Review: Unraveling

Book: Unraveling
Author: Elizabeth Norris
Series: N/A (for now!)
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 445
Source: HarperCollins Canada (Thank you so much!)
Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon CA | The Book Depository | Chapters
Stars: 5/5

Two days before the start of her junior year, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit by a pickup truck and killed—as in blinding light, scenes of her life flashing before her, and then nothing. Except the next thing she knows, she's opening her eyes to find Ben Michaels, a loner from her high school whom Janelle has never talked to, leaning over her. And even though it isn't possible, she knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.

But her revival, and Ben's possible role in it, is only the first of the puzzles that Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father's files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock that seems to be counting down to something—but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what's right in front of her: Everything that's happened—the accident, the murder, the countdown clock, Ben's sudden appearance in her life—points to the end of life as she knows it. And as the clock ticks down, she realizes that if she wants to put a stop to the end of the world, she's going to need to uncover Ben's secrets—and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

From debut author Elizabeth Norris comes this shattering novel of one girl's fight to save herself, her world, and the boy she never saw coming.

(summary taken from Goodreads)

MY THOUGHTS: 

Mind-blowing, gut-wrenching, original, exceptional... It's been over a week since I finished this book and I still can't stop thinking about it or find the words to describe it!  

Unraveling kicks off with a running start when Janelle dies — hit and killed by a speeding pickup truck — and is brought back to life by the most unlikely boy possible: Ben Michaels. As the smart, strong, and kick-ass daughter of an FBI agent, Janelle begins to unravel the strands of his secret all the while figuring out that there's something bigger happening, something exponentially more dangerous, and she has to find out what before it's too late.  

With shorter chapters that always start with an ominous countdown, saying this book is intense doesn't even begin to describe it! The concept is literally out of this world. There's not much I can say without being spoilery, but the sci-fi elements are so DIFFERENT from what you'd expect that I can't even put a single label on it. Except maybe amazing. And epic. 

Other than loving Janelle completely, I think that Elizabeth Norris created the perfect cast! They're real and anything but typical. And they swear—a lot, which I totally loved. Ben is 100% swoon-worthy while being so different from regular book boys; her best friend Alex isn't a love interest (there's actually no love triangle at all ♥) but I promise he'll steal your heart anyways; Elijah and Taylor Barclay make for unexpected awesome; and Janelle's FBI father and friends are complex as well.   

Unraveling isn't a fairytale. Like nothing I've ever read before, it's hardcore and intense and gripping and unique. It's also one of those rare gems that remind us how real life doesn't always close with a happy ending — the huge twist at the end knocked me off my feet! I wanted to cry and beg for a sequel at the exact same time.   

In short, Unraveling is one of the most brilliant and gut-wrenching debuts I've ever read! You have to read it —  it will blow your mind away! :)

BUY or BORROW?: For books like this one, this is such a pointless question! Buy it and love it, then please come tell me what you think after so we can cry together! :')  

-Mimi