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starladyBrennan, Sarah Rees. Unspoken. New York: Random House, 2012.
I think I liked this book best of all Sarah Rees Brennan's that I've read so far. Our hero is Kami Glass, the part-Japanese intrepid girl reporter of her sleepy Cotswolds town, Sorry-in-the-Vale. Sorry-in-the-Vale is distinguished by the Lynburn manor that looms over the town, but the Lynburns have been gone for the past few years--for most of Kami's life, actually. Of course, when the Lynburns return, and Kami learns that her imaginary friend is not all that imaginary, things start to happen.
I enjoyed this book--I enjoyed Kami, who has a wicked sense of humor and a wonderful fashion sense. I also enjoyed the diametrically opposite take on the "soul bonds" trope than is normal in fandom, and I enjoyed the modern update on Gothic novels. I also liked the secondary characters, and spoilery things that happen with them (I mean, here, Angela and Holly). I even enjoyed the mild melodrama and pathetic fallacies of the whole thing. Brennan carries it all off very well.
I do want to say, though, that even saying the fact that Kami and her brothers' names were chosen by their English mother does not really lampshade the fact that they are nothing like actual Japanese names. Brennan also biffs the way Kami refers to her grandmother (I don't think I've ever heard anyone use the word "sobo" in conversation--I had to look it up to figure out what she meant). So, with these caveats aside, this was a fun read with a plucky, brave female protagonist and a dramatic plot that I look forward to hearing more about, particularly after the ending. If you've liked Sarah Rees Brennan's other work, or if plucky girl reporters solving mysteries sound like your thing, I suspect you'll like this book.
I think I liked this book best of all Sarah Rees Brennan's that I've read so far. Our hero is Kami Glass, the part-Japanese intrepid girl reporter of her sleepy Cotswolds town, Sorry-in-the-Vale. Sorry-in-the-Vale is distinguished by the Lynburn manor that looms over the town, but the Lynburns have been gone for the past few years--for most of Kami's life, actually. Of course, when the Lynburns return, and Kami learns that her imaginary friend is not all that imaginary, things start to happen.
I enjoyed this book--I enjoyed Kami, who has a wicked sense of humor and a wonderful fashion sense. I also enjoyed the diametrically opposite take on the "soul bonds" trope than is normal in fandom, and I enjoyed the modern update on Gothic novels. I also liked the secondary characters, and spoilery things that happen with them (I mean, here, Angela and Holly). I even enjoyed the mild melodrama and pathetic fallacies of the whole thing. Brennan carries it all off very well.
I do want to say, though, that even saying the fact that Kami and her brothers' names were chosen by their English mother does not really lampshade the fact that they are nothing like actual Japanese names. Brennan also biffs the way Kami refers to her grandmother (I don't think I've ever heard anyone use the word "sobo" in conversation--I had to look it up to figure out what she meant). So, with these caveats aside, this was a fun read with a plucky, brave female protagonist and a dramatic plot that I look forward to hearing more about, particularly after the ending. If you've liked Sarah Rees Brennan's other work, or if plucky girl reporters solving mysteries sound like your thing, I suspect you'll like this book.
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Date: 2013-04-07 01:38 (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-04-07 12:43 (UTC)