Teen Review of "Unbreakable" by Kami Garcia

Unbreakable by Kami Garcia
*This is a review of an Advanced Readers Copy*

I was quite excited to get a copy of Kami Garcia’s new book. I really like the Caster Chronicles and Beautiful Creatures was one of the first books I read when I just got into the YA universe. I was really interested to see how Kami’s voice differed from that of the Caster Chronicles since she’s a singular author here and not teamed up with Margaret Stohl. And I have to say, I was not disappointed. Unbreakable had a distinct voice from Beautiful Creatures. Most of that of course had to do with the setting and subject matter, but I could tell the difference. But it wasn’t a matter of quality; the writing in both novels are equally as good.

Unbreakable read at a very quick pace, which I really liked. It did not feel like one of those first books that took it’s time setting everything up, and by the time you get to the end,the story is only beginning. It gives us an interesting plot, likeable and intriguing characters, and a main character who is relatable. I really connected with the main character. I found the relationship between her and her mom to be similar to my own and just her overall demeanor to be similar to mine. The relationship between all the characters is really what drives the whole novel, and I think it was very well written.

However, many aspects of the plot were similar to the show Supernatural. It’s probably just because of the subject matter, i.e. hunting down spirits and demons and urban legends. But once I got past my initial questioning of all those similarities, I really enjoyed the plot. The locations they visit are just so creepy and described so well (and I could totally see each location as an episode of Supernatural. Okay, I’ll stop.) I think the storyline is what made it read so quickly. The characters are going on a scavenger hunt of sorts and the constant motion prevented the story from becoming stagnant. But what really got me was the plot twist at the end. IT’S HUGE! Seriously, it changes everything! GAHH!!

Ahem. I’m okay.

That cliffhanger really got me. I did not expect it to happen. The end really sets itself apart from other YA books in ways I can’t really say without spoiling anything. I’m really quite anxious to find out what happens next for the main character, and to see where the rest of this story is going to go.

- Caroline
Originally posted on The Attic blog.

New teen books, including several new series

Hereafter  by Kate Brian	This is the second book in Kate Brian's Shadowlands series. After learning the disturbing truth about her new town, Rory fights to protect her family from a mysterious force interfering with life on Juniper Landing.
Perfect Ruin  by Lauren DeStefano	The first book in a new series, from the author of The Chemical Garden Trilogy (Wither, Fever, Sever). Sixteen-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives in Internment, a floating city utopia. But when a murder occurs, everything she knows starts to unravel.
Season of the Witch  by Mariah Fredericks	A girl who is bullied experiments with witchcraft in order to get revenge on her attackers.
Unbreakable  by Kami Garcia	A new series from one of the authors of Beautiful Creatures ! Seventeen-year-old Kennedy Waters discovers she is a member of an ancient secret society formed to protect the world from a powerful demon determined to find a way out of his dimension and into ours. She joins the Legion on a mission to find a weapon that can defeat the demon.
BZRK Reloaded  by Michael Grant	The second book in Michael Grant's BZRK series! The struggle for control between the Armstrong twins and the group known as BZRK continues with the stakes higher than ever.
The Darkest Path  by Jeff Hirsch	Since he was captured by the Glorious Path, a militant religion based on the teachings of a former soldier, fifteen-year-old Cal has served the Path in its brutal war with the remains of the United States government, and tried to survive and protect his younger brother but when he kills an officer to protect a stray dog, Cal is forced take his brother and the dog and run.
Alex Rider: Russian Roulette: The Story of an Assassin  by Anthony Horowitz	A companion book to the Alex Rider series. Presented with an unexpected assignment, Alex Rider's greatest nemesis, Yassen Gregoravich, recalls his life and the path that led him to become an assassin while his one-time friend, Alex's uncle, became a spy.
Sick by Tom Leveen	Brian and his friends are not part of the cool crowd. They're the misfits, the troublemakers--the ones who jump their high school's electrified fence to skip school regularly. So when the virus breaks out, they're the only ones with a chance of surviving.
Just Like Fate  by Cat Patrick and Suzanne Young	With her grandmother dying, Caroline is given a choice to either stay by her gram's side or go to the biggest party of the year. The story is told through alternating chapters, revealing what happens if Caroline stays or goes.
The Beginning of Everything  by Robyn Schneider	Star athlete and prom king Ezra Faulkner's life is irreparably transformed by a tragic accident and the arrival of eccentric new girl Cassidy Thorpe.
Time After Time  by Tamara Ireland Stone	This is the second book in the Time After Time series, following Time Between Us. Told from his point of view, continues the love story of Bennett, a time traveler from 2012 San Francisco, and Anna, sixteen, of 1995 Evanston, Illinois, as they try to make their relationship work despite his fear that it is not meant to be.
Black Out  by Robison Wells	A mysterious virus is spreading through America, infecting teenagers with incredible powers--and a group of four teens are about to find their lives intertwined in a web of danger and catastrophic destruction.
Starry Nights  by Daisy Whitney	Seventeen-year-old Julien falls in love with the muse, Clio, as he tries to save her and the Musée D'Orsay's collection of Impressionist art after learning the paintings are reacting to a curse set by Renoir that trapped Clio in his painting.
The Final Descent  by Rick Yancey	This is the conclusion to the Monstrumologist series. When Dr. Warthrop begins to doubt fourteen-year-old Will Henry's loyalty, he sets him against one of the most horrific creatures in the Monstrumarium unaware that Will's life and his own fate will lie in the balance.