All Unquiet Things Review

Title: All Unquiet Things
Author: Anna Jarzab
Release Date: January 12, 2010


Summary (from www.barnesandnoble.com ):

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it—especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

Rating:
Character Development: 10/10pts
Originality: 9/10pts
Plot/Story Line: 8/10pts
Ending: 10/10pts
Voice: 10/10pts
Recommendation: 10/10pts
Total Score: 57/60
Grade: A+

Age Appropriate Rating:
Cussing: 6/10
Drugs, alcohol, etc.: 10/10
Sexual Content: 6/10
Violence/Disturbing Images: 7/10

Written Review:

In a sea of fantasy and paranormal YA novels, something this genuine and gripping was very refreshing to read which made me absolutely adore All Unquiet Things. 

The mystery was great.  I wanted to find out Carly’s killer just as much as Audrey and Neily did and the twist at the end shocked me 100%. I never suspected the culprit at all. The ending was unpredictable, unbelievable, and made sure to leave no loose strings. All the clues matched up and finally made perfect sense. And though the pace starts out slow, after only a few chapters it picks up and by the end your heart is racing as everything clicks into place.

Tons of suspense, perfectly placed clues, and multiple suspects got me hooked almost immediately.  I stayed up multiple nights in a row trying to unravel the clues along with Audrey and Neily.  Plus the many twists and turns kept you second guessing yourself throughout the whole novel

I liked the double narratives. And though sometimes I got Audrey and Neily’s voices confused, the different perspectives as they both delve deeper into solving the murder, while also coming to terms with how it has affected them, greatly helped develop them as characters and lets Carly develop as well.

I am in awe at the hard work, passion, and dedication Anna Jarzab must have had to create this eloquent novel.  The wonderful prose and strong, authentic characters only enhanced the intriguing plot that made this novel so wonderful. The characters were Jarzab’s real strong point.  Their wide range of emotions made them all the more real.

Overall, All Unquiet Things is a thrilling mystery that flows together flawlessly as it takes the reader on an unpredictable journey to solve an intense case of drugs, scandal, and the brutal murder of Carly Ribelli.  It’s not only a story of seeking out the truth but also of learning to accept what you cannot change.
In one heartbreaking, suspenseful story and with more depth than most YA novels, Anna Jarzab weaves a complex story of murder, mystery, and the lengths one will go to cover it all up.
I strongly encourage everyone to read this book when it releases on January 12 of 2010.

Thanks
Jill