According to Kami Glass, every town in England has a story. Her town, Sorry-in-the-Vale, is no exception. The only problem is no one in town seems willing to tell that story to a daring girl reporter no matter how charming she is while asking pointed interview questions. Kami knows her town’s past is tied inextricably to the Lynburns, the town’s founders, even if their manor house has been empty for as long as Kami can remember.
If every town has a story, so does every resident. Kami’s own story has caused her a fair bit of trouble over the years and not a few friends. That’s what happens when your best friend seems to be an imaginary boy you talk to in your head. Luckily, Kami can handle the odd looks from neighbors and worried comments from her parents. Kami is nothing if not intrepid and she is more than prepared to keep everything under control.
All of that changes when the Lynburns come back to Sorry-in-the-Vale. Their return brings many questions, as well as something more sinister, forcing Kami to question everything she thought she knew about her town, her friends, and even herself in Unspoken (2012) by Sarah Rees Brennan.
Unspoken is the first book in The Lynburn Legacy (which will be a trilogy).
No one writes families and friends quite like Sarah Rees Brennan. Unspoken is no exception. As Kami struggles to crack the secrets of Sorry-in-the-Vale’s past she assembles an unlikely band of misfits to help her investigation. Like Kami herself these characters are well-rounded and, above all, memorable. Along with the Glass family, they create an entertaining ensemble that adds much to the narrative.
Rees Brennan brings Kami’s world to life with her signature wit and charm. (If you have read the author’s blog or tweets you may agree that this book truly channels her voice in the writing.) Kami is an determined and capable heroine who is ready and willing to fight her own battles even as she is surrounded by friends and family who fiercely want to help in any way they can.
Patently eerie, Unspoken gives a nod to its gothic novel roots as the plot moves forward. Although a lot happens in the final hundred pages of Unspoken, the unusual pacing is balanced out with humor, banter, strong characters and many moments of page-turning suspense. Highly recommended for anyone who likes their mysteries with equal doses of plucky girl reporters, chills, adventure, and cute boys in distress.
Possible Pairings: Compulsion by Martina Boone, City of Bones by Cassandra Clare, Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, A Dark and Starless Forest by Sarah Hollowell, The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, Dreamology by Lucy Keating, The Devil and Winnie Flynn by Micol Ostow and David Ostow, Vassa in the Night by Sarah Porter, It Wasn’t Always Like This by Joy Preble, Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt, A Darker Shade of Magic by Victoria Schwab, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, The Dolls by Kiki Sullivan, Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin, The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff, Veronica Mars
Exclusive Bonus Content: I love, love, love the cover by the way. Jacket illustrator Beth White created absolutely beautiful artwork for Unspoken that also is very in keeping with the book. If you’re as excited about this book as I am, be sure to head over to Sarah Rees Brennan’s website to learn more about the characters and the world of Unspoken.
But wait! There’s more! Sarah Rees Brennan also wrote two short stories to accompany Unspoken.
You can read about (and download a pdf copy of) the first story, The Summer Before I Met You from Sarah’s blog here: http://sarahreesbrennan.com/2012/09/the-summer-before-i-met-you/ (The story is being hosted by Oblong Books–an indie store. Isn’t that awesome of them?)
Miss Print 