Review: Unbreakable by Kami Garcia

Published: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Little Brown & Company
Pages: 308
Genre: Paranormal - Ghosts
Source: ARC won from Stacee of Adventures of a Book Junkie
Rating: 4 out of 5





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

     When I won this book in a giveaway I had to read it as soon as I got it! I devoured this book within a few days and really enjoyed it! It had action, it had cool friendships, and yes it was really really spooky!!! The only thing I disliked about the book was the character development.
     Kennedy is mourning the death of her mother who mysteriously died while she was away. While she is sleeping, her cat tries to kill her when two strangers, twins in fact, save Kennedy from the ghost that was in the cat. Although she saw all these paranormal events happening, she still has her doubts about ghosts. To stay protected, Kennedy stays with a gang of misfits so to speak. She stays with twins Jared and Lukas, Priest, and Alara. They are a from a group called the Legion who kill evil spirits and they believe she is the final member of the Legion. Kennedy is very skeptical but goes along with it only because she has no where to live. As the story moves along, they go to different haunted places searching for disks that can stop the evil spirit Andras, from killing them.
     I loved the story line of the book. It was fast paced and action packed. It felt like I was on a scary roller coaster of a ride because every where they turned, the characters were being attacked by vengeful spirits! This book seriously crept me out with certain scenes and I sometimes had to sleep with a night light on hehe. Kami really knows how to put the scare factor on with such details.
     What disappointed me though were the main characters. Kennedy, I really wanted to like her but she came off so whiny. She always complained, sulking that she wasn't part of the Legion, or she doesn't believe in the ghosts, but she had evidence right in front of her!!! She wasn't a horrible main character, she just came off as weak and wishy washy. I really hope her personality improves in the upcoming books. Then there are the twins. Ugh what's up with twins appearing in young adult books? I don't really care for it for some reason. Jared and Lukas Lockhart were okay. I have nothing against them, they just come off as boring and too much alike. There personalities needed more character depth like the way Kami had described Ethan Wate in the Beautiful Creatures series. They had a monotonous tone about them that left me wanting more to come from them. Plus the whole love triangle that was stirring up did not sit well with me either. Kennedy tends to like one twin more than the other, but then when that twin is ignoring her she starts saying loving things about the other. What I did love were the sidekicks Priest and Alara! Priest is the youngest of the group, with the best personality. I loved him to pieces because he was so cute in a geeky, protect your little brother kind of way. He was funny, intelligent, and he was more perceptive to everyone's feelings more than they assumed him to be. I also liked Alara mainly because she carried herself in a confident, kick your ass kind of way. She had many layers to her personality from being tough and bitchy, to being caring and vulnerable when others were in danger. I enjoyed them as a whole group. They were like a gang of misfits acting silly and such. They also had each others backs whether they were in disagreement or not.
     Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Unbreakable is more of an introduction to the series because we only get a taste of what's to come. I wish the second book was out already since it left off with such a cliffhanger! I was crying and screaming when it ended. I will not go into details what happens, but I will say the ending leaves you hanging lol. This is a fast paced thriller of a book. If you love ghost stories and want a little spook for Halloween, then you should definitely read this book. I hope to see more back story into the Legion members pasts, I want to see why Kennedy's mother hid them from the Legion, plus I want see the characters more developed. Kami Garcia's first book as a solo author started off well and I cannot wait to read more of her books!
Scary quote:
"The child studied Lukas, her blue eyes lingering on his wrist. She acted as if she saw something more than his bare skin. The hem of her yellow dress fluttered in a non-existent wind. The little girl's body flickered, revealing another face beneath her own. An old woman's empty eyes leered at us, her face slack and covered in scratches. Matted gray hair hung limp at her shoulders where the child's shiny blond strands had hung a moment ago. She lifted the doll off the ground, its head dangling from the cord holding the toy together. The old woman's scratched face flashed in front of the child's as she raised the broken doll higher. I like the kind of games where people like you end up like this."
Child ghost talking to Lukas, Alara, and Kennedy