Book Shelf: Unraveling (Unraveling, #1) by Elizabeth Norris

STOP THE COUNTDOWN. SAVE THE WORLD…

Leaving the beach, seventeen-year-old Janelle Tenner is hit head on by a pickup truck.

And killed.

Then Ben Michaels, resident stoner, is leaning over her. And even though it isn’t possible, she knows Ben somehow brought her back to life…

Meanwhile, Janelle’s father, a special agent for the FBI, starts working on a case that seems strangely connected to Ben. Digging in his files, Janelle finds a mysterious device – one that seems to be counting down to something that will happen in 23 days and 10 hours time.

That something? It might just be the end of the world. And if Janelle wants to stop it, she’s going to need to uncover Ben’s secrets – and keep from falling in love with him in the process…

More info on Goodreads.....


Review:

Unravelling by Elizabeth Norris takes mystery to a whole new level as this exciting sci-fi novel takes you on a mystifying adventure that will have you eagerly turning the pages and anticipating what will happen next!

Janelle Tenner was dead. Until loner Ben Michaels brings her back to life. Then things start getting really strange…..I must say it’s been quite a while since I’ve read a novel like Unravelling. Author Elizabeth Norris weaves a complex tale of the paranormal kind in this story; one that has you on the edge of your seat and scratching your head for the majority of the time, wondering just what is going on.

I very much found myself enjoying Unravelling. There’s so many fantastic elements to it that all blend so perfectly together. With a bunch of mysterious and gruesome deaths, strange occurrences and an unidentified countdown, this book really nails its twists and turns.

Norris’s writing does her story justice and the characters are likable. As we watch our main character Janelle stumble her way through trying to save the world, finding love and ultimately herself along the way, I imagined Janelle as quite the mini-detective. Considering her father is an FBI agent, Janelle quickly thrusts herself into the heart of the mysterious goings on in her town, and as she connects each piece together bit by bit, it was really hard not to like this stubborn, strong heroine.

I liked all the other characters in the book too. Ben, Elijah and Reid prove to be of interesting origins and Alex proves to be a great confidant and best friend to Janelle. Struz is funny as her dad’s partner; someone who is like a big brother/second father with his childlike, yet occasionally serious personality and Janelle’s little brother Jared is a cutie in his own way too. Admittedly, I did enjoy the romance between Janelle and Ben (how could I not?) however it does come on relatively fast considering everything that’s going on. Then again, I suppose from Ben’s POV that’s really not the case.

Elisabeth Norris doesn’t shy away from complexity in this book, intermingling her storylines. There’s a number of shockers in this book too; including characters going bye, bye fairly quickly and revelations you don’t expect. I did feel that the ending was kinda abrupt. It seemed to me that there were so many things happening in a short, rushed, period of time and then the book was over. I understand things build to a climax and then end, but with so much going on around the world I would have liked a bit more of a solid ending from Norris.

And yet with this chapter of the story coming to a close, I’m really excited to see what’s going to happen in the next book. It’s going to be interesting see the consequences of so many things that happened in Unravelling and I look forward to seeing what happens next!

Rating:
Source: I bought.
Format: Paperback
Buy it: Booktopia | The Nile | The Book Depository | Amazon
My Recommendation: Fans of a good sci-fi mystery will enjoy this--think X-Files meets Heroes!
Cover: I kinda prefer the rockin' US one. This one's alright, but it doesn't catch me like the US version.
Will I read sequel/continue with series: Yes....when I find the time :)