Book Review: UNRAVELING

You may recall, if you’ve been reading this blog for a while, back in January I had the honor of being selected as the winner of one of Agent Janet Reid’s writing competitions. By way of a prize, she sent me an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of UNRAVELING by Elizabeth Norris. The book is scheduled for publication on April 24th, so I put off reading and reviewing it until a little closer to publication date. I figured if the book is as good as Janet promised, it would be mean of me to leave you salivating for three months. Anyway, now we are a little over a month away from publication, and since Janet recently announced the Liz Norris Pay It Forward Contest, it seems now would be a good time to read and review.

Given the book has yet to be published, I don’t want to attempt my own synopsis in case I give too much away. So, here’s the blurb from the back of the book:

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

But her revival, and Ben’s role in it, is only one of the puzzles Janelle must solve. While snooping in her FBI agent father’s files for clues about her accident, she uncovers a clock counting down to something–but to what? And when someone close to Janelle is killed, she can no longer deny what’s in front of her: Everything that’s happened–the accident, the countdown, 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 unravel Ben’s secrets–and keep from falling in love with him in the process.

This blurb does a good job of giving you a general gist of the story, but there is so much more to it than this. Yes, there is romantic tension between Janelle and Ben, and the book doesn’t shy away from the occasional romantic scene, but this is not a romance novel. There are mysteries to solve–that must be solved to save the world before the countdown ends. Janelle’s investigations into her accident, and the things she discovers from that are what really drive the story, with the countdown presented as a constant reminder on each chapter heading. What does the countdown signify? Of course, I’m not going to tell you–but it never occurred to me that’s what it was. And it’s big.

The central plot weaves around and through Janelle’s life, so we see her in class, at parties, and at home with her family. Norris writes these with a sensitivity to things that matter to teens. The way Janelle handles all the strange and disturbing information she is discovering, along with managing her love life and school work, rings true. Naturally, there comes a tipping point, as the clock ticks down, when everything takes a backseat to matters of life-and-death. But Norris tells her story with an eye to context, keeping Janelle grounded in the real world, while dealing with some quite unreal circumstances.

One of the things I really enjoyed about this novel is it’s unpredictability. The opening pages read like a YA contemporary, with hints of romance, rivalries, and so on. And then there’s the accident, which is the big game-changer. Now Janelle wants answers–about Ben, the countdown, and the strange events her father is investigating that seem to be related, and the story takes on a whole new momentum. Then, just when you think you know what’s going on, Norris pulls back another layer of the plot, and you realize all is not quite what it seems. This, along with the well-paced writing, and clear voice, makes the book hard to put down (unless you’re dealing with a herniated disc–see yesterday’s article).

UNRAVELING is YA, but this is a book anyone who loves a good mystery would enjoy. The characters do use profanity, yet it’s in character, with some using it more than others. I certainly recommend it highly. Pre-order it. You won’t be disappointed!