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Unbreakable

(The Legion #1)

Kami Garcia (Goodreads Author)

3.78 · Rating details · 9,050 ratings · 1,480 reviews

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 ...more

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Hardcover, 305 pages

Published October 1st 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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May 09, 2013 Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies rated it it was ok

Shelves: tstl, on-the-run, high-school, why-do-i-hate-myself, shits-and-giggles, siblings, ghosts, paranormal, boring-main-character, ya

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 Supernat ...more

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Sep 21, 2013 Ben Alderson rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

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

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Jun 18, 2013 Mary rated it did not like it

Shelves: cardboard-characters, no-characters, supernatural, arc, biggest-disappoints, insta-mother-effing-love, fucking-love-triangles

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.

T ...more

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Jun 05, 2013 Giselle rated it really liked it

Shelves: own, arc

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 w 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

...more

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Dec 18, 2016 Rusty's Ghost Engine (also known as.......... Jinky Spring) rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy-or-paranormal, it-was-ok

2.5 stars

spoiler: (view spoiler) 2.5 stars

spoiler: (view spoiler)
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. ...more

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Aug 14, 2011 hayden marked it as to-read

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

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Apr 24, 2013 Jeann (Happy Indulgence) rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: review-copy, arc, young-adult, horror, simon-and-schuster-australia

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 L 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. ...more

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Jun 02, 2013 Neil (or bleed) rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-i-own

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 fi 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. ...more

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Nov 15, 2011 Taschima marked it as to-read

Shelves: bea-2013

Forget what I said before! I need this cover in my life O.o

description

Now that the summary is more elaborate, well, I can dig it. Hopefully it will sweep us off our feet!

Old Update:

The summary doesn't give me anything new. A secret societ, created 200 years ago, a demon needs to be vanquished... yeah yeah, what else is new?

Hopefully a new more in depth summary will be out soon. ...more

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Jun 18, 2012 Jon rated it liked it

Shelves: paranormal, angels-demons, ghosts

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 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. ...more

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Aug 28, 2013 Melanie rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: death, action, fantasy, paranormal, love-triangle, romance, young-adult, books-i-own, arc, me-likes-you

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! ...more

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Sep 22, 2013 Bonnie Burton rated it it was amazing

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 ...more

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Oct 11, 2013 Jeninne rated it it was ok

Shelves: weak-female-lead, teenage-angst, paranormal-romance, weak, weak-male-love-interest, unnecessary-love-triangle, author-is-apparently-writing-fanfic, plain-and-generic, ghosts-or-spirits, hall-of-fail

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 prett 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.
...more

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Aug 27, 2013 Juhina rated it it was amazing

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 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! ...more

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Dec 03, 2016 Mizuki rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult-books, pretty-good, supernatural-stuff, horror

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 ...more

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Oct 23, 2013 Carol [Goodreads Addict] rated it really liked it

Shelves: paranormal-fantasy, young-adult

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. ...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Giselle rated it liked it

Shelves: arc-electronic, 3-star, age-young-adult, requested-for-review, genre-paranormal, genre-supernatural, from-netgalley, 2013, genre-ghosts

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 love ...more

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Jul 07, 2013 Tee loves Kyle Jacobson rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 2013-must-read, 2013-new-book-release, around-the-world-arc-tours, june-2013

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 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! ...more

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Sep 01, 2014 Tanja (Tanychy) rated it it was ok

Shelves: paranormal-romance, arc-galleys

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 t 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. ...more

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Sep 18, 2013 Isamlq rated it did not like it

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 a ...more

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May 06, 2013 Stacy rated it really liked it

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 f ...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Breanne marked it as to-read

Huh... Kami Garcia wrote a new book. I'll give it a try. But the synopsis sounds similar to the beginning of the Mortal Instruments series... ...more

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Aug 30, 2011 ~Tina~ rated it liked it

Shelves: arc, supernatural, young-adult, read-2013

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 he 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! ...more

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Aug 24, 2014 Stuti Rai rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy-pr-everything-untoward, hot-like-meh, crappy-creepy-romance

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..."

"Quit ...more

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Sep 22, 2013 Elizabeth Drake rated it it was ok

Shelves: ghosts, 2013-books, paranormal-fiction

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. ...more

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May 04, 2013 Laura rated it liked it

Shelves: cover-me

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 an ...more

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Sep 30, 2018 Completely Melanie rated it liked it

Shelves: unhauled

I would give this 3.5. It was an ok story. I did enjoy it, but I don't see myself continuing this series either. It is about a girl named Kennedy who's mother was killed by a ghost. When the ghost comes for her next, this group of kids show up to save her and explain that she is part of this thing called the Legion that is meant to protect the world. There's a lot of ghost hunting and spooky aspects. There are definitely some creepy parts in the book. Like I said, I enjoyed it, but it just isn't ...more

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Jan 15, 2015 david y biblioflick rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya, mystery, suspense-thriller, paranormal, horror

~~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, w ...more

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Jan 12, 2014 Elizabeth rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, ya, love-triangle, ya-romance, 2015-reads, reviewed, donated, r2r, hyped

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 ...more

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Sep 11, 2013 Sue rated it it was ok

Shelves: ya

Kennedy lives with her mom in D.C. and all is well with the world. Her dad left when she was little, but things are going well with her mom. Kennedy loves to draw, but decides to go out to a party with a friend. When she gets back, her mother is dead of an apparent heart attack. She is spending her last night in her house when she is attacked by a spirit inhabiting her cat. Twin boys Jared and Lukas come to her rescue and convince her that she is part of The Legion, an ancient group of 5 tasked ...more

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About Kami Garcia

Kami Garcia

15,923 followers

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 ...more

Other books in the series

The Legion (3 books)

Books by Kami Garcia

Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1)

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, #2)

Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles, #4)

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Articles featuring this book

Good Minds Suggest—Kami Garcia's Favorite Books About Demons!

Her Favorite Books About Demons!: Arm yourself for the fight against vengeful, dark spirits in her teen thriller Unbreakable and in these five...

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Quotes from Unbreakable

“You have to lace your fingers just right to catch your dreams. And you don’t want to lose them because they’re not easy to find again.” — 42 likes

“You can’t choose the person who really sees you—the person who knows what you’re feeling without you saying a word, the person who can make you laugh and cry and everything in between just by looking at you. The one you can’t imagine being lucky enough to have, or unlucky enough to lose.” — 7 likes

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