Title: Unbreakable
Author: Kami Garcia
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: 10th October 2013
Source: Bought
Rating: 3 out of 5
Description: Kennedy
Waters didn't believe in ghosts, until one tried to kill her. When Kennedy
finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn't know that evil
forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until
identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into her house and destroy a
dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part
of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a
vengeful demon - a society whose five members were all murdered on the same
night. Now Kennedy has to take her mother's place in the Legion if she wants to
uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and
Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the
demon - battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.
There is nothing outstanding about
Unbreakable. It follows a standard
plot often seen in many YA books. A young girls world turns upside down when
she discovers that her family is not who they seem and the world is not as
normal as it appears. When the secrets come out, she grows to embrace the world
with help from quirky friends. Unbreakable is pretty standard read. However it’s a good read
for fans of horror and the TV show Supernatural. There is creepy fun to be had
and the book sets up an interesting story that is sure to get better in future.
In essence, Unbreakable is about
a secret organisation of demon hunters called the Legion, who protect the world
from the supernatural. When Kennedy’s mother dies, her life is completely
turned upside down. It turns out that Kennedy’s mum was killed by a demon out
to destroy the Legion. Now the demon is after Kennedy. Kennedy and the other Legion members
including Jared and Lukas Lockheart have to find away to stop the demon forever.
The story is very effortless to read. Kami Garcia did a great job setting up
the history of the Legion. The world building of Unbreakable is not complicated
and easy to follow.
Certain elements of the story drew
parallels to the TV show Supernatural. There’s two ghost hunting brothers, salt
bullets, salt lines, tracking unnatural deaths in the news, EMF devices and
iron weapons. The entire time I
was reading this book, I kept thinking about the Winchester brother and how
they do the whole ghost-hunting thing better, but that’s just me. If the similarities
to Supernatural wouldn’t bother you then I’m sure you will like this story. The
setting is utterly creepy. Garcia includes many creepy, grotesque, abandoned
building filled with menacing ghosts. There is an abandoned children’s home, an
old prison and decrepit mansions. The ghosts themselves were daunting and
disturbing. Their deaths and past
lives were down right unsettling.
Kennedy was the perfect mix of
vulnerability and determination. She was portrayed with many good qualities. She
always stood up for herself, constantly questioned the world around her, and
owned up to her mistakes. It took a while to get to know her. She starts of
with a lot of insecurity but as she learns more about the Legion she becomes
the heroine of her story. One who always protects those she considers friends.
Priest was another character that stood out. His inventions were a treat to
read about. He also had some of the best lines. Alara has a tough exterior but deep down she cared about the
others. The Twins Lukas and Jared were the total opposites of each other. Lukas
the more outgoing and caring whereas Jared was the broody troubled brother.
Kennedy’s relationship with each
of the twins is different. There is a slight love triangle between the three of
them, but its clear which brother Kennedy chooses. Although the feelings Kennedy has for Lukas are not clearly
defined and left in the air. The romance was not one that I enjoyed. It didn’t
add to the story and if it were lifted out it wouldn’t change the book. It’s the typical story thread of a girl
falls for broody boy who is sure to break her heart. I really enjoyed the group dynamics. Each member of the new
Legion had their own specific role and their own talents. Together they made a
formidable team. Also their relationship with Kennedy develops over time. They
do not always trust each other. Especially Kennedy and Alara but as they
discover what each other is willing to do they grow closer.
The best part of this book was
the ending. The story builds to a great climax set in the ultimate creepy location.
The ending also turned the story on its head and it will be interesting to see
what happens next. With an ending like that it felt like the start of something
and that book 1 was just setting up the series and introducing the mythology
and the characters.
Overall unbreakable is a good
read with creepy locations and heaps of similarities to supernatural.
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