Unspoken is difficult to speak about...

I realize that I have been seriously lacking in the blog entry department. I mean when I logged on today and realized that it has been a solid month since I last wrote, I began to grasp for what type of excuse I could offer.

• Excuse number one: I needed time to fully digest the last young adult novel I read (although, really a month seems excessive so on to the next excuse.)

• Number 2: My current graduate (6 week) course has begun to make my brain matter melt and ooze out of my ears.

• Number 3: I so thoroughly enjoyed the last book I wrote about that I've had a hard time enjoying anything new. To be honest, I've been trying to let my mind relive that type of genre by rereading and rewatching movies of a similar sensibility.

• Number 4: It is now summer vacation and I've been busy meeting other friends that don't work during the summer for brunch or lunch as well as spending lots of time outside usually in a pool. When the weather is beautiful I feel it my sacred duty to be outside enjoying it since I spend the rest of the year in the school library that has no windows.

Okay, so here goes...

And yes, it’s another pre-pub. Sorry to those of you who might be looking for something to read right now. But may I point out that Secret Letters (see previous posting) is now available for purchase.

                                         

As the title of my entry makes completely clear, Unspoken: The Lynburn Legacy Book 1 by Sarah Rees Brennan will be strange to put into words. I didn't love the book, but I couldn't stop reading it. Brennan created something magical and I kept being drawn back to her story. Of course it helps that she has an uncanny ability to leave you saying, "What?!" at the close of a chapter! While I didn't adore this book, I am fully confident that many middle school girls will.

Kami Glass lives in Sorry-in-the-Vale (yes, a hyphenated and ridiculous name, but go with it.) It's a relatively small town with plenty of secrets and not many outsiders. Kami doesn't have many friends because she is rather strange, frequently retreating to the imaginary voice and friend, Jared, in her mind. The adventure and danger really takes off in a particularly humorous and intense scene in the elevator of the local library. It is in this moment that Kami realizes she isn't actually crazy but the victim of some strange magic that has connected her mind to another's.

Kami and her rag-tag gang of friends (cousins Ash & Jared Lynburn, Angela, and Holly) begin an investigation into the odd happenings that have begun in Sorry-in-the-Vale under the guise of writing for the school newspaper. It doesn't help that people in town seem to think the animal sacrifices and odd attacks are all because the Lynburn family has returned to their manor after decades of being away. The more Kami looks into the mystery surrounding the town, the more she isn't sure whom to trust.

The reader feels all the frustration and confusion that Kami feels when she is finally brought into the loop that Sorry-in-the-Vale was established as a refuge for sorcerers, and that the regular townsfolk once accepted the practice of a yearly sacrifice to them. Kami's connection to Jared runs much deeper than their ability to communicate with each other sans spoken word, and she begins to question whether this is altogether healthy or desirable for either of them.

The climax in the final chapters of the book is as dangerous and exciting as lovers of the fantasy genre crave. As I'm reliving the novel for this post, I'm realizing how much I really did enjoy the story. Kami is a likable and brave heroine who at times makes head strong decisions without fear of consequences, one reason why adolescents are likely to relate to and enjoy her character. My hesitation to fully jump into the Lynburn world stems, I expect, from having read a pre-published copy of the book. Some chapters were better written and thought out than others. At times I was so confused by the author's writing that I almost abandoned the book, but Sarah Rees Brennan so fully captivated me with her magic, danger and mystery that I was compelled to continue on. The physical and emotional tension between Kami and Jared is palpable and in the end is resolved in both a perfect and frustrating manner! I can only assume and hope that some editing changes have taken place between the copy I read and the one that will be released later this year. Either way, the book is likely to be a success which is good as I would like to see where Kami ventures next! 

The book won't be released until September 11, 2012 and upon reading the final few paragraphs you will be left wanting the next installment to the series immediately. So, if you are someone who doesn't like to wait, file away this title for a few years until the author has released a more titles in the series.