Book Review: And Then Everything Unraveled by Jennifer Sturman

SUMMARY:

Delia Truesdale has no idea her life's about to change forever. She's too busy enjoying the California summer. Her internet tycoon mother, T.K. Truesdale, is out of town, and that means Delia can spend all her time at the beach, surfing. That is, until everything unravels.

Her mother suddenly goes missing, and everyone thinks she's dead - excpet Delia, who knows T.K.'s way too organized to simply disappear. But Delia's still sent to New York to live with her two aunts - a downtown bohemian and an uptown ice queen.

And in case that's not bad enough, she also has to deal with a snooty new school and trying not to fall for the wrong guy. Oh, and finding her mother.

As she delves deeper into the tangle of conspiracies and lies surrounding T.K.'s disappearance, Delia begins to suspect that the wrong guy may be the right guy...and that some secrets - especially the dangerous ones - were never meant to be unraveled.


OPINION: 4 STARS

A captivating mystery with a bold teenage protagonist, And Then Everything Unraveled is a quick but engaging read. The plot and set up has been well planned out with more clues and hints coming at the right moments but still leaving many things hard to foresee. The writing is great, keeping easily with the teenage narrator but also holding a strength a range of readers will enjoy.

Delia is a spunky character, well developed with a strong sense of her upbringing that comes across the pages. Her mother, although not physically in the novel, still comes in strongly both in the way Delia thinks and acts as well as being the basis of the entire mystery. From her views on different acts and events to her job and interests, there is a large part of T.K. in Delia. Her father’s influence is also prevalent, providing a strong sense of family despite their absence. Her actions and motivation are smoothly handled, creating an understandable mix between teenage girl and child determined to find her mother.

Charley is a fantastic character, full of life and brings constant humor to the story. Her interactions with Delia are some of the most memorable parts of the book and she is as well developed and rounded as Delia. Her responses and quirks add spark, even bringing out more of Delia’s personality as a result. Patience also adds a certain flair though in a different manner and the crazy family who disagrees often scenario plays out fantastically here. Quinn is adorable, a nice mix of apathetic and caring. He has a few different sides and they show up at the right times. Delia’s involvement with him covers a few different areas and it adds another nice feature to the book as a whole.

The plot progresses at a pretty steady pace, mixing in high school, teenage drama and events with the mystery of T.K.’s mother’s disappearance. Delia is in over her head to some extent as the truth begins to unfold but her determination to continue is both true to her character and to a teenager. The entire set up plays out perfectly for the targeted age group. The book closes with a cliffhanger, leaving a great set up for the next installment, but still does a great job tying up some of the events introduced with this book.

And Then Everything Unraveled is a great mystery, filled with intrigue and strong characters but still harboring a good sense of teenage drama and angst. Delia handles many of the situations maturely and even her moments of weakness come at the right moments to be sympathetic. Quirky characters across the board and vivid descriptions tie together to make this book a fantastic, quick read with a great set up for the next book.

Details:
Source: Finished hardcover received free of charge for review for promotional tour
Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 256 pages
Publisher: Point (June 1, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545087236
ISBN-13: 978-0545087230

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