Unraveling - Book Review

Unraveling (Unraveling #1)
by Elizabeth Norris

What is it about:
Sixteen-year-old Janelle Tenner is used to having a lot of responsibility. She balances working as a lifeguard in San Diego with an intense academic schedule. Janelle's mother is bipolar, and her dad is a workaholic FBI agent, which means Janelle also has to look out for her younger brother, Jared.

And that was before she died... and is brought back to life by Ben Michaels, a mysterious, alluring loner from her high school. When she discovers a strange clock that seems to be counting down to the earth's destruction, Janelle learns she has twenty-four days to figure out how to stop the clock and save the planet.

What did I think of it:
In case you are wondering: My copy is the UK edition, hence the extra L in the title.

Anyway.

I picked this book up because it was cheap and sounded like it might be cool, but to be honest I didn't really know what to expect.

It turned out to be a really enjoyable YA thriller with SciFi elements.

I must confess Janelle is a typical YA heroine: smart, pretty, hard working and even taking on extra responsibilities at home. It would have been easy to dislike her, and I was close at times, but Norris managed to keep Janelle on the side of likeable. There still were times I wanted to kick her and her best friend Alex though.

The story is complex, and at first it felt like a bit of a mess, but I was intrigued enough to keep reading. Slowly the mess untangled and things started to fit together. The plot idea (once revealed) wasn't new to me, but was hidden from the reader long enough to keep things suspenseful. Once revealed there are other complications and events that keep the story going.

All in all this was a very entertaining and cool read. I think I will pick up the sequel, even though this book can easily stand on its own.

Why should you read it:
It's a suspenseful YA thriller with SciFi elements.