Review: Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

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.

THIS BOOK WAS PURELY AMAZING. If you're looking for a book packed with action this is it. I didn't expect to love this book as much as I did and I owe it all to Elizabeth Norris and the way she weaves a plot that hooks you in and doesn't let go. Ben and his two friends are clearly hiding something and once you know what it is you can't bring yourself to put the book down.

Aside from the plot, she also makes you fall in love with the characters she creates. I felt like I was part of Janelle's family. Janelle is such a tough, strong character. She basically has to take care of her little brother in every way because her mom has bipolar disorder and her dad is constantly busy with work for the FBI. She cooks for him, gets him ready for school, and takes him everywhere he needs to be (with the help of her awesome best friend Alex). She always puts family first. 

As far as minor characters go, there were several that really stood out. I must have a soft spot for younger brothers in books (like with Jeremy in Unearthly) because Jared grew in my heart as if he were my own brother. Struz, her dad's best friend, is like a big kid himself but when it comes time to step up and be a responsible adult, he takes charge. The love interest's best friend, Elijah, might be annoying to some people but I really liked his character. His relationship with Janelle really develops throughout.

The only minor problem I had was the relationship between the two main characters. Ben and Janelle have NEVER spoken to each other in the years they've been at school together but suddenly he saves her and he because the center of her universe. Usually this would be a huge issue for me, but there is so much more going on that it wasn't even a big deal. But with the way the book ended I can't wait to see how their romance progresses in the next book.

Unraveling is filled with plot twists, it felt like every few chapters something huge was revealed that I would have never guessed. I've never read anything like Unraveling before. I'm so glad Elizabeth Norris wrote this novel because it gives me hope that there are still new ideas brewing out there in the young adult genre. There were several times when I was almost brought to tears and was left putting the book down for a quick breather. I needed to gather my thoughts to continue. Elizabeth knows how to control your emotions with her perfect writing. I liked that the chapters were short and exciting. It made the book a quick read aside from the fact that it's close to 450 pages. I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery with a crazy si-fi twist.

5/5 stars