March 24, 2010

All Unquiet Things - Anna Jarzab




Young Adult
Pages: 352
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: January 12, 2010

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

I don't know how long its been since I've read a good mystery, and I think I had never read a YA murder-mystery before. I absolutely adored this book. The ironic part is I was so sure I had everything figured out. I would totally starve as a detective. The ending shocked me and left me in awe. I was so unprepared of what happened. I believed throughout the whole story and convinced myself that I knew what was going on because there was no way to surprise me with such an obvious plot. Silly me. Should have known better. This book deserves far more praise than what it has gotten.

The writing was incredible. The alternating points of view felt smooth and believable, I love the way she did it. And the characters felt incredibly realistic. The plot was slow-moving, which is also ironic because in one of my last reviews I stated that a slow plot is not always a bad thing. Here is the proof. The pace worked perfectly in this one. I was sometimes desperate, almost willing to step ahead to find out the truth, but that always happens in a mystery.

Overall, it was definitely refreshing to read something different yet still made of awesome. If you enjoy crime stories and contemporary realistic fiction this is the one for you.


6 comments:

  1. Sounds ama-z-z-z-ing! I need to pick this up soon

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  2. I loved this book! I have been craving something like it since I read it. I haven't found it yet! Great review!

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  3. It looks very good, I really want to read it. Great Review!

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  4. OK you totally have me wanting this book. I love mysteries and I am taking word that the past will not affect me because I am a fast-paced plot kinda girl too.

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  5. Sounds like a good read, will look into.Thanks!

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