Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Simon and Schuster, 2012. ISBN 9780857078070.
(Age: Teens) Highly recommended. Unspoken is a modern Gothic novel set in a small village in England, called Sorry-in-the-Vale. Kami is a 17 year old, half Japanese schoolgirl, who is bright, funny, and a little bit nosy. Kami has been connected mentally to a boy, Jared, since she was born. They can reach out to each other and speak through their minds to one another at any time. Sorry-in-the-Vale lies in the shadow of the Aurimere Manor, which is owned by a very powerful family, the Lynburns, who no longer live there. When the mysterious Lynburn family return to their home with no explanation Kami suspects that there is something sinister about the family and so she investigates and is determined to discover the truth. She then comes across lots of old, strange legends about the family and discovers that everyone has a secret to hide. Curious things begin to happen and there are two new kids at school, Ash Lynburn and his cousin, Jared, who seems oddly familiar. As secrets begin to unfold and lives change forever, Kami will begin to wish her imaginary friend had never become real.
This is not a romantic tale, as is first implied, but a gripping story of passion and emotion. The story line is very original and unlike anything I have previously read and there is a very good contrast of genres. Kami, and her best friend, Angela, both have a very witty sense of humour, which makes the book enjoyable to read, and there are also times it is incredibly exciting and hard to put down. There was also, of course, the occasional moments when I may have shed a tear or two, because of how closely you feel you can relate to the characters. There is so much detail in the book, you feel like you really know the characters and their wants and fears.
The book was, at times, a bit slow, but I felt the author made up for this towards the end of the book, when all the action happened, and it became fast paced and incredibly exciting. I particularly liked Sarah Rees Brennan's style of writing; it is easy to read but also very descriptive. Overall I have thoroughly enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it to those who are fans of the genre.
Isobel Davies (Student)