Unbreakable

The Legion #1

by Kami Garcia

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

Genres: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Ghosts, Romance, Horror, Supernatural

305 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2013

About the author

Kami Garcia is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author. She is the coauthor of the BEAUTIFUL CREATURES series, which has been published in 51 countries and 37 languages, with over 10 million copies in print. In 2013, Beautiful Creatures released as a feature film from Warner Brothers. Kami is a cofounder of the YALLFEST kid lit book festival and the author of five solo novels, including her Bram Stoker Award-nominated novels Unbreakable and Unmarked (THE LEGION series) and The X-Files Origins: Agent of Chaos. Kami’s first graphic novel Teen Titans: Raven, with artist Gabriel Picolo, is the first book in her TEEN TITANS series for DC Comics and the adult series JOKER/HARLEY: CRIMINAL SANITY, from DC Black Label.

Find Kami online at kamigarcia.com, on Facebook @KamiGarciaYA, and on Twitter and Instagram @KamiGarcia.

Reviews

[Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies · Rating 2 out of 5]

I should have known better, from the mention of The DaVinci Code in the blurb.

Let's start from the beginning. Supernatural clone? I have no problem with that. A talented writer can work with a well-used plot and make it their own, with a compelling plot, with complex characters, with a beautifully wrought romance.

With that said, I am pleased to tell you that you don't have to waste your time on this book. Look elsewhere for your paranormal ghost-busting fix. Hell, just stick to watching Supernatural. I have to admit that I started reading this because of the promise of hot twin brothers. I have a fetish fondness for twins, especially hot twin ghost-busting brothers. Are you fucking kidding me? Give me some of that.

As it turned out, I should have stuck to watching the show, or rather, just flipping through the pages of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog for my hot guy fix, because the twins in this book (as well as every other character in it) are completely devoid of any sort of personality besides for their gorgeous fluffable brown hair and killer baby-blue eyes. At least the Winchesters are portrayed by real actors so that I can more easily imagine them naked.

Damn, I said that part out loud, didn't I?

Kennedy Waters is a normal high school student (with a photographic memory) living with her mom; it's a pretty average life until the day her mother dies, supposedly from a heart attack. All of a sudden, hot identical twin boys break into her room, and saves her from a poltergeist that has been trying to kill her. Instead of going to boarding school, like she has been planning to, or coming to live with her aunt, Kennedy instead lets people believe that she has been kidnapped, while running away to live with the Hot Ghostbusting Twins, as well as the gorgeous Mean Girl Alara, and boy wonder/tinkerer genius Priest. They go on the run, searching for a secret weapon with which to destroy a demon, making plenty of stops at haunted houses and killing ghosts along the way.

Nasty ghosts aside, they have to avoid all those pesky Amber Alerts, because that's what happens when a teenaged girl disappears and her house is ransacked. Such inconveniences.

The Plot
The ghost-busting storyline isn't so much a mainstay of the book as it is a plot device designed around Kennedy and Twin One's romance. It feels like a side story, used and brushed aside for their electricity-laced eye contacts and meaningful fingertip-brushes. The plot is very...convenient; there are no parents involved, the kids (and they are all kids) are inheritors of special skills that make them extraordinary, they have money at their disposal, there is a complete lack of credibility in the entire scheme that has nothing to do with the supernatural elements in the story. There are way too many coincidences around the sudden involvement of the five teenagers in a plot to save humanity from a Big Bad Demon to make the story a believable one...it feels more James Patterson than Supernatural at times.

The good is that the action moves fast, and it is not dull. Despite the weakness in the plot, the characters, the romance, well...everything, actually, the action and the fast pacing was enough to keep me focused.

The Characters
Kennedy Waters: After reading the story, I have come to believe that the true spelling of Kennedy's name is L-I-A-B-I-L-I-T-Y. Kennedy is an idiot. She is Too Stupid To Live. Fine, a poltergeist attack isn't exactly a normal occurrence, but running away with a bunch of strangers (albeit cute ones), and not letting anyone except your best friend know? Allowing an Amber Alert to be issued in her case? That's just fucking dumb and irresponsible.

“You guys showed up in my bedroom out of nowhere, shot my cat with a gun that looked like something from a video game, and told me that a demon’s trying to kill me. Want to explain how you could possibly know that?”
Jared looked over at me. “Because our family has been fighting his army for over two hundred years.”

Weeeeeeeeeeell, alrighty then! Let's run away together. HOW ABOUT NO? I like the fact that she actually questions the Hot Twins instead of just outrightly believing them, but she accepts everything they say far too easily for me to believe she is anything but gullible.

As far as the liability part goes...she endangers her team more often than not. Kennedy is completely ignorant of what is needed to be a member of the ghost-busters. All the other kids have been raised, and trained since practically infancy, and they have inherited special skills from their progenitors. Kennedy has none. Nada. Zip. Jack Shit. Her lack of knowledge, her lack of skills aside, she insists on tagging along with them into dangerous situations, and her pigheadedness endangers her team.

Kennedy also believes herself to be not-special (because a photographic memory and spectacular drawing skills are soooooo fucking ordinary). Her boyfriend broke her heart because she wouldn't let him copy her homework, and her dad left her family when she was 5, and that's enough for Kennedy to believe that she is unlovable, that she is destined to be hurt. Give me a break from Mary Sue histrionics, please.

Jared and Lukas Lockhart: AKA, the Generic Twins. You may have seen them in various incarnations throughout every single YA romance and paranormal ever written. They are not worthy of having a personality analysis by me because you guys have all read them before in so many other books. They are identical. They are physically perfect. They are mentally anguished. They are soooooooooooo very different from each other, despite their indistinguishable appearance (except one has a different *look* in his eyes, which Kennedy can totally tell, because they have that spiritual connection, you know?). One is the bright, happy, cheerful, eager-to-please boy-next-door.

Jared sat alone at the counter, staring out the window at the nothingness you see when you’re too lost in thought to see anything else. I wondered why he was sitting alone. Why he always set himself apart from everyone else, like he was the one who didn’t belong.

One is the dark, brooding, tortured soul, who is a loner and complete asshole. Guess who Kennedy falls for? You'd be right.

Every. Fucking. Time.

The Romance
WE HAVE A LOVE TRIANGLE, Y'ALL. And it's between TWIIIIIIIINS, no less. That makes it extra special, and extra hot, because, well...(twin) brother against (twin) brother! Not exactly. It is unremarkable and it is so stupid becaues it is so predictable and it is so contrived. Naturally, there's unspoken feeeeeeeeeelings between the brothers. Naturally, they're rivals. Naturally, there are underlying tensions between them and an unspoken competitiveness against one another. Brotherly love? Please. This ain't the city of Philadelphia.

Kennedy feels the attraction and the connection from both brothers. It's like she finds meaning in everything.

I stared at Lukas, shocked. “You know this song?”
Lukas gave me a sheepish smile. “It’s my favorite.”
Warmth spread across my cheeks, and suddenly it felt like we were sharing something intimate in front of a room full of people.

Eye contact. Fingertips brushing. The opening of a door. A smile. The same kind of dressing for their salad, that sort of thing. It made me wonder...was ever that besotted and stupid when I believed myself to be in love as a 17-year old?

Nope. I, like most teenagers, was rational.

Recommended for readers who don't want to think too much.

(Thanks for the gif, Andrea!)

[Ben Alderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic read!
Read the whole book yesterday! It is compared to Buffy and supernatural and i can completely see why!
BLOODY
BRILLIANT

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

Actual rating: 0.5 stars because I liked two scenes.

Alright guys! There’s this story out about two brothers who go around killing ghosts and demons because it’s the family business and was something passed on through the generations.



Occasionally they recruit help in the form of a quirky genius who’s far too good for school.



And a woman who may not have chosen demon hunter as her first job, but falls into it with a vengeance.



There’s also a demon that they’re hell bent on destroying because he’s going around killing people that the group cares about and loves.



There’s also lots of really cool things in the story like rock salt guns, journals passed down through generations, salt lines, runes, summoning demons, setting bones and personal belongings on fire so ghosts don’t come back, and electrical storms that give away where demons are hiding.

Did you guess Supernatural? YAY! You’re right!

If you also guessed Unbreakable you’d be right.

Seriously. Look at the above things I mentioned and TELL ME that’s not a Supernatural fanfiction.



You’re a filthy damn liar if you look me in the face and tell me those similarities are accidental. I’ve never seen a book so brazenly steal from source material. It’s an insult. I’m a Supernatural fan, but I’ve only seen all the episodes once (In my defense, there’s a fuck ton of episodes) and I feel insulted.

Did you think we wouldn’t notice? I mean, do you know –really know- how many Supernatural fans there are? Because this isn’t just a homage to Supernatural anymore. I’ve read Supernatural fanfiction with less in common with the show.

The main character is Kennedy whose mom is killed by the main demon in question. Two brothers come storming in when a ghost is going to kill Kennedy and shoot the ghost with rock salt, making the ghost leave. The house is attacked by a poltergeist. They meet up with the rest of the crew (characters above) and proceed to try hunt down the demon because it’s the family business.

I AM NOT FUCKING JOKING!



But wait. This fanfiction gets better! We’ll call Kennedy our self-insert, so this is a self-insert fanfiction. Bad enough, right? What do self-insert fanfictions come with?

Why! Instalove and a love triangle, of course!

Indeed, let’s have the Winchester brothers brothers Lukas and Jared (Yup. Jared.) both love Kennedy. After maybe a few days. Enough to completely change personalities and training. Never mind that Dean Jared (wrong actor’s name) could kill the ghost threatening Kennedy no problem. Nope. He’s got to forget everything and do exactly what the ghost says.

Granted, this happens in the only redeemable and maybe original scene in the book. I’m not sure, like I’ve said, I’ve only watched the episodes once, but I don’t remember a kid’s orphanage. If there is one, please correct me.

That’s seriously why I put .5 stars up there. Two scenes. One in a kid’s orphanage because fuck me ghost kids are creepy as hell and the prison scene because that was also creepy. I’ve watched all sorts of paranormal shows about prisons and let me tell you, I will not step foot into a haunted prison.

Fuck that shit.



But those scenes? At 75% through the book and 90% through the book. So at this point I was so angry because I could have been reading legit fanfiction with better character development.

And maybe they were legitimate characters, but it was so easy for them to slip into their Supernatural roles that I never really had to take them out.

So, have you seen Supernatural? If so, avoid this book. Because guess what? YOU ALREADY KNOW THE ENDING!

No, I’m not joking. She even stole the Apocalypse ending.

I just…I can’t. I just can’t even. How the fuck did this get published? This is a fanfiction not even bothering to hide it!!

So to this book, I’ll let the real Dean say something.

[Giselle · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a nail biter! Unbreakable has a creepy cover with an equally freaky story. For all of you supernatural thriller fans out there this one is not to be missed!

I made the mistake of starting this book at midnight; a book that has crazy happenings and intense goosebump-worthy scenes right from the beginning. Every page had me delving deeper and deeper under the covers just so I would stop imagining hellish demon ghosts at the foot of my bed! And by hellish demon ghosts I mean exactly that! You won't find Casper in here. By page 32 my heart was already pounding from the horror of this unexplained supernatural evil that started to haunt Kennedy. Ok if I'm being honest, I kind of loved it. I'm a sucker for horrors and even though I freak myself out reading them I can't stop myself! Kami vividly describes these vengeful spirits in the eeriest of ways. I could imagine them clear as day and feel their coldness seep into my skin. From evil ghosts children holding mangled dolls, to faces that flick from a child's to an old woman's, to bloated and bruised faces rising from wells; it's all wonderfully horrific with a sense of anxiety that never lets up.

At first, Kennedy is not sure exactly what's going on but she knows it's nothing natural. Soon she meets twins Jared and Lukas who explain that she's part of a secret society of demon hunters. This is where we meet the intriguing cast who make up the Legion. The character development is not the book's strongest component, however. Due to the action-packed nature of the plot, we get no backstories and few occasions to get to know them. In turn, the group dynamic is not dominant which could have made a big difference in how much heart this series possesses. I still found the characters fun to journey with. I enjoyed Priest the most. He's perceptive and intelligent; the one exuding the most personality. Seeing he's the baby of the gang also evoked a sense of protectiveness towards him.

Another area that could have used work is the romance. Although it didn't hinder my enjoyment of the book per se, I would have much preferred if it had been non existent. For one, it felt like it was added for no other reason than a perceived necessity in today's YA market. Secondly, using my superior deduction skills, I have concluded she falls for this guy simply because he's hot. Lastly, there's a bizarre maybe-triangle that forms between Kennedy and the twins. I say maybe because we're never certain of where everyone's feelings lay. It could be a love triangle, or it could be a single love interest and the other a "protective older brother". Don't let this romance deter you, however. Despite it surfacing regularly, I didn't find it to be a very significant part of the plot. As such it's hardly a nuisance, it simply didn't strengthen the book.

Fans of Supernatural (the TV series) will find similarities in both story arcs and tone. To defeat this demon they need to find a certain weapon, which means a lot of visits to the most terrifying places - an abandoned prison and a home for children for instance. Like the ghosts themselves, the descriptions of these places are thoroughly chilling. The horror aspect is the book's strong suit, and if you go into it wanting an entertaining, scary read you will be highly satisfied despite its flaws. It focuses and succeeds at being a fast paced thrill ride with plenty of terror, dread, and suspense!

--
An advance copy was provided by the publisher for review.

For more of my reviews, visit my blog at Xpresso Reads

[Rusty's Ghost Engine (also known as.......... Jinky Spring) · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

spoiler: The legion is basically a society consisting of five people who are trying to control damage caused by a demon that is stuck between worlds and would like nothing more than to enter this world and open a gateway to hell. It influences spirits that died horribly and have a hatred for the living they are known as vengeance spirits. The demon was released by the first legion members in an attempt to help them with their ultimate goal which was to destroy the illuminati which according to this book was established in Bavaria by five guys in 1776 and they wanted to destroy the church and all governments to make a new world order, and these legion members were originally excommunicated priests.

The legion members didn't know the identities of those in the illuminati so they turned to a grimoire which was texts on how to communicate with angels or summon and command demons. They summoned a demon and each member had a part of that demons mark on their skin in an effort to bind it but things got out of control and they barley managed to banish it from the world and they that's why it's stuck between worlds. The mc sees an instruction slip in all the old legion papers for a device known as the shift which everyone thought would stop the demon for good and they went on a treasure hunt for parts each guarded by spirits but it turned out the spirits were guarding them for good reason because the device released the demon instead of banishing it. It also turned out that the reason why all the current legion members were killed was because Jared had found the identity of each member and recorded the names and then the demon found out and sent the spirits in his command to kill them.
Whew. What a fast paced thrill ride! There is no shortage on action and suspense in this book and it's also not very long. Normally I like thrilling medium sized books a lot but this one seemed to lack character development and the way things were delivered felt very far fetched. With fantasy/paranormal books set in a world like our own I expect the author to be able to merge the supernatural and reality together in a way that is believable and real. But I felt that didn't happen here. Maybe it was because this was too fast paced there wasn't really enough time or room to give deep descriptions.

I also felt the fast paced nature of this book also ruined character development. I felt that the characters didn't have enough depth and they felt rather 2D like cardboard cutouts. Because it seemed the author wanted to rush this book, I never got to really know the characters but on saying that there are more books in the series so perhaps we find more background stories.

I did like the twist at the end and I have always been fond of these treasure hunt type of books, so I would recommend this book to those who are fond of watching ghost programmes and like that whole "I'm on a mission" feel in their YA books.

[Shawna Finnigan · Rating 4 out of 5]

TW// graphic descriptions of murder (including children, parents, grandparents, and uncles), violence, gore, mention of cheating/affair, suicide, death penalty, child abuse

If you like Supernatural or the CW’s version of Nancy Drew, you’ll definitely enjoy this book. Unbreakable reads like a typical CW show. It has some cheesy moments, but it’s an addicting read that’ll keep you entertained from the first page.

My favorite part about this whole book was the found family between Kennedy, Lukas, Jared, Alara, and Priest. The five of them are all loveable characters with their own special talents and I love the connection that they all shared. Lukas and Jared are like teenage versions of Sam and Dean Winchester, so the bond that they share felt super familiar to me and it made me enjoy this story even more. Alara and Kennedy are both powerful girls who have share an unlikely friendship that was interesting to read about. And Priest… he’s an adorable little cinnamon roll and I’m going to be so mad if anything bad happens to him in the sequel.

I really enjoyed the pacing of this story. It was super fast paced and I couldn’t put the book down once I started reading it. It was so fast that occassionally I’d have to reread a paragraph to catch something that I’d missed, but I’d rather reread paragraphs of a fast paced book than have to make my way through a slow paced book. The pacing is also part of what made this book so different from the Beautiful Creatures series. Beautiful Creatures was super slow. If I didn’t know who wrote Unbreakable, I wouldn’t have been able to guess that the person who wrote this book was one of the Beautiful Creatures’ co-authors.

There were a few small plotholes in this book. They weren’t too big of an issue, but I still felt like they should’ve been caught in revisions. For example, there’s a scene where a door slams shut and they get locked in a room. However, in the next scene, they’re magically out of the room.

Despite this book’s flaws, I still really enjoyed it and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling but not too scary story. This book ended on a massive cliffhanger, so it’s time for me to try to get my hands on the sequel. I can’t wait to see what’ll happen next in this series.

[hayden]

I'm very excited to hear Garcia's and Stohl's writing styles when they're not co-writing.

[Jeann (Happy Indulgence) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review has been posted on Happy Indulgence. Check it out for more reviews!

Unbreakable had many similarities to another medium that features two demon hunting brothers at its core – Supernatural.

As the biggest Supernatural fan, it was easy to spot the similarites, and there were a lot of them. The two ghost hunting brothers use rock salt, EMFs and a knife that can destroy a ghost. They go around saving people from ghosts and supernatural beings, and are a part of a secret order called the Legion, and consult a journal for their supernatural findings, which is passed down from their parents. Even a devil’s trap is used to confine a demon in the story. Although almost every new book these days is based off other ideas, I have a big problem with books who rip off direct concepts without adding enough originality of its own.

Unbreakable combines the Supernatural concept with some light symbology and relic hunting. The two Lockhart brothers save Kennedy from an evil poltergiest, and induct her into the Legion with other members Priest and Alara. Kennedy must prove herself to show that she’s a member of the Legion, while locating the relics scattered around DC to prevent the demon Andras from rising.

Coupled with ghosts in really scary places such as a haunted jail, bottom of a well and a haunted mansion, there were some deliciously creepy scenes which I really enjoyed. There aren’t enough YA books that use horror as it’s main focus and Unbreakable did it really well.

What spoiled the atmosphere for me however, was the teen melodrama, mandatory love triangle, insta-love and whiny main character. It seems many YA books use this as a formula these days, and while I would have found it tolerable in the past, I have read enough of the same to find it predictable, irritating and run of the mill.

Kennedy is a character that had the potential to be awesome. She’s brave and not afraid in the face of spirits and her eidetic memory is pretty cool too. Unfortunately, she spends most of the book preoccupied with her insecurities with fitting in with the rest of the group, which brother she liked better, and proving her worth as a Legion member. Her whining and immaturity got to me after a while.

With two hot twin brothers, it’s practically a given that they were going to be packaged in with a love triangle. I don’t mind love triangles, if they are done right and add to the story, but just having both of the brothers wanting to be with Kennedy upon meeting her was sudden and unrealistic. With fluttering eyelids, held gazes and a lot of arm touching, the whole insta love thing just got in the way of my enjoyment of the story.

Relic hunting was a bit too easily solved as well, I would have liked a bit more build up or at least some form of difficulty. If ancient relics are going to be hidden, hiding them just around the DC area just seemed a little too convenient.

Thankfully, Kami Garcia’s writing is actually pretty decent. It’s a quick read, fast paced, and easy to get into. If you’re a fan of horror and Supernatural, I would recommend Unbreakable, if you can withstand the teen melodrama.

I received a review copy from Simon and Schuster Australia in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for sending me this book!

Unbreakable will be released on October 10, 2013.

[Neil (or bleed) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the blurb, Unbreakable has been related to Supernatural and The Da Vinci Code. Unfortunately, I didn't have any chance to watch those two (and read for The Da Vinci Code) so I can't compare them.

But, based on my experience reading Unbreakable, this book will give you the feeling of immense horror and dread because you can imagine that the ghosts described in here are in the back of the chair you've been sitting, waiting for you to look back. And eventually, you look back and you will find that that is just your imagination so you heave a sigh of relief and you go back to reading but you're heart is thumping faster now than normal.

I really enjoyed reading it, even though, I'm scared half of the time. Kami is really good of creating creepy atmosphere enough for me to catch my breath for a minute before continue reading. The pacing is fast, in a good way, giving just enough information about The Legion and the lives of our characters but still leaving chunks and pieces of information for you to have to think of and as part of the mystery, I guess.

Speaking of characters, Kennedy, our main character, is not that badass since she doesn't have any knowledge that she belongs to a group that hunts ghosts (but I am predicting she will be). She always worry and had issues on herself and with The Legion. Yet, she has still the courage to fight and to help her friends and families.

There are this twin, Lukas and Jared, which help Kennedy to be killed by a spirit and you guess it, this twin was somehow cause Kennedy to have some issues and confusion in her heart. And this romance doesn't work on me because it didn't work on the book, either. It's not that bad but it has not been developed intricately, you doesn't feel the attachment. It was raw. It will be good there was no romance after all. Don't worry, it didn't affect so much the plot.

Anyway, there's Alara, another interesting character. I thought she is one of the typical-irritable-and-ill-tempered-girls kind but I'm wrong, she's not but she really hated the color pink. Priest, the fifth member of The Legion, however, is intelligent and cool. You will suspect him as a son of Hephaestus. I really enjoyed his character here.

Indeed, Unbreakable is a must read especially if you like ghost hunting and searching and discovery.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out Scott Reads It! for reviews, giveaways, & more!

Looking back on Unbreakable, I'm overcome with a sense of disappointment at both myself and the book itself. I had been looking forward to this book for ages and it was one of my most anticipated books of 2013. I am a huge fan of the Beautiful Creatures series and so I had astronomically high expectations for Unbreakable. In other words, I was 100% convinced that I would love this book to no end. I was so convinced that it would become one of my favorite YA novels, that is until I actually started to read Unbreakable.

I enjoyed Unbreakable right from the start due to Garcia's compelling writing skills and her ability to create such a creepy atmosphere. Kami Garcia is talented and there's no denying that, but I really don't think Unbreakable really showcases all of her writing abilities to their utmost capabilities. The beginning of the novel gave me an idea that the characters would be well-developed, but as the novel went on, it seemed that some of the characters morphed into personality-less husks.

Kennedy Waters is really unsure of herself at the beginning of Unbreakable and she is saved by Jared and Lukas Lockhart. I really liked Kennedy, but I kept waiting for that moment when Kennedy would accept who she is and take action. When her mother dies, Kennedy really doesn't seem to be affected all too much by this death until later. I understand that Kennedy is blinded by her loss to see that she is a member of the Legion, but it was all too much. The fact that Kennedy had to kept denying that she was apart of Legion and acted immature when the matter was brought up, really irked me. I expected a little bit of denial, but for her to keep shooting down the idea so often really didn't work for me. I expected to see Kennedy more comfortable in her skin and more comfortable in Unbreakable, but the reader doesn't see much of a character progression on her part.

When it comes to the brothers, Lukas and Jared Lockhart, I can only express statements of disappointment. I love the way Garcia (and Stohl) portrayed Ethan in Beautiful Creatures, but Lukas and Jared really lacked the believability that Ethan wore like a cloak. Lukas and Jared's characters are never fully scoped out through the novel and I felt like I never really understood either character at all. Unless a name was mentioned, I couldn't really differentiate between Lukas and Jared too much because both characters just felt incomplete like they were missing something so essential. Not to mention the fact that the brothers are constantly fighting like juveniles when there are bigger problems like demons and vengeance spirits. I understand that the brothers have an irreconcilable backstory, but the brothers attacked more like elementary school than mature teenagers.

The plot of Unbreakable is full of enough mysterious and creepy happenings to sate my macabre cravings. Garcia really knows how to weave a paranormal novel, making each encounter with a supernatural being exciting and intense. This book is insanely creepy, like leave your lights on at night kind of creepy and I appreciate all of the horror elements that went into this book. Garcia never truly holds back when it comes to the horror and Unbreakable isn't for the faint at heart.

I'm really not sure where the whole romance angle of this book is going at all. There are only romantic tinges that really didn't stick out much in my mind. I'm not sure if there's going to be in future installments because the romance in this book doesn't really go anywhere. I won't mind reading a love triangle in this series, as long as it's executed well.

Unbreakable really had promise and it's really a shame that I didn't enjoy it more. I really loved the plot and the horror aspects, but the characters and the romance really fell short for me. I will be continuing this series because I know this series has tons of potential and I just love Garcia's writing. I know I didn't enjoy Unbreakable as I would have liked, but I have a feeling that fans of horror novels will absolutely love it.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars

Unbreakable was my last try at reading anything by the Beautiful Creatures author duo. I've tried Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margret Stohl as well as ICONS by Margret Stohl but really disliked both. Which is why I was a bit hesitant in starting Unbreakable, especially with the "twin brothers" plot line which obviously involved a love triangle… *sigh*..

KIDDING!

I LOVED Unbreakable. It got me out of a reading slump and I somehow managed to make time to read it in a couple of days, which is an ACHIEVEMENT with my current responsibilities.

Some books have the most fascinating plots but the storytelling is what is lacking, however Kami Garcia's way of writing is engaging and keeps you going. I would aim to read a chapter but end up reading a couple more. This book centers around ghosts.. I KNOW.. I am not a big fan of these paranormal novels but I honestly felt like I was watching a movie. I was able to visualize everything (also, the some symbols, devices are actually drawn in the book), as well as feel like I was part of the action. The main protagonist, Kennedy, just lost her mom and apparently she wasn't the only one. A group of kids her age rescue her and she ends up entangled in this "legion" business. The legion was established by 5 families and each one of the kids are a descendent. I loved the action with the ghosts and how Priest, a 14 year old, creates the most epic weapons out of the most useless objects.

Other than the plot, I think he characters were definitely part of the reason of me loving Unbreakable. I loved Kennedy, she didn't take any crap from anyone. However I loved Jared. He was the brooding twin to Lukas, who is always a ray of sunshine. Lastly is Alara, who you all might think is the pain in the butt jealous character who is out to get our main protagonist, but surprisingly she wasn't like that. Along with Priest, they all felt like such a family, especially since they lived and traveled together. We don't get a ton of background history on each character and I must admit Alara and Luke felt a bit flat to me but Jared and Priest won me over.

I actually looked up whether Unbreakable had a sequel while I was still reading it and was relieved when I found out it IS part of a series. Usually you expect the opposite, but for Unbreakable I was happy that it isn't a standalone. I recommend it to all YA fans since I feel that it'll appeal to everyone, but since it IS October, you should definitely pick it up, especially with that cover!

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

See more reviews at YA Midnight Reads

Thank you Simon and Schuster Australia for sending me this copy. No compensation was given or taken to alter this review.

Her face turned toward me.
Her eyes were as empty as a doll's.

Not being a great fan of Beautiful Creatures, I went into Unbreakable wearily and finished, rather pleased with the end result.

Kennedy Waters has met a ghost and her mother has recently died. And just when things are about to move along, she meets twin brothers, Jared and Lukas Lockheart. Soon, Kennedy finds out that her mother was part of a secret group called the Legion to fight a demon that dared to harm the world; however the world is no longer safe as the people of this group are all dead. And now it's time for Kennedy to take her mother's place. Similar to The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, Kami Garcia's latest novel will make your spine chill so ensure that you have the lights on when you're reading this!

I wouldn't say that I hated Kennedy, nonetheless she wasn't amazingly loveable. Ever since she was young, Kennedy discovered that she could memorise things by just looking at them for a few short minutes, a bit like a super photographic memory gift. And until she meets Jared and Lukas, she never gave much thought about it, just kept a low profile so no one at school would take advantage of her ability to cheat tests. First impressions for Kennedy were pretty high, I liked how she didn't boast or use this ability to climb up the high-school social ladder and I really appreciated her thinking logic. Clearly intelligent. However when she was thrown into the world of paranormal, she became quite self-conscious about herself. This, was not a major issue until three- quarters of the way in where she still had not stopped whining and instead with kicking some ass. Her constant questioning of belonging did begin to nag in the back of my mind. Overall, Kennedy was a bearable character that I hope will undergo some character development in the next instalment.

The supporting characters were one of the highlights. Alara had to be my favourite. She didn't care what people thought of her and was completely focused in the action scenes (which was nearly every page), while badassery has been getting a little typical lately; Alara's was still thoroughly enjoyable. We also have Priest who's like the tech-y guy in Unbreakable. Then there are the twins, Jared and Lukas who seem to have some silent argument going throughout the novel. I was really interesting to see what was behind that story. All characters were easily definable and unique. Despite the constant action, we do have a romance- which was not a big fan of. It felt more like an ornament on a Christmas tree that did not fit the rest of the colour scheme. In other words, likeable but better off without. There is a hint of a love-triangle but it's minute and I do believe it's sort of solved near the end of Unbreakable.

One of the best things in Unbreakable that I hope sustains through the entire series was the pace. Fast, lively, and absolutely heart-pounding. I am no thriller fan (or horror for a fact) but I still managed to love it. Especially at the start where it just jumps in and the feeling of not knowing what's happening with ghosts and cats being possessed- it's spontaneous. An amazing type of spontaneous.

A little predictable in some areas, with other flaws could've made this an underwhelming read but the constant action, suspense and horror will satisfy! The set up here was clearly for more instalments to come so Unbreakable does focus more on the character backgrounds a little more. If you weren't a fan of Beautiful Creatures, I recommend trying this as it's nothing like Beautiful Creatures!

[Bonnie Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a huge fan of Supernatural and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and I can tell that the author Kami Garcia is too. The twisting turns the plot took, the believable and complex characters, the memorable dialog and the creepy story - made me excited for the next page! I can't wait to see what adventures the entire series will reveal. It's rare to find an author who truly gets teen characters and what they go through. Kami understands that world, while injecting some truly terror-filled moments into a suspenseful storyline. I loved this book so much that I hope they make a TV show from it. CW, are you listening? ;-)

[Jeninne · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you read the reviews of this book you would think its worst offense is being a blatant rip-off of Supernatural. This is not the case. In fact, that’s probably the least offensive about this book, in all actuality. Because Supernatural is amazing. And even a blatant rip-off would hold some measure of worth. No, the real problem with this book is much worse. And multifaceted. It’s several things, all at once, colliding into one horrible, weak book.

Earlier this year I read Stohl’s Icons. I pretty much hated the book, but I make the judgment based almost solely off the story presented, and not the writing. The writing wasn’t bad at all. The problem is, when authors write together, it’s often hard to figure out who is doing exactly what, and how much. It’s hard to figure out if one author is masking another’s inability to write something of quality. With Beautiful Creatures, this really was the case. Because Kami Garcia is a weak writer. And Stohl masked that. Whereas Stohl’s writing is strong, almost commanding, Garcia writes in a passive way, that makes the reader less engaged, and more likely to be distracted, or disinterested. There’s nothing catchy about Garcia’s writing, and at times it often feels middle grade.

But writing aside, the main character, Kennedy, is a problem as well. Or rather, the way her character interacts with other characters, is a problem. She’s the magic-girl type character, who doesn’t know how awesome or special she is, but EVERYONE around her can see it. She makes all the boys fall in love with her, and the girls either want to be BFFs, or feel threatened because she’s so perf. Kennedy is the character who has low self esteem, constantly doubts herself, isn’t exciting, isn’t interesting, and is pretty much as plain as they come, but apparently people flock to her. There’s no reason for this, it makes no sense, and it’s blatantly obvious.

Also, you can’t see my face right now, but I’m grimacing about this love triangle. And the instalove. And the teenage angst surrounding the hormones flying through this book at light speed. Remember, because Kennedy is so perf, all the boys want her. And naturally, so do the twins. The twins who have no real personality or depth, but are smoking hot I guess, and that’s just enough when it comes to YA. So instead of showing some familial loyalty, or, you know, common sense, they fight each other both covertly and overtly for her affection. Because it makes total sense that after two days of knowing each other, they would both but SUPER in love with her, and place her as more valuable than the small bit of family they have left.

And oh noes, Kennedy just can’t decide which twin is more her taste. Does she want the brooding badboy Jared, or the sweetie Lukas (it’s important to note how his name is spelled, readers. This abnormal spelling indicates that he’s extra emo, or extra hot, or extra perf to go with just how perf Kennedy is)?

The problem with this book isn’t the Supernatural rip-off. It’s the weak characters. The weaker story. And the plain, uninteresting, often sub par writing. It’s the instalove. The love triangle. The lack of common sense in almost all the characters. The teenage angst. And so much more. I really wanted to love this book, I wanted to love it so much, but it was such a letdown. However, I really didn’t HATE this book, not like I’ve hated other books, and it wasn’t a struggle to finish it. The book is relatively short and reads easily. I’ll probably come back for the sequel. But there’s very little engaging here, very little good, and very little worth a reread a few years down the line.

[Mizuki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I didn't know what to expect when I opened Unbreakable, I knew there will be a group of teenagers who act as demon hunters...but that is pretty much all that I knew. I also have to admit teenage demon hunters really isn't my thing, but for the sake of the author, Kami Garcia, I decided to give this book a shot.

Turns out this book is quite a mixed bag, the demon-hunting plot is only so-and-so, not to mention I don't like the romance between the two teenagers (you will know which two of them soon enough) and the hint of an upcoming love triangle (you know how much I hate love triangles); on the other hand, the haunting scenes are well written and once the action scenes arrive, the story is working well for me!

As to the characters, they are decent enough and no one is being a drama queen in their situation, that much I'm thankful, yet I still think there are still plenty of rooms for them to grow.

I'm very curious about what will happen next, so I borrowed the sequel and started reading ASAP after I'd finished with this one.

Review for the sequel: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol [Goodreads Addict] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennedy Waters is just a normal 17 year old girl, or she thought so anyway. She never really felt, though, like she belonged at school. Her best friend, Elle is the one with the bubbly personality. The one who likes to flirt with boys. Kennedy is happiest when she is drawing or painting. And there is one other thing that sets her apart from others her age, she has a photographic memory. But, her life is pretty normal. She lives with her Mom who she loves with all her heart. But one night, that life is stolen from her. She goes off to the movies with her friend and when she gets home, she finds her Mom dead.

She is told she has to either live with her Aunt whom she doesn't even know, or she can go off to a boarding school which is what she chooses. But the night before she is to leave, something tries to kill her. And right into her life, her house, her bedroom, runs two very cute twins, Lucas and Jared. They save her but what are these boys doing in her house? They claim they have been watching her. That her Mom was a part of a Legion of five that protected the world from vengeful demons. Their Dad and Uncle were also members. But all five of them were killed on the same night. So now it is up to their children to take on their cause. Kennedy does not believe that her Mom was part of such a group. But she has no choice but to run with these boys because the entire house is being attacked from something very angry. She meets the other two members of their group, Priest and Alara. But each of these teens has a specialty, something to offer. Kennedy doesn't feel like she has anything to offer.

I really did like this book. The action starts right away. There were never really any slow times. And I instantly fell in love with Kennedy. She is a seemingly well adjusted teen but doubts her own strength or value. And there is an instant attraction with one of the twins. These kids literally carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. But they accept the responsibility that they feel has been handed down to them without hesitation. The book was actually a little bit creepy at times but not enough to actually make me uncomfortable. The book was told in true Kami Garcia form with lots of action, mystery and romance. There is a bit of a cliff hanger and I can't wait for the next book.

[Giselle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't expecting this mystery surrounding a secret society combined with ghost busting. And I was happy that it was something different from all the other books that I read. I rather enjoyed it minus the lovey dovey romance.

There were scary instances where I felt creeped out. I could imagine everything happening like watching a movie in front of my eyes. I don't like getting scared in books and it doesn't help that I read this in two sittings well into the night. The pacing is fast, and I loved it. I pretty much devoured it in just two sittings and it helped that it was pretty short. Right from the get-go things happen and they happen quickly. It turns out to be the catalyst for the entire story no matter how morbid it became.

I wasn't a big fan of the love triangle. I didn't think it was necessary to have both twin brothers be interested in the shiny new toy that was Kennedy. There was also the lack of personality from all of the characters. Where were their shining personalities, and the sarcasm? There was too much brooding and not enough development for my taste. Glad that I took a chance on this one because I was highly entertained. The pacing was pretty much perfect. The story was interesting enough to keep going and the characters were good.

[Tee loves Kyle Jacobson · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I have to say that Kami Garcia knows how to write a story and keep you hooked to the very end. Lord I have never read a book so fast because I needed to get to the end without having to peek and ruin it for me. I was so engrossed in this book and the world that kami has provided for us. I mean the book starts out with I never believed in ghosts until one tried to kill me..... with that kind of opener who the heck can say no to this book? I could not because I was caught and sucked in hook line and sinker!

When Kennedy comes home she finds her mother dead. She is devastated because all she had was her mother and now she has no one.She has no idea what happened to her mother and she has no idea that the death of her mother is connected to five other deaths. She has no idea that there is a secret society that her mother belonged to and that she will have to carry on the family tradition of being in the society. She will find this out soon enough because the evil that lurks is going to come for her and her life as she knows it will change.

The night she finds out the truth started out like any other her getting ready to go to bed when she feels something and that something tries to attack her but she soon realizes that there are two guys who got into her house and they are fighting this thing and they kill it before it kills her. She is not sure what to think about what just happened and in her haze she realizes the guys are talking to her and that they are twins. The twins Jared and Lukas sit her down and explain everything to her and what they reveal is shocking to her because she never knew her mother kept so many secrets from her.

Now Kennedy is more determined to find out what happened to her mother and who this society is and what it is all about. She will soon learn that two other people will join her along her journey as well as the twins. What will she uncover? Will she be able to defeat the demons and spirits after her? This is a stunning start to what is going to be a great series! I have to buy the book when it comes out in paperback so I can re-read it and add it to my must read again book shelf!

[Isamlq · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wasn’t exactly sure about what it was in this book that didn’t work for me, but a friend of mine pointed it out… and I can’t help but agree: it’s Supernatural rip off from the set up, to the characters, to the very ending! Except that this one failed in one key way: the Winchester brothers have personality, have heart... it’s not all chases and crazy ass demons to beat, the brothers have this ineffable thing that always has me rooting for them. Not the case here.

There’s a girl and then there are two boys, who both happen to fall in love with the first because… because… well, just because. And all that would have been fine, too what with all the cool mentions of salt and bullets and guns and genius/kick as kids plus knowledge passed from generation to the next; if only the members of aforesaid triangle had even a pinch of personality:

One boy is simply so kick ass that he’s known as the kick ass one; the other boy is so sweet and sensitive that Kennedy always ends up thinking something sappy like feeling safe with said guy who’d just so suddenly appeared in her life. And this girl, by the way, is so wishy-washy in her thoughts that I just couldn’t get behind her. Thus, for each kick ass-y moment there was a wishy-washy/I don’t know-I just don’t know one from one or two or all of them that cancelled the first out.

Good lord. I disliked this to the nth, except that maybe too strong a reaction from me for this. Recall, the only thing I actually liked in Beautiful Creatures (etc) was the different feeling atmosphere? Well, now, I know who was responsible for the same. Hint: not Ms. Garcia

[Melanchallina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Отзыв в моем блоге: http://adelinarain.blogspot.ru/2016/0...

[Tanja (Tanychy) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review also posted at Ja čitam, a ti?

Another big name in our little bookish world is for sure Kami Garcia. Even though her Beautiful Creatures series wasn't something I enjoyed, still I wanted to give her books another chance especially after hearing some interesting things about this series. So when it appeared as read-now on NetGalley I said why not!

I wish I didn't, though. I'm not sure should I pull out I'm too old for this or this is not for me card or it's not only that. There is mix of that and mix of some issues I had with this book. But while this story promises you a really thrilling and dark story with some interesting background story, it gives you bits of that but not fully to be crazy about the story. It offers a really nice background story and interesting idea with that, but sadly it wasn't developed enough so I could understand it better. It will probably be in the sequel, but I'm not sure that I'll be reading it.

Now we come to the part which I had issues with - meaning the characters. Now I'm pulling my "I'm too old for this" card and I'll say that while Kennedy was your typical seventeen year old girl it's where it stops. She is not remarkable and unforgettable. Rather she is now after few weeks of reading this story just another character I will forget in few months. It's not only her but the problem here is that despite the love-triangle we had here, I believe that when you have twins as characters you need to make them unique and different enough for us to be able to distinguish between them. In theory that was done here because in descriptions boys were just that, but as soon as they started doing something they became the same. Both were bad boys but doing bad things just because they survived some traumas, which is as we all know always a good reason. Did I say typical already?

So, bottom line is that I believe that people who enjoyed Beautiful Creatures and some other similar books and younger readers who are discovering YA will enjoy this one, but we who had a decent share of typical stories not so much.

[Brad Sells · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unbreakable is a chilling and haunting read that completely absorbed me and kept me turning pages late into the night. The perfect spooky read!

I started Unbreakable late at night, and I have to say, that was a bad decision. Why? Not only was it freaking me out and sent chills down my spine, it had me wrapped up in this mysterious and eerie world - I didn't want to put it down for a second! I was emerged into the world right from page one, and I was enthralled and captivated by the story. It's unputdownable. I really enjoyed Beautiful Creatures, but woah, Unbreakable was epic! Absolutely loved this one!

Kennedy was such a great protagonist. She has had a hard and sad life, but everything changes once she joins the Legion. I loved being on this journey with her, and she never let me down - not once! And of course, everybody in the Legion was awesome. I can't wait to see where the story is taken to in the next book! Kami Garcia spun a unique tale of ghosts and demons, and while I stepped out of my comfort zone to read this (demons aren't my thing, and I don't read a whole lot of ghost stories), I'm so thrilled I did. It's one of a kind and mind-bending. And I loved the research in Unbreakable! I could tell that Garcia put a lot of thought and effort into this masterpiece of a book, and I really appreciate that! Unbreakable is impossible to put down!

Also, I want to add that Unbreakable is one of those books that will send chills soaring down your spine and will boggle your mind. I stayed up so late reading this one - you know it's a good spooky read when it makes you want to sleep with the lights on! I can't even begin to tell you all how much I loved this book. Fantastic, marvelous, and straight up amazing. More, please!

Overall, Unbreakable is a new favorite book of all-time for me! Haunting and phenomenal, Unbreakable is a true masterpiece that I adore to pieces!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kennedy’s life changes when her mom dies, her life goes into a do-or-die tailspin the night Jared and Lukas Lockhart storm her bedroom. Thus, begins the story of Kennedy and her immediate immersion into the Legion.

The Legion is an ancient secret society made of up five members, who must battle a powerful demon to protect the world as we know it. When I was ‘discussing’ this book on twitter a friend mentioned Scooby and the gang, and folks he was spot on – teens battling evil. This was not said flippantly, but with sincerity. I personally love books about ‘friends overcoming evil, and making sacrifices’ for the greater good. The unique mix of personalities and specialty’s blended nicely with the story and I was all about this ragtag group; hot boy twins Lukas and Jared, nerd boy Priest, the beautiful Rylee and Kennedy. Together, as a group, they rocked it.

The pacing of this story is fast, and just when you think there is a reprieve, a time for the gang to catch their breath, something happens to put the lives of the gang in peril – again.

Oh, and there are a couple of swoony moments. One in a tight, dark space. You can thank Kami after you read it.

I think many will be pleased with this first in a series, though they may be biting their nails waiting for the sequel.

[david y biblioflick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carry on my wayward son
Sorry, they just aired the season 10 finale of Supernatural...



So back to Unbreakable
So Sam Winchester Kennedy Waters doesn't believe in ghost neither is she interested in the paranormal or being a Hunter part of the Legion all she wanted is just a normal life. But it changed when his her mother died set on fire in the ceiling because of the cat. And cats are indeed creepier and scarier than any demons or paranormal entities out there. And later on two twins, who is part of the Legion and both is in love with her (come on another love triangle), went to her house just in time to save her from the poltergeist. .

So Kennedy along with the four other members of the Legion - the twins, Jared and Lucas, Priest and Alara, stopped Lilith in breaking the seals tracked down the parts of the Shift which they believe will help them in defeating Lucifer Andras. And the parts of the Shift are protected by different paranormal entities and Kennedy learned alot along the way. Like holy water, salt and cold iron. Also when they killed an entity they got a mark of Andras which could control him. But when Kennedy killed Darien Shears she doesn't have any that made the title of the second book - Unmarked.

So the last location brought them to the place where a serial killer named Darien Shears died. And there they killed Lilith ending the breaking of the seals found the last pieces of the Shift. But as Kennedy killed Lilith assembled the Shift, she realized that killing Lilith the Shift is the one that frees Lucifer Andras. And the Apocalypse came. And they realized when they same Damien Shears name arranges itself into I am Lord Voldermort Andras is here.

Kennedy is separated from the group in the end.

I don't really care that this is really similar to Supernatural (especially SPN Season 4), I kinda like Supernatural back then where they are just dealing with monsters and stuff (SPN supposedly until Season 5) and it's great season 6-10 (11 is coming) is quite draggy, have a lot of fillers and more complex (still I'm watching it, though the S10 finale is a really good cliffhanger). Hoping this trilogy will be not that draggy.

[Bookish Pengu · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Re-read] Damals 5 Sterne. Jetzt 2. Zeiten ändern sich

[~Tina~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Kennedy has been afraid of the dark since she was a little girl, but that fear is nothing compared to coming home one night and finding her mother's lifeless body on the bed. Weeks later, on her last night at home before leaving for boarding school, Kennedy woke up in a strangled scream as two guys storm in her bedroom destroying a vindictive spirit that was trying to kill her. The same spirit that may have killed her mother. Kennedy knew that her life would never be the same without her mom, but never in her wildest dreams could anything prepare her for what comes next.
The Legion is a secret society forged hundreds of years ago. In ever generation there are five members. They were chosen by a previous family member to be taught and trained and vow to to protect the world from evil spirits and the demons that control them. Kennedy must follow in her mothers footsteps as she joins Lukas, Jared, Priest and Alara as they look for clues that will lead them to a weapon that will banish the demon, Andras, whom their ancestors had raised long ago.

It's funny, a few years ago you couldn't pay me to get near a book about demons much less actually read one. These days paranormal is one of my favorite genres. I may have come along way since then, but once in awhile a book will come along and still manage to scare the hell out of me. Unbreakable is one of those books.
Kami Garcia is a strong writer. She definitely has some skills when it comes to writing vividly frightening and terrifying scenes. It wasn't so much as gore then it was unnervingly eerie and freaky. I've never had much of a comfort zone for true horror, so it may not be as bad for those of you who don't scare easily, but for me, this was pretty much freezer-worthy stuff. I'm not looking forward to the nightmares that will surely follow, but dame, that sure was some impressive chills.

The story-line is fast and consuming. I liked the idea behind the Legion and the history of how it started. It's not exactly a new concept, but I liked Garcia's take on demon lore and the way she entwined the spirits with ever new clue and piece found. I also liked the team of characters she put together. Each of them have a special specific skill of expertise to assist them in fights and in hunting, but what I liked the most about them was even though they were all trained to fight off the supernatural (besides Kennedy) they're not overly perfect and still make enough mistakes a long the way. Their flaws make them more real and easy to connect with.
My only real issue with this book was the relationship part of the story. There is a love triangle, but that's not what bothers me. It's the way it instantly shaped. Jared and Lukas are twin brothers who both like Kennedy and she in turn likes them both as well, but here's the thing, it felt liked it moved to fast, giving it that flat and uneven flavor. While I thought some of the moments between our main protagonist and one of the brothers was indeed sweet, it just didn't feel like enough happened between them nor did they know each other well enough for it to be that meaningful and intense. Add in some jealous-angst, family drama and a blame-game and unfortunately it ends up being more cringe-worthy instead of swoon-worthy stuff.

With that said, I still really liked all the characters. Kennedy, Jared, Lukas, Priest and Alara are great individually but they are even stronger when together. They have a natural chemistry when they work as a team and the banter and lighter moments reminds us that they are still just teenagers and not just a group of kids who are destined to hunt and kill off paranormal encounters and stop an evil demon who is trying to take over the world.
Everything that Kennedy goes through after her mother's death is all new and shocking and she played that part well. Throughout the entire book she doubts herself and has a hard time believing that she's even apart of a group of supernatural demon hunters. Unusually I would find that an annoying quality in a character, but if I was Kennedy, I'd probably feel the same way.
Lukas was very easy to like the minute we meet him. He's an upbeat kind of guy, sweet, positive and reassuring. Sadly I did have some issues with him later on in the story though.
Jared is the opposite of his twin brother, he's more brooding and serious. The guilt of his past still haunts him and he tends to push people away.
Priest was one of my favorites. He has an adorable enthusiasm for his inventions and wants to prove his worth in the group, but I already think of him as one of the biggest assets.
Alara is beautiful and a badass. She has some attitude but thankfully it didn't take her long to warm up to Kennedy, which is a good thing since there's already enough aggression in this book.

All in all, Unbreakable is a promising start in a new thrilling and exciting series. I may not have loved it the way I wanted to, but it definitely had it's moments. That ending was also very different then what I'm use to in other books. I don't want to elaborate to much since it would be a spoiler, but I was genuinely surprised with the way the outcome unfolded. Their ultimate decision added a deeper conflict as they must eventually face the consequences that will inevitably follow. And I'm hooked enough to want to know what happens next!

[Stuti Rai · Rating 2 out of 5]

So instead of a review, I took a (my first) shot at writing fanfiction. OF Supernatural. To elucidate my feelings on the book through Dean's torture. Not for little munchkins.

(Set sometime during Season 7)

A good day to die. Sunbeams drilling into Dean's eyes, birds twittering like he's a fucking little elf, Sam being a little bitch again.

"...Dean you don't understand! It's not healthy to obsess over your fan fiction unless you're Mark Gatiss or God forbid! Castiel, not while you're you..."

"Quite being a little bitch, Sam."

Dean tunes Sam out, who is dancing around in circles because apparently, it isn't simply enough that he speak like a rabbit, he had to act like one too. For the complete effect, you see, making it easier for Dean to pretend and immerse himself in this scene where Sam and errr...Michael are ummm...

"...blabbity blabbity bloop privilege blabbity..."

"Holy fucking shit, I did NOT need to know that. NOT AT ALL. How did the writers-eh, Sam? Do you a tramp stamp under your right buttock? Sam?"

Dean gets more than he bargained, or rather ignored Sam, for. The scene's changed, so has his little, LITTLE brother, it seems, getting it on with the supposedly imprisoned angel, like their willies need to be resuscitated after drowning, given CPR like there's no tomorrow, will be no tomorrow unless they continue. Scarred for like, and irrationally(so it would appear) angry at himself, Dean feels regretful for a moment that he never taught Sam better, never included in the disingenuously easy "the birds and the bees" talk from last year, a few hypocritical lines about damaging, fruitless relationships.

"Except there doesn't seem to be a lack of fruit here," Lucifer whispers conspiratorially, materializing in the room to the cacophony of a hundred putrid, zombie squirrels, still in the human body he occupied, fraying around the edges and nose and other places; there certainly wasn't a lack of fruit: he was in the nude. And disgusting, owing to the aforementioned "fraying" factor.

Suddenly, it hits Dean how tangential, irrelevant and stupid his thoughts have been. Sam would never while there's the vaguest possibility of Lucifer being in the room. That's one of the topics they had discussed, dissected. This was not real. It WAS NOT. IT COULD NOT BE.

Looking at the angelic, demonic voyeur, he lets forth a slew of curses at his detailed(too much) imagination, taking a peek at the beauty spot on Michael's back, and his-now he realizes, sighs an omniscient Sam, from alternate dimension-unhealthy obsession.

"What the fuck is this, how do I get out of this place, you shit-stealing, megalomaniac bitch?" growls Dean, never one for tact, to the still droning Lucifer.

"Oh you don't like it?" asks Sam's living nightmare, gesturing to Dean's own nightmare(s).But this is just the beginning. If you'd like though, I could send you..." His voice starts drowning in the nerve-wracking cacophony, drilling into Dean's eardrums like a screeching chalk in the hands of a math teacher who seems impervious to it.

Dean comes to in a darkened room and instantly, feels a moment of cognitive dissonance as he glances at a girl leaning on a window whose base is lined with salt. AND SHE IS FUCKING LEANING ON IT. He starts to shout, only then realizing that he has no mouth, yet he must scream.

Incongruous, frustrated, resigned, Dean feels in this unreal room of weapons, salt, ignorant kids manhandling him, not even yet knowing exactly what he is.

And so begins one of the most boring periods of Dean's prolonged life, observing through eyes he doesn't possess, nose he can't see that still itches, non-existent ears that might just burst, a group of incompetent kids looking to save the world from an evil he can't figure out, following an arc of action that has as many holes as they have if he only had his way with these prideful bunch, a gun-and a pair of hands wouldn't hurt, either.

A dream, a dream, dream dream dream, dreams have doors, escape routes. Dean will have to find them but in the meanwhile, all he can do is witness the gross parody of a heart-breaking, forbidden romance going on, the vulnerable lovers and jealous brother, stupid demons and movie scenes, everything so faded, distanced, contrived that he realizes it can't be a dream.

If it's not a dream, then there isn't a door...



...Only the last page of a book. Thank Chuck.

Meanwhile, on TV:



Sorry I couldn't provide a more comprehensive review. No offense to anyone, much less fanfiction writers and Sam Winchester. Thank you, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers!

[Elizabeth Drake · Rating 2 out of 5]

This and other reviews can be found on Reading Between Classes

Cover Impressions: I am a little underwhelmed by this cover. I like the font and the effect but I feel like maybe it needs another color or two - it is just too much of the same... And it certainly doesn't scream "ghost hunters".

The Gist: Kennedy hadn't planned on spending her evening traipsing through a graveyard, searching for her cat and she certainly hadn't planned on encountering a girl who looks oddly out of place - and floats. When the ghost follows her home and takes the life of her mother, Kennedy finds herself in the company of a group of ghostbusters claiming that she is part of the Legion - a century old organization designed to protect the world from a demon. Kennedy takes her place in the group while still doubting the validity of their claims and joins on their search for a mysterious device that may be their only hope of saving themselves, and the world.

Review:
Have you ever felt like an author is flying so high on the success of his/her previous book(s) that he/she is under enormous pressure to produce his/her next book in 1/4 the time that the first one took to write? I do not know if that is the case with Unbreakable, but it certainly feels like it is. Ultimately, it feels like what was meant to be a 500 page novel has been condensed into under 200 pages. Everything in the novel seems to happen too fast. Blink.... there's a ghost. Blink..... Your mom is dead. Blink..... a demon want's to kill you. Blink..... you are part of a ghostbusting crew. This also means that there is no time to SHOW the reader what is happening and Garcia instead relies on pages of info-dumping. During these sessions we learn about a century old order of which Kennedy's mother was supposedly a part. Now, I can suspend disbelief with the best of them but, you would think that there would have been some type of clue - even something that wasn't evident until after this new knowledge. But, no. Even at the end of the book, we still know NOTHING about the mother's involvement with the League and haven't gotten any answers to the big questions.

The condensed version of this novel also mean very little in the way of character development. I did enjoy Priest, but Alara felt like the typical female rival who hates the main character at the beginning but grudgingly comes to respect her by the end. I also had a big problem with the twins. First of all, I kept mixing them up and had to constantly go back to remind myself which as the broody one. If you are going to write twins - you had better be able to make them sound different from one another. Then there was their immediate infatuation with Kennedy, their immediate rivalry over Kennedy and the fact that they had SEVERAL arguments over who was going to "take care of" Kennedy every time they went out on a mission. Seriously, does the girl not have any self respect? It seemed the Kennedy's only job was the fuck things up. This is an all too familiar ploy within the YA world and one that I am beyond tired of. I hate watching the main character have to be rescued over and over again. I hate listening to her brood over how useless she is instead of learning some actual skills.

There are some scenes in Unbreakable that are pretty damn scary. The part in the Children's Home was freaky-deaky and the setting of the final battle was downright terrifying. I really could have gotten on board if there were more of these scenes and less "I like you but I'm not good enough for you" moaning between Kennedy and Jared. I also was temporarily hooked by the teaser of a twist at the end.

For just a moment, I thought that the ghosts were going to be the good guys, that the "League" was going to turn out to be the bad guys and that they had used Kennedy but, alas, Garcia copped out just making the device evil and Kennedy goes on her merry way with the Scooby Doo gang with no new information that what we started with.

But it turned out to be no where near as cool as I had hoped.

Unbreakable just didn't hook me but it may be different for those people who were big fans of the Beautiful Creatures series. I may give the second book a shot when it is released. Here's hoping for more ghosts, less whiny romance.

Teaching/Parental Notes:

Age: 13 and up
Gender: Both
Sex: Kissing
Violence: Supernatural Violence
Inappropriate Language: None
Substance Use/Abuse: None

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Demons, death, haunted houses, and dark, dark spooky “Don’t-go-down-there!” basements! Unbreakable by Kami Garcia has them all. A book filled to the brim with spooks and chills. Perhaps a little too full.

Kennedy’s world changes in a hurry when her Mom dies. Her world shifts from school, art, and friends to weird and scary. And by weird and scary—I mean demons attacking! Twin badass hotties come to her rescue though. Wait. Let me say that again—Twin hotties! *grins* Anywho… The brothers, Lukas and Jared, are members of The Legion—a band of secret hunters and protectors sworn to fight the forces of evil. The awesomely fierce Alara, genius-with-a-blowtorch Priest, and the twins make up the group so far. One member is missing though. Can Kennedy be the missing piece to the Legion? Thrown into a world filled with danger, demons, and spells, Kennedy doesn’t know who to trust or what to believe. Can and should she trust these guys? Only time will tell as she sets out on a road trip to hell and back to find the truth.

Sooo…I might as well get some of this off my chest. Ms. Garcia throws in a very unnecessary romance and possible love triangle that really distracted from the fun. It felt rushed and forced. I needed more than a few locked gazes and touches to feel anything between Kennedy and….*coughs* Not telling. :) I wouldn’t have minded a romance hinted at and then built on as the series went along, but this book held too much. Too fast. Everything went too fast. Feelings formed and changed in a snap. The badass didn’t stay badass for long. And secrets were revealed way too soon. I mean Hells Bells!—savor it! This is just book one.

Okay now on to the horror blitz! Garcia packed these pages with horror gems and classics. Wonderful and wicked horror highlights one right after another. Spooky kids, haunted wells, ghosts, prisons and more. It was too much and all very familiar though. Nothing new. It all felt recycled from old horror movies and TV shows. One character even said one of my favorite lines—an overused line in horror now—but…I still love it. My favorite answer to the—Do you believe in the devil question…”It doesn’t matter.” Jared hesitated. “He believes in us.” Haha….Love it!

All that said—I had fun here. Just because I’ve been to Disneyland, doesn’t mean I won’t go again. I like stomping around on familiar horror ground. It makes me feel at home. Flickering ghosts make me smile. Bare bulbs swinging back and forth before they blink out make me giggle. And horror weapons—OH! The gorgeous weapons!-- give me the *shivers*—from knives to blowtorches! Which brings me to my favorite character, Priest, the weapons genius and all around cutie pie. He is sharp, funny, and haunted with grief…and I can’t wait to see more of him! I wanted to put him in my pocket for safe keeping.

Ms. Garcia knows her horror. It shows in the research, spirits, and classic horror moves. I have a feeling she could bring something special and new to the horror game, but I just didn’t see it here. She whips up some spooky suspense though. Plus she has a beautiful way with words at times. Beautiful horror words that formed an eerie vibe and chill on the page.

“Their eyes reflected the light when it hit them, as though they were still among the living.”

And the ending! That ending was worth the ride. I love, love, love that kind of twist. Just when you think you have it all figured out…BAM! Who do you trust now?

For me Unbreakable is a weak 3 star read. I cannot with all my heart recommend it. BUT I will read the next book in the series. The second book in a series is usually my favorite. Authors find a groove and just run with it!


Btw…Alara I am totally with you on the color pink. It creeps me the hell out! :D

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Source: I received a copy from Hachette and Little Brown for an honest and unbiased review.

Note: These are my personal opinions. I received no outside person comments or opinions.

Let me first start off by saying that this would have been a solid 5 star book if I could have been able to tell the brothers apart and if Kennedy was a strong female heroine. This book lacked good character plotting for important characters. In my opinion, the side characters were more well developed. But other than my issues with the character plotting, I loved the overall plot of the story. I thought Garcia had that really well developed and I think she knows where she wants this series to go.

Plot Summary:

Vengeance spirits killed every member of the Legion--a secret society sworn to keep a vengeful demon at bay, leaving the Legion in the hands of 5 teenagers.

Assembling a shift was the only thing they thought might destroy the demon so they set out on a quest to find the missing pieces. Little did they know that other vengeance spirits would be protecting the pieces and they would have to battle to get them.

But assembling the pieces only put the world into more chaos and put the Legion members into even greater danger--especially Kennedy, the one who assembled the pieces.

I liked the plot. In every chapter there was something happening or there was something preparing the reader for something that was going to happen. The book was filled with action and suspense and drama.

The Characters:

Kennedy:

This girl was just way too interested in which guy liked her and which one she wanted to choose. It was irritating because there was so much more at risk other than kissing a guy in a shallow crawl space. And she just bothered me because she wasn't a strong female heroine. In this type of book the main character needs to be a strong female heroine.

The Brothers:

I couldn't tell them apart. Luckas was Jared and Jared was Luckas as far as I'm concerned. They had no qualities that made them different.

Alara:

This girl was badass! I was looking for a strong female heroine and I found it in this character right here. She was great with voodoo and was always great in a fight and was always fearless.

Priest:

I think this guy just might be my favorite character. He can make weapons out of anything and always has a smart remark to say to something.

My Reaction:

I liked this book. I will continue to read the series. I just think the author needs to work on her character plotting a bit.