"The Unquiet" Review

Date to-be Published: July 17, 2012

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Number of Pages: 388

Publisher: Bloomsbury

First Thoughts:

At first I didn’t know what to make of this book, I kind of felt distant from the story at first; it almost felt like a fluff book and I kind of have to be in a mood to read one of those books. And the characters! Oh My! It took some serious adjusting before this story really took off. But once you get past the point of fluffiness the book really picked up and I became intrigued with the story and the spookiness of it all. This was a fast and fun read; there was plenty of action and a lot of creepy moments. Though I wouldn’t call this a true horror book it does have its spooky moments but none to really scare you. This definitely was a book that surprised me in the end.

Plot:

The concept was unique in all its rights but it definitely had some unoriginal ideas; ghosts are nothing new. But what I liked was how the author was able to takes these past annoying and frustrating characters and get me to tolerate them and see how they turn this once simple book into something more. The concept was new and creative; I liked all of the backstories that helped bold the current conflict; it really made the book seem that more dimensional and interesting. And the ending was really spooky; I loved how the author chose to end this book; it really kind of made you just go huh. But I won’t ruin it for me just know that after you get through the initial part of this book it gets a lot better. And as far as the sub-plots they were really well placed; it allowed for the main plot to be better understood but at the same time creating a new little world. I liked the answers to the conflicts; I really felt the author was creative and organized. There were a few moments in this book that I could do without…but there weren’t many of them and in the end they really didn’t matter because the conclusion overpowered everything else. I did find that the end left some unanswered questions, I wanted to know what became of some of the characters that we got to know…I just felt let down in that part. As far as the pace of the book it’s pretty quick, just know the beginning is slow going but once you’re past that it goes at a much quicker pace. I think really in the end it’s the reader who determines the pace; some would find this slower while others faster. But overall I enjoyed the plot and only found few issues needing addressing.

Romance:

The romance was not something I enjoyed in this book; it just felt off to me. The initial start of the romance was awkward and just too cheesy for me. Thankfully the book wasn’t centered on just romance and was able to bring more to the table. But just know the romance kind of was always there and it stayed throughout the entire book. So overall this wasn’t a good aspect to the book but it didn’t take over it either.

Characters:

Some of the characters were past the point of no return to me; they were annoying from the start and never changed. But there were others like I mentioned earlier who started out bad but became better as the story progressed and thank goodness; I don’t know if I would have been able to read the book if they hadn’t. But the main character Rinn was a little weak in the beginning of the book; she had personality but she lacked important qualities to connect the reader to her. Rinn was kind of distant but as her story was told I was able to finally connect with her. As for the more minor characters they definitely were needed to move the story along and for some of the puzzle pieces to finally connect together. So overall the characters were good but some of them needed some adjustments done to them because they were not very likable to me at all.

Transformation of the Character:

Rinn did do a little transforming, she came from one form and slowly bloomed to another but it was subtle; only the sharpest eye could see the beauty of it. The transformation wasn’t rushed but instead slowly; the story slowly allowed the character to grow and better understand her world. Though I still Rinn has a lot more growing to do, we were still able to capture some of it. And as for other characters they didn’t necessarily transform but rather chose to stay the same. So in the end this was a good aspect to the story.

Description:

The description did a good job on creating the atmosphere of the book. I found that the amount of description varied at times depending on the moment in the book. Some scenes needed more description than others and I found it interesting how the author chose those scenes. I really did enjoy the way she described the tunnel and pool room, she did everything she could to make it sinister and give off the right vibe. As far as the dialogue it was good and seemed true to the character, I didn’t feel like there was too much or too little of it. So overall the description was really good when it came to describing the atmosphere of the book and the dialogue seemed to be just right. This was a good aspect of the book.

Style:

This was written in one POV which allowed for the story to be really narrowed and allowed more room for growth of the character. We were really able to see more detailed information of the characters surrounding Rinn. This book was also written in first person and allowed the reader to better connect and understand the main character. As for the author’s writing I found it easy to read and didn’t really have any problems with it. So overall the style of the book was a good aspect of the story.

Quote of the book:

“Sometimes, when I dream, the deadliest moment in my life happens all over again. That’s when I’m given the chance to do things differently.”

Goodreads Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.

After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists.

With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy” she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?

Annaliese? Or herself?

Last Thoughts:

I would recommend this to fans of ghosts and YA, This was an interesting slightly spooky story and found that it had a lot of hidden qualities that I didn’t see coming. And as far as my view of it from the beginning, it definitely changed for the better and I was really able to read this book quickly. I don’t think this book necessarily needs another book to explain more of the world but it’s quite possible but again it’d be nice to come across a book that was a stand-alone (those seem to be rare these days) But in the end I enjoyed the book and look forward to reading more by this author.

My Rating: