Review: Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Publisher: Random House
Published: September 11, 2012
Pages: 370
Source: For Review from Random House/NetGalley
Rating: 3.5 Stars

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.
But all that changes when the Lynburns return.
The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

In short: Sarah Rees Brennan's trademark wit is in full blown hilarity in Unspoken, though her frenzied writing and pacing could have benefited from some clarity.

I can't believe it's taken me so long to read a Sarah Rees Brennan book. You see, back in the day when all I ever read was Harry Potter, over and over again, and Harry Potter fanfiction, Sarah was one of my favourite fanfic authors. I remember she had a real talent at writing memorable dialogue and humour in the bucketloads. And she has absolutely proven that she continues to maintain this skill at entertaining her readers with her wit in Unspoken.

Unspoken has a large cast of completely loveable and unique characters, at the centre of which is Kami Glass, clever detective-in-training and a bit of a social outcast on account of her Asian heritage and the voice that she converses with in her head. When the mysterious Lynburn family moves back into town, Kami and her brilliant friends put on their investigative caps to sleuth out some answers, Scooby Gang-style.

I mentioned that Sarah Rees Brennan has a special proficiency with humour, and this trademark wit of hers is present in abundance in Unspoken. That she is able to infuse every event in the story and multiple lines of dialogue with absolute hilarity is evidence that she is one funny lady. I've always thought that humour is tough to get right in writing so the fact that Sarah Rees Brennan manages it throughout the entirety of Unspoken is impressive indeed and also made for a wholly enjoyable read.

I think if there was one thing that didn't work for me in Unspoken, it would be the frenetic plot and pacing that often left me either confused or disbelieving of a character's motives or of a plot event. I would have preferred more clarity in the writing of certain scenes as the unfortunate frenzied writing and pacing took away from the significance of these scenes and surprise reveals that should've packed a punch fell flat.

Overall though, Unspoken is an entertaining and hilarious read with memorable and loveable characters. And it's my love for the characters that has me invested in this series, The Lynburn Legacy, and I look forward to continuing on with the story. I also vow to read Sarah Rees Brennan's previous books because she's freaking brilliant and I love her. And I think you'll love her, too!

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