see how it affects the rest of the characters as well.
Naturally the main character is involved in a romance, but it may not be with who you expected. Ben is part of the school's 'stoner gang' and Janelle has never laid eyes on him before the beginning of the book.
Soon enough they're caught in a bad romance. It's cheesy and felt unnecessary. Ben lacks personality and I don't know what Janelle sees in him. He's a guy who's just there in the corner, shows up when it's convient for the story, and the person I ended up caring the least for.
Ben is one of the more important side characters, and I wish I would've loved him. The hero is the one I always hope to like and swoon over, and just one good and bright personality can improve the entire book. Sorry, Ben, you failed the test.
The last small con is regarding the lack of female characters. I counted four, including the MC. And there are.. what, around seven or eight males? This just bugs me because I love to see a good cast of diverse side characters and wondered where all the girls were. One of the main settings is a highschool after all.
To my surprise there is a sequel to Unraveling.
Not sure if I'll read it, as I think things ended nicely in this one and can't think of anything else that would necessarily add to Janelle and Ben's story.
Final verdict:
A solid but not very memorable book. It kept me interested the whole time but was mediocre at its best.
Recommended for readers looking for a quick, entertaining read that incorporates mystery, action and science fiction.
Reading Unraveling was like watching an action movie.
Not one as thrilling, humorous and heartwrenching as The amazing Spider-man 2 or as boring, dull and slow as Taken, more like Mission Impossible; a solid film with its few golden moments.
It's an action with a sci-fi twist.
The book relies on its many surprises and the fast pacing, and would be nothing without the two.
The plot is very unbelivable and extreme, one of those where you wonder what the heck is going on, especially near the end.
It does read like something you'd see on screen - a film that's easy to digest and won't get anywhere near your list of favorites, but a good one nonetheless.
Just like with [b:Obsidian|12578077|Obsidian (Lux, #1)|Jennifer L. Armentrout|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328275091s/12578077.jpg|17588854], my rating of the book is mainly based on its entertainment value. And yet the flaws cannot be looked past, so therefore it's a 3-star rating.
It was enjoyable and not a book I regret reading, but one I'd never re-read.
If there's one thing I really liked about the book, it would be how self-aware it is. It calls itself out on clichés, particularly from the movies of the same genre, and makes fun of them.
"The world might end tomorrow."
"Alex, this isn't some lame-ass action movie. No good-bye monologues necessary."
"Is it wrong I'm hoping we'll get at least one diabolical monologue from a bad guy?"
One of the many examples of Janelle and Alex's funny conversations. They reminded of my own friendships, especially with a particular boy who thinks me not having seen Star Wars or Lord of the rings is a deadly sin.
I was worried that the connection between the two friends would develop into a romantic one, and we'd be tossed into another of those darn love triangles. I'm so glad the author decided not to go there, since it's one of my least favorite plot tools. They just create unnecessary drama in my opinion.
Janelle isn't a very memorable narrator. She's smart, almost too smart, and too perfect. I would've liked to her see more vulnerable and flawed. Her voice was close to robotic at times.
Unraveling has heart, though.
We see a family that is slightly involved in the story and almost manage to balance out the surreal aspects of it.
Things are rather troubled at the Tenner resident. With her father's demanding job, Janelle has to take care of both her younger sibling Jared as well as a bipolar mother.
I was happy to see this, since it made her into a more sympathetic and less stiff character.
The mental illness is well portrayed and isn't just a label sloppily placed on the mom to give her a role in the family.
The twist in the middle of the book makes Janelle open up even more, and it's interesting to see how it affects the rest of the characters as well.
Naturally the main character is involved in a romance, but it may not be with who you expected. Ben is part of the school's 'stoner gang' and Janelle has never laid eyes on him before the beginning of the book.
Soon enough they're caught in a bad romance. It's cheesy and felt unnecessary. Ben lacks personality and I don't know what Janelle sees in him. He's a guy who's just there in the corner, shows up when it's convient for the story, and the person I ended up caring the least for.
Ben is one of the more important side characters, and I wish I would've loved him. The hero is the one I always hope to like and swoon over, and just one good and bright personality can improve the entire book. Sorry, Ben, you failed the test.
The last small con is regarding the lack of female characters. I counted four, including the MC. And there are.. what, around seven or eight males? This just bugs me because I love to see a good cast of diverse side characters and wondered where all the girls were. One of the main settings is a highschool after all.
To my surprise there is a sequel to Unraveling.
Not sure if I'll read it, as I think things ended nicely in this one and can't think of anything else that would necessarily add to Janelle and Ben's story.
Final verdict:
A solid but not very memorable book. It kept me interested the whole time but was mediocre at its best.
Recommended for readers looking for a quick, entertaining read that incorporates mystery, action and science fiction.
halynah's review
5.0
Offbeat, abundant in action and twists and turns of the plot book with the sweetest romance, great characters and a heartbreaking ending. I really liked Janelle and her relationships with her Dad and brother, and with Alex. The first part of the book was better than the second (which was a little bit abrupt and muddled in events), and I hope the sequel will mend my broken heart and we'll see again those two characters that left in the end. Thrilling read - highly recommended!
kambmoore's review against another edition
5.0
This was a VERY good book! It was as if I were watching a movie instead of a book because everything was so fast paced and there was cool mystery and just plain AWESOME. I'll post my full review soon! I still recommend it though!!!
eghimire_'s review against another edition
5.0
Welcome to the end of the world as we know it.
Unraveling is epic beyond proportions. End of the world, badass heroine, FBI, epic mystery.
17 year old Janelle Tenner gets hit by a truck and dies, but is brought back to life by mysterious stoner Ben Micheals. Things get even weirder as her father is investigating the mysterious deaths of unidentified people who are almost completely melted by radiation.
Rest of review later.
Unraveling is epic beyond proportions. End of the world, badass heroine, FBI, epic mystery.
17 year old Janelle Tenner gets hit by a truck and dies, but is brought back to life by mysterious stoner Ben Micheals. Things get even weirder as her father is investigating the mysterious deaths of unidentified people who are almost completely melted by radiation.
Rest of review later.
celjla212's review against another edition
1.0
I'm not going to do a synopsis paragraph on this review, mostly because I'm really tired tonight.
First of all, let me say that I know there are many readers and reviewers out there who think that a rating and review should not be given for a book that was not finished. Well, guess what--I'm not one of those people. I read more than 250 pages of this book, and that was more than enough to get a feel on it, for me. So as you read this review, keep in mind that I DID NOT make it all the way to the end. So if something absolutely mind-bending and awesome happened there, well, I didn't find out about it, cause I was not interested enough to get there.
From the first pages of the book, I absolutely HATED Janelle. And yes, even after reading about the things that happened to her and the obstacles in her life, my feelings did not change. I found her to be abrasive, bitchy, and holier than thou. She even lashes out at her younger brother, who's never done a thing to her. There are ways to be a kickass chick without being an insufferable one, but unfortunately that is the way Janelle came off to me.
As far as plot--I felt like the author was trying to work too many storylines at once. And, like I mentioned, maybe they all come together in the end, but for the portion of the book that I read, I found myself many times thinking, "What the eff is even going on right now?"
Ben was a bit more tolerable than his friends and Janelle, but I still did not find myself engaging with him. I don't know--he seemed like everything Janelle was doing was not a surprise to him. I'm not sure how to explain it, it was just one of those things.
At the point where I stopped, the sci-fi ish stuff was just coming up. And not that I'm stupid or anything, but once again I just found myself going, "What?" I do enjoy many sci fi shows and books, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with the genre. At least I give the author props for being original in the wide world of YA.
There were many other things that led me to not complete this book. I am not a book prude by ANY means, but most of the curse words in the book felt forced--like the characters were cursing just for the sake of cursing. I don't know anyone who talks like that. I am 26 and I never say the F word like the kids in this book do. Another thing was Janelle's little catchphrases: "I'm like that" or "He's like that", and talking about wanting to punch someone in the face all the time. IDK. Just one of many things that rubbed me the wrong way.
This book was my first real paperback ARC, and I am so grateful to Elizabeth and HarperTeen for sending it to me as such a new book blogger. Unfortunately, it was not for me. And yes, I do fully expect to get flack on this review--out of nearly 300 reviews, mine is the only 1 star with an actual text review written, and I might be the only one who couldn't finish this book. Sorry, fellow reviewers--I just didn't get it.
First of all, let me say that I know there are many readers and reviewers out there who think that a rating and review should not be given for a book that was not finished. Well, guess what--I'm not one of those people. I read more than 250 pages of this book, and that was more than enough to get a feel on it, for me. So as you read this review, keep in mind that I DID NOT make it all the way to the end. So if something absolutely mind-bending and awesome happened there, well, I didn't find out about it, cause I was not interested enough to get there.
From the first pages of the book, I absolutely HATED Janelle. And yes, even after reading about the things that happened to her and the obstacles in her life, my feelings did not change. I found her to be abrasive, bitchy, and holier than thou. She even lashes out at her younger brother, who's never done a thing to her. There are ways to be a kickass chick without being an insufferable one, but unfortunately that is the way Janelle came off to me.
As far as plot--I felt like the author was trying to work too many storylines at once. And, like I mentioned, maybe they all come together in the end, but for the portion of the book that I read, I found myself many times thinking, "What the eff is even going on right now?"
Ben was a bit more tolerable than his friends and Janelle, but I still did not find myself engaging with him. I don't know--he seemed like everything Janelle was doing was not a surprise to him. I'm not sure how to explain it, it was just one of those things.
At the point where I stopped, the sci-fi ish stuff was just coming up. And not that I'm stupid or anything, but once again I just found myself going, "What?" I do enjoy many sci fi shows and books, so it's not like I'm unfamiliar with the genre. At least I give the author props for being original in the wide world of YA.
There were many other things that led me to not complete this book. I am not a book prude by ANY means, but most of the curse words in the book felt forced--like the characters were cursing just for the sake of cursing. I don't know anyone who talks like that. I am 26 and I never say the F word like the kids in this book do. Another thing was Janelle's little catchphrases: "I'm like that" or "He's like that", and talking about wanting to punch someone in the face all the time. IDK. Just one of many things that rubbed me the wrong way.
This book was my first real paperback ARC, and I am so grateful to Elizabeth and HarperTeen for sending it to me as such a new book blogger. Unfortunately, it was not for me. And yes, I do fully expect to get flack on this review--out of nearly 300 reviews, mine is the only 1 star with an actual text review written, and I might be the only one who couldn't finish this book. Sorry, fellow reviewers--I just didn't get it.
seiraaa's review against another edition
4.0
Brilliant plot, strong heroine, no love triangle, genuine emotions, no insta-love. The pluses go on and on. The minuses are fair few, many of them minor plot holes to suit our lead. But at least it's not as unbelievable as defeating an entire army without delivering a single blow. Great story, 4 stars!
nitzanschwarz's review
3.5
I am so, so, so sad right now, you guys!
This book was a complete 5 star for 98% of the book. But then came the last three freaking chapters or so, and they disappointed me so freaking much!
I don't know what to do; logically, I know I'm being completely and totally harsh here. 98% of the book should overrule the last 2%, right? Or at the very least, not lower a star and a half from the rating. But the thing is, those last 2% made me feel so meh about the whole book!
This book was bloody fantastic for most of the read. It's the kind of book that hooks you up from page one (what with Janelle being hit by a track on the first chapter) and grabs you until you finish it. The pages fly away without you noticing, filled with action and emotion, romance, adventure and intrigue.
Janelle, the main character, is tough, smart, inquisitive, loves books and is a good student. She has a difficult home life, but she makes the best of it. She's got an FBI agent for a father, whom she loves, and a bipolar mother, whom she also loves but has to take care of most of the time. She's more of a parent in the household than anyone else.
Ben is the guy who saves Janelle's life. He was sweet, serious, kind of shy, mysterious, and totally swoon worthy in my opinion!
Around these two are a few great side characters; Janelle's father, her best friend Alex, her little brother Jared, and Ben's two best friends; Elijah and Reid. I loved all of them, save maybe for Reid whom I felt quite indifferent toward.
The romance was great, as far as I'm concerned. A friend mentioned it was very insta-love ish, but I don't see it, mostly because I completely get why Janelle is so attracted to Ben; she's been inside his head, she'd seen how he looks and views her, felt his love toward her. I believe that is definitely enough to make someone fall for that knowledge, and while she got to know him, fall for him as well.
This book was a complete 5 star for 98% of the book. But then came the last three freaking chapters or so, and they disappointed me so freaking much!
I don't know what to do; logically, I know I'm being completely and totally harsh here. 98% of the book should overrule the last 2%, right? Or at the very least, not lower a star and a half from the rating. But the thing is, those last 2% made me feel so meh about the whole book!
This book was bloody fantastic for most of the read. It's the kind of book that hooks you up from page one (what with Janelle being hit by a track on the first chapter) and grabs you until you finish it. The pages fly away without you noticing, filled with action and emotion, romance, adventure and intrigue.
Janelle, the main character, is tough, smart, inquisitive, loves books and is a good student. She has a difficult home life, but she makes the best of it. She's got an FBI agent for a father, whom she loves, and a bipolar mother, whom she also loves but has to take care of most of the time. She's more of a parent in the household than anyone else.
Ben is the guy who saves Janelle's life. He was sweet, serious, kind of shy, mysterious, and totally swoon worthy in my opinion!
Around these two are a few great side characters; Janelle's father, her best friend Alex, her little brother Jared, and Ben's two best friends; Elijah and Reid. I loved all of them, save maybe for Reid whom I felt quite indifferent toward.
The romance was great, as far as I'm concerned. A friend mentioned it was very insta-love ish, but I don't see it, mostly because I completely get why Janelle is so attracted to Ben; she's been inside his head, she'd seen how he looks and views her, felt his love toward her. I believe that is definitely enough to make someone fall for that knowledge, and while she got to know him, fall for him as well.
SO, WHAT WENT WRONG, EXACTLY? (RANT)
To understand that, I have to rewind a little, to the middle of this book. I was freakin' crying and weeping around the 50% mark, because of what had happened. I had never expected such a thing to happen in this book; indeed, I thought this will be the kind of book where everyone lives happily ever after at the end. I didn't even realize it was so apocalyptic, because unlike dystopians, this book doesn't begin after the end of the world; but rather about those months until it happens - or almost happens, at least.
So, half way through, I was bawling. It was so emotional, and painful and raw and believable. That was the moment I "knew" this book was a 5 star, because it made me feel so much. And it continued to, up until the very end.
BUT THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED.
The last three chapters or so were a catastrophe, for me. Let me make something clear; I liked what had happened, more or less. What I didn't like was how it was handled.
First of all, one of my favorite characters had just died, and I felt like she/he died for no real reason. I felt like the author maybe tried to drive that "this is the end of the world, this is reality, not everyone gets to live" stick a little too strong, because dying is one thing. But this death was so pointless, for me.
Then, there is the way the characters behaved about it. It was just so shallow and lacked emotions, a starling contrast to the rest of the book. The Character dies, but instead of crying, instead of grieving, the minute they realize he/she can't be saved, they practically move on. Like they don't even fucking care! They start talking about other things, saying their goodbyes, making promises. And then, after all is said and done and Janelle is alone, she cries a little. Then she moves on to thinking of Ben and other stuff, like one of the most important people in her life hadn't just died.
And the absolute worst thing about this ending? Is that I felt nothing while reading it. Again, a favorite character of mine had just died. But instead of feeling sad and broken, I felt nothing. It was so devoid of emotions that even I ended almost not caring.
You know when I started feeling the blow? When I was analyzing this ending for the fifty-thousandth time, lying awake in bed, ranting about it in my head, and I realized all of the things this character will never get to experience or do. that's when I suddenly felt like crying.
I closed this book feeling so completely meh about it, almost drained from emotions due to the heavy dose of disappointment. I was looking forward to starting Unbreakable, the second of this series, immediately, but by the end of this one I wasn't even sure if I want to read the next at all. All the negative feels that ending brought out from me were overwhelming.
Now, I think the reason I'm so hard on this book was because I loved it so much. So I feel angry, really angry, that it ended that way. I thought maybe, while writing this review, I'll gain a new perspective or at least be able to objectively say; 'yes, the ending sucks, but the rest of the book is so fantastic it deserves a better rating', but I honestly can't bring myself to say that yet. Maybe in the future, when the disappointment won't be so raw. But not yet, unfortunately.
So, half way through, I was bawling. It was so emotional, and painful and raw and believable. That was the moment I "knew" this book was a 5 star, because it made me feel so much. And it continued to, up until the very end.
BUT THEN EVERYTHING CHANGED.
The last three chapters or so were a catastrophe, for me. Let me make something clear; I liked what had happened, more or less. What I didn't like was how it was handled.
First of all, one of my favorite characters had just died, and I felt like she/he died for no real reason. I felt like the author maybe tried to drive that "this is the end of the world, this is reality, not everyone gets to live" stick a little too strong, because dying is one thing. But this death was so pointless, for me.
Then, there is the way the characters behaved about it. It was just so shallow and lacked emotions, a starling contrast to the rest of the book. The Character dies, but instead of crying, instead of grieving, the minute they realize he/she can't be saved, they practically move on. Like they don't even fucking care! They start talking about other things, saying their goodbyes, making promises. And then, after all is said and done and Janelle is alone, she cries a little. Then she moves on to thinking of Ben and other stuff, like one of the most important people in her life hadn't just died.
And the absolute worst thing about this ending? Is that I felt nothing while reading it. Again, a favorite character of mine had just died. But instead of feeling sad and broken, I felt nothing. It was so devoid of emotions that even I ended almost not caring.
You know when I started feeling the blow? When I was analyzing this ending for the fifty-thousandth time, lying awake in bed, ranting about it in my head, and I realized all of the things this character will never get to experience or do. that's when I suddenly felt like crying.
I closed this book feeling so completely meh about it, almost drained from emotions due to the heavy dose of disappointment. I was looking forward to starting Unbreakable, the second of this series, immediately, but by the end of this one I wasn't even sure if I want to read the next at all. All the negative feels that ending brought out from me were overwhelming.
Now, I think the reason I'm so hard on this book was because I loved it so much. So I feel angry, really angry, that it ended that way. I thought maybe, while writing this review, I'll gain a new perspective or at least be able to objectively say; 'yes, the ending sucks, but the rest of the book is so fantastic it deserves a better rating', but I honestly can't bring myself to say that yet. Maybe in the future, when the disappointment won't be so raw. But not yet, unfortunately.
alliehwilliams's review against another edition
2.0
This is actually a 2.5 star read for me, which is unfortunate because the author is talented. I had a hard time getting into it but kept trying due to the positive reviews. I liked Janelle as a character and was sympathetic to her due to her family situation and how she just kept going. She was pretty ballsy, and did indeed remind me of Veronica Mars as has been mentioned by others. That is a good thing.
But I had a lot of trouble with her actions in the latter half of the book--not that I didn't approve of them--they just didn't feel believable to me with all that was going on. They did not ring true, and this was distracting. There was also a fair amount of telling vs. showing as far as emotional reactions to events on both her part and Ben's.
My biggest beef with this book though was the gratuitous profanity--specifically, liberal sprinkling of the f-bomb. I usually have zero trouble with cursing in books--in fact if it fits the character or the story, I might not even notice it. But the cursing in this book was so over the top it became comical, especially mixed in with declarations of love. And it contributed to my feeling that two of the male characters' voices were nearly indistinguishable from one another. It just wasn't necessary because the story was raw and dark enough without it and so it continually pulled me out of the action. Let's put it this way...if this book were a movie, a drinking game would follow.
Norris is a talented author, the plot and pacing were mostly tight, and the premise was intriguing (great cover art too, by the way). This title just did not deliver for me but I will try another of her books in the future and perhaps that will be a love connection.
But I had a lot of trouble with her actions in the latter half of the book--not that I didn't approve of them--they just didn't feel believable to me with all that was going on. They did not ring true, and this was distracting. There was also a fair amount of telling vs. showing as far as emotional reactions to events on both her part and Ben's.
My biggest beef with this book though was the gratuitous profanity--specifically, liberal sprinkling of the f-bomb. I usually have zero trouble with cursing in books--in fact if it fits the character or the story, I might not even notice it. But the cursing in this book was so over the top it became comical, especially mixed in with declarations of love. And it contributed to my feeling that two of the male characters' voices were nearly indistinguishable from one another. It just wasn't necessary because the story was raw and dark enough without it and so it continually pulled me out of the action. Let's put it this way...if this book were a movie, a drinking game would follow.
Norris is a talented author, the plot and pacing were mostly tight, and the premise was intriguing (great cover art too, by the way). This title just did not deliver for me but I will try another of her books in the future and perhaps that will be a love connection.
michalice's review against another edition
5.0
I have had my eye on Unravelling for a while and when the UK publisher contacted me I didn't realise it was the same book till I read the synopsis, so of course I said yes very quickly. I will admit to having my copy for a while and have only just gotten around to reading it, purely for the fact I had other books to read prior to getting to this one.
What starts out as a normal day for Janelle soon turns out to be a life changing event, literally. After being knocked over and killed by a pick up truck, and being brought back to life again, Janelle decides she needs to find out the truth about what really happened. What started out as looking for answers soon turns out to be a hunt for a killer, investigating a mysterious countdown all while trying to keep her family safe.
Unravelling is made of awesome. You may look at it and think 'time travel, not interested' but you would be so wrong in doing that. While I do love time travel things I rarely read books about them as I find them boring, but Elizabeth has made it seem interesting in Unravelling, and even the technical talking about it still caught my attention. Unravelling also has romance and crime and mystery thrown in to add to the story, and mixed all together you have an amazing read. From the moment I started reading I really could not put this book down, I was hooked from chapter one and the plot just thickens the further I read. I HAD to know what was going to happen and I HAD to know who the killer was. and if it wasn't for work I would have finished it very quickly.
Janelle's Dad is an FBI agent and although Janelle knows what is right and wrong, nothing stops her from finding out the truth, even it it means she does a few illegal things, like break into her dads work laptop. She is persistent and stops at nothing to discover the truth to try keep her family safe, and when it comes down to it, saving the world.
Janelle's friend Alex is the one person she can rely on and is the perfect friend anyone could have. He is there for her when she needs him and has her back. You would think that being so close that there would be some possible romantic interest between this dynamic pair but there isn't, and it leaves room for their friendship to really shine through without the continuous will they/wont they routine. He lightens the mood whenever he is around and they counterbalance each other perfectly. Alex's Mum is hilarious. Although she herself is not funny her whole strict attitude and set time for Alex to do school work made me laugh. Alex even has to smuggle in caffeine and goes to Janelle's house for 'real' meals.
What I liked about each chapter was that is wasn't a heading in the usual way, it was the countdown to how much time was left so it made it easy to keep track of what was going on as the time came closer to the end.
I loved the English lesson and how Janelle is so cynical about love and romance and her response to a perfect proposal, which we later get to see spoken to her about how much someone loves her
There are a few questions left unanswered at the end of the book regarding people in Janelle's life but not enough to spoil it or leave a major cliff hanger. Setting this aside though I loved how Elizabeth has combined different genres, romance, science fiction, paranormal, mystery to make an amazing read. The different concepts work wonderful together and although there are a lot of things going on, not one was I lost, confused or bored while reading Unravelling. I am now very impatiently waiting the next book in the series, due for release next year.
What starts out as a normal day for Janelle soon turns out to be a life changing event, literally. After being knocked over and killed by a pick up truck, and being brought back to life again, Janelle decides she needs to find out the truth about what really happened. What started out as looking for answers soon turns out to be a hunt for a killer, investigating a mysterious countdown all while trying to keep her family safe.
Unravelling is made of awesome. You may look at it and think 'time travel, not interested' but you would be so wrong in doing that. While I do love time travel things I rarely read books about them as I find them boring, but Elizabeth has made it seem interesting in Unravelling, and even the technical talking about it still caught my attention. Unravelling also has romance and crime and mystery thrown in to add to the story, and mixed all together you have an amazing read. From the moment I started reading I really could not put this book down, I was hooked from chapter one and the plot just thickens the further I read. I HAD to know what was going to happen and I HAD to know who the killer was. and if it wasn't for work I would have finished it very quickly.
Janelle's Dad is an FBI agent and although Janelle knows what is right and wrong, nothing stops her from finding out the truth, even it it means she does a few illegal things, like break into her dads work laptop. She is persistent and stops at nothing to discover the truth to try keep her family safe, and when it comes down to it, saving the world.
Janelle's friend Alex is the one person she can rely on and is the perfect friend anyone could have. He is there for her when she needs him and has her back. You would think that being so close that there would be some possible romantic interest between this dynamic pair but there isn't, and it leaves room for their friendship to really shine through without the continuous will they/wont they routine. He lightens the mood whenever he is around and they counterbalance each other perfectly. Alex's Mum is hilarious. Although she herself is not funny her whole strict attitude and set time for Alex to do school work made me laugh. Alex even has to smuggle in caffeine and goes to Janelle's house for 'real' meals.
What I liked about each chapter was that is wasn't a heading in the usual way, it was the countdown to how much time was left so it made it easy to keep track of what was going on as the time came closer to the end.
I loved the English lesson and how Janelle is so cynical about love and romance and her response to a perfect proposal, which we later get to see spoken to her about how much someone loves her
"I want to say that she also said no. But it is Dickens. She probably said yes and lived out a miserable existence, because the evils of society pressured her into accepting such a ridicules man."
There are a few questions left unanswered at the end of the book regarding people in Janelle's life but not enough to spoil it or leave a major cliff hanger. Setting this aside though I loved how Elizabeth has combined different genres, romance, science fiction, paranormal, mystery to make an amazing read. The different concepts work wonderful together and although there are a lot of things going on, not one was I lost, confused or bored while reading Unravelling. I am now very impatiently waiting the next book in the series, due for release next year.