Latest Read: Unraveling

Here are the basics ...
Book: Unraveling (#1)
Author: Elizabeth Norris
Site: http://liznorris.blogspot.com/
Category: Young Adult 

[Note: Book c/o BEA! Book already available]

Summary:  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, Janelle knows—with every fiber of her being—that Ben has somehow brought her back to life.  (Adapted from Goodreads.com)

My thoughts ...

To quote Maria DeLuca - "This whole thing is so Roswellian."

That's pretty much what kept repeating in my mind as I read this book - Roswell, Roswell, Roswell! Followed by a couple Veronica Mars and Fringe exclamations.  So I'm going to do something completely different with this review.  It's going to be spoiler-filled, includes a lot of videos/images and it's dedicated to the Roswell fans.  But before I start, let me say that this review isn't meant to bring down the book or its enjoyability.  It was just very, very familiar. 

Here goes.

The best way to sum the main character Janelle Tenner is with these two videos:

She's got Liz Parker's life (even the same love life), Veronica Mar's spunk and both aforementioned characters need to discover the truth.  That's not where the similarities end though.  She's dedicated to her family and has an especially close relationship with her father.  She's also got a snarky attitude towards most people in her high school after she experiences a traumatic incident at a party.  (VM fans:  think a "Trip to the Dentist", as in exact same situation.)

And what she discovers about Ben Michaels is an awful lot like Max Evans (their names even sound the same!).  Turns out Mr. Michaels isn't from around here -- more on that soon but I half expected him to point his finger towards the sky -- and he can "manipulate molecular structure" which is how he healed Janelle.  And while healing her, she got to see his memories of her as a child and how he's felt about her all these years even though they've never really spoken until now.  Sound familiar? 

(Source: detkatebeckett.tumblr.com)

As to where Ben is from, I'll give you a hint. 

And if you're wondering about the other characters, there's Janelle's loyal best friend Alex and Ben's two friends, Elijah and Reid.




At this point, you're probably wondering what I actually thought of the book.  I enjoyed it.  It was a fun, easy read and I'm curious to see what happens next.  But I found the similarities to other shows distracting.  It's a fine line to tread.  On one hand, if you like Roswell, Fringe and Veronica Mars - then you'll probably enjoy this book.  On the other, it might be too similar for you to focus on Unraveling itself (which is a well-written fast-paced story).

I'll put it this way - if you like the idea of reading about a snarky female junior detective dealing with weird science and falling for a guy she probably shouldn't be falling for - pick up Unraveling.

Happy reading!