Tuesday 24 April 2012

Unrest by Michelle Harrison

For Review: Simon & Schuster
Published: 26 April 2012

From Goodreads:  Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn't slept properly for months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Sometimes he half-wakes, paralysed, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around while his body lies asleep on the bed. His doctors say sleep paralysis and out-of-body experiences are harmless - but to Elliott they're terrifying.

Convinced that his brush with death has attracted the spirit world, Elliott secures a job at a reputedly haunted museum, determined to discover the truth. There, he meets the enigmatic Ophelia. But, as she and Elliott grow closer, Elliott draws new attention from the dead. One night, during an out-of-body experience, Elliott returns to bed to find his body gone. Something is occupying it, something that wants to live again - and it wants Ophelia, too . . .

A chilling new novel for teen readers from the best-selling author of the widely acclaimed 13 Treasures sequence.


Ever since I’d heard the synopsis for Unrest I knew I had to read it! And I’m very pleased to say it lived up to my expectations.

The story sucked me in straight away. I loved the voice Michelle Harrison gives to Elliott – he’s very likeable but not perfect. And the situation he finds himself in after his accident makes for compelling reading.

It is apparent a great deal of work has gone into constructing this story – it reads in such a believable way which makes it very creepy! I loved all the ghostly, night time scenes when Elliott fell asleep. But the story is more than that – at its heart it is a contemporary mystery and I loved solving it alongside Elliott.

Not only is Elliott trying to deal with the repercussions of his accident – and the strange out of body experiences – but he also stumbles upon a ‘situation’ at his new place of work. Forced to investigate when his out of body experiences take a more threatening turn – Elliott has no choice but to undercover the truth…

One of the other aspects of this novel I loved was the romance between Elliott and Ophelia. It builds slowly and a genuine friendship develops between them. One thing that did bug me though was Elliott’s constant references to the fact that she wasn’t ‘that pretty’ – it really started to annoy me after a while. But the gentle way he actually treats Ophelia makes up for it! And the two have great chemistry.

I also really enjoyed the relationships Elliott has with his father and his brother Adam. Actually I kind of fell in love with Adam – he’s a bit of a bad boy with a heart – and I loved the scenes with the two of them.

Michelle Harrison has written a brilliant story that I’m sure will be a fan favourite. The story is so addictive I didn’t want to stop reading - I had to know what was going on! And I loved the way it unraveled – there were definitely a few surprises! And although this works perfectly as a standalone story – I can’t help but hold out a secret hope that there is a way for it to become a series. I loved the concept so much, and Elliott and Ophelia are such brilliant characters I’d love to return to the world!

Highly recommended.

2 comments:

serendipity_viv said...

Totally agree!

Michelle Fluttering Butterflies said...

Ooh. I really want to read this one!

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