A review by misterintensity
The Unfortunates by Kim Liggett

2.0

Grant Franklin Tavish V got a slap on the wrist for causing a fatal car accident. He goes spelunking intending to die but when he is trapped with four teens from a nearby public school he tries to help them get out but something is after them. It takes awhile for this title to get going. The first several chapters reads more like a realistic fiction title where Grant ruminates about his guilt for the accident he caused. Based on these first few chapters readers would expect a fairly grounded story about guilt and how class affects the type of punishment could receive from the justice system. Even after Grant gets trapped in the cave and meets the other four teens, the book still feels very realistic. It is only a few chapters after they get trapped in the cave does this book starts to feel like something scary is going on. Once the "something is after them" storyline kicks in things get tense. The problem is there are way too few chapters devoted to the horror aspect on the book and that's the strongest aspect of the book. Everything else does not work as well. The characters are stock types and while exploring the aftermath of a fatal car accident from the point of view of the perpetrator is an intriguing premise, it quickly becomes clear that's not what this book is about. Liggett would have been more effective if she got Grant to the cave more quickly. The beginning of the book gives readers the expectation that this would be realistic fiction thus those readers may be disappointed when it takes a turn towards horror. However because of this readers who prefer horror may be disappointed that it takes awhile before getting to the scares. For such a short book it should not take so long for it to get started.