Review: The Spring Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Summer Before I Met You

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Pages:15
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 11th 2012
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Available: Here

Introduction by Holly Black:Holly Black is a best-selling author of contemporary fantasy, including The Spiderwick Chronicles.

I had the privilege of reading this story many months ago and swooning over it almost as much as I swooned over Unspoken, the first book of Sarah Rees Brennan's gorgeously crafted modern gothic trilogy. Sarah's writing is incredible in that she is able to write these witty, lush scenes that have you smiling along until suddenly, in a single sentence, she reaches out to break your heart.

This story introduces us to one of the main characters of Unspoken, Jared Lynburn. Seeing him as the broken, dangerous, closed-off teenager that he appears to be from the outside allows us to anticipate all of the insight we'll have into his character when we get inside his head--which we will, since he's the heroine's "imaginary friend."

I enjoy the contrast of Jared's loneliness in the rough streets of Hunters Point/Bayview in San Francisco and the small, strange English town Jared is headed toward, and the girl he is about to meet. But most of all, in this story, I enjoy Jared himself, a character who is a study in contrasts--pushed to such extremes of despair and fury that he's truly capable of anything and yet capable of vast kindness, gentleness and humor.

My Take:

This a short story told through the perspective of Mariel a teacher who became his guidance counselor. She noticed thngs that others never paid attention too and saw that Jared had not one person who saw him for him. Even when Mariel met his mother, not once did she get the feeling that he was loved. What was strange was that she saw he would always be to himself and even smiling as if he was talking not to himself but someone who was their yet not present. When Jared told Mariel about Kami that changed everything because she saw that quite possibly Jared did have someone who he thought mattered to him. But when good things happen something bad comes to past and she never saw Jared, of course she was asked if she had seen him by strangers, but nothing came out of it they all left and Mariel was left with more questions than answers. This was amazing because we saw that even though Jared didn't feel comfortable at home he found someone who he can share with like Kami shared with him.  

5/5 Stars - Seeing Jared in a different light was amazing.

Review: The Summer Before I Met You by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Summer Before I Met You

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Pages:13
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 5th 2012
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Available: Here

“Take care of your spirit, Kami,” said Megumi. “And don’t burn the place down.”

Kami grabbed both the suitcases and headed for the cabin she was sharing with Liz and Angela. Liz walked with her, and on their way Kami stopped.

“My Sobo was exaggerating,” she said earnestly. “There have been very few fires.”

My Take:

This was a short story told through the perspective of Liz and what she saw while working at a camp that both Kami and Angela work at the summer before everything happened in Unspoken. Sarah gave us an intro to what happened and what changed Kami's life forever. Also allowed us to see Kami through another person, and how she basically seemed to put it together after a tragedy happened that summer. It also allowed us to see what others thought of seeing Kami speak to someone who wasn't there. I loved this because of what it showed us and allowed us to see that Kami had something major happen to her and was able to still show face. This was a lovely intro a world that had me wonder of the voice in my own head.



5/5 Stars- loved this little piece of magic

Review: Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken 

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Pages:370
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 11th 2012
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook
Available for Order: Amazon|Barnes and Noble

Source: Netgalley

Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . .  a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Ever wonder what life would be like if you can speak to someone inside your head, for Kami the fantasy that Jared wasn't really their turned into reality when she met him. When the other person can hear you as if your right next to them, what are you supposed to do. Being a reporter, Kami needs to know everything their is to know about why Jared and her share a connection. It's still kinda weird to know that the he knew everything you ever felt, at least she is never really alone. But things are never really normal are they, one day you meet the person you thought was all inside your head and the next thing you see maybe related to a certain new family who is linked to Jared.

The infamous Lynburn family return, who have own most of Sorry-in-the-Vale, and with their return questions need some attention. Jared knows Kami and since has tried to help in any way possible. He cares about her and even though he didn't know what to do at first he has since been able to there for her. But when things happen in the forest and blood is found. Kami and Jared team together to find out how a town have so many questions and so few questions. Also can Kami trust herself around Jared and his family because all signs seem to point their way.

Unspoken spoke volumes, and had me feeling that maybe that voice in my head can be a cute guy just wait to get my attention for real. The story felt real in the sense that even though Kami wasn't sure about the connection she knew what she felt. Jared surprised me because he showed up and turned Kami's life upside down. They both seemed to take knowing each other before they met pretty well, I mean its not every day you can just say come and get me and not use any minutes, that was a cool factor. To be able to communicate like that would be cool if it was family or something because than I would think the link was meant to happen can any one say linked to the possible degree. So pick this up if your looking for your imaginary friend he might just be in here.

5/5 Stars- loved the feeling of a connection