Prelim Review: This book was surprising in a lot of ways for me. The premise interested me, as did some of the reviews I saw around the web, but honestly I kept putting it off. The first chapter didn't grab me initially so I kept placing it lower and lower on my reading pile until I finally realized it was out in stores so I should get a move on.

I'm really glad I did. It was gripping, tense and (most of the time) fast paced. The kind of back and forth narrative threw me originally, but I got used to it over time. The book is set up much like the 'countdown' Janelle is trying to solve. So much so that entire days go by without any chapters, or several chapters bunched together form half a day story wise.

This reminded me of Sliders though, which was one of my favorite science fiction shows back in the 90's (before it got picked up by the then SciFi Channel and so drastically altered by the last episode I wasn't surprised a formerly dead character came back as a head in a glass container because it made more sense than everything else). I should say that Ben, Elijah and Reid reminded me of the universe-hopping crew of the original season.

Full review to be posted at Poisoned Rationality ( )

It's hard to say much about this book because it is one where I think you should go in with as little plot detail as possible. There has been more than one "Veronica Mars meets the X-Files" reference, and as someone who just got her KS VM shirt yesterday, that's not a bad thing at all to be.

The plot's pretty good, genuinely surprising, and not afraid to take HUGE risks. Admittedly some cutesy stuff along the way falls a little flat--I do cringe through the scene where heroine and love interest debate marriage proposals in AP English.

But the emotional core, and the character of Janelle Tenner, are major bonus points for this one--a heroine (like Veronica) with no special powers but smarts and determination that lets her play with big boys on cases of incredible importance. I could totally buy why she was worthy of such devotion AND oblivious to it. Her devotion to her family isn't just the common YA lip service. A late-book scene with the heroine and her brother was very real and striking. The intense and intensely platonic friendship she has with her male best friend is touching and refreshing. More in the Everdeen than Swan mold by a longshot, but Janelle is much more emotionally accessible than the former, badass though she may be.

So overall I'm thrilled to know there's more, although it does stand alone pretty well. I can't imagine where to take the story from the end, but it's got to be something!

This book reminded me quite a bit of Neal Shusterman's The Dark Side of Nowhere, one of my all-time read-it-600-times YA books. I'd definitely recommend it to others.

Why ding a star, assuming 5 to be the default, and points deducted only for flaws? Well, it's author Elizabeth Norris's freshman effort and it was very good. I think she has great things ahead. ( )

This book played to so many aspects of my sci-fi geek. First, Janelle's dad is a total geek. He raised his kids watching X-files and going to Comic Con. There's one scene where they're carrying on a conversation using X-files quotes and I laughed so much because not only did I get it all but my family has done that. Then there were echos of Roswell and Sliders in the story and Firefly even made an appearance. Now you know I'm loving a book when they reference Firefly. The dialogue was witty and fun.

But the novel was a lot more than the geek references. There was a good story in here. Janelle becomes a regular Nancy Drew when she decides to investigate one of her dad's cases on her own and finds herself in danger. Norris keeps the plot moving quickly. She Janelle's a tough and smart girl. She figures things out and never thinks about herself when there's danger. She worries about her brother, her dad, and her best friend, Alex. Even at the end of the book, Janelle thinks more about what's best for Ben and not herself.

Norris also doesn't pull any punches when it comes to keeping characters safe. She broke my heart not just once but twice in this story with deaths. And I love that in a book. It keeps me on my toes as a reader and makes the story more intense.

Unraveling could easily stand on its own but I am glad that there is a second book planned as I want to see more of Janelle and Ben. ( )

You have to give this book a little. At least to 25 percent.

But then it gets really good. Like, Amazing.

Real review to come. ( )

Just as good as the first time I read it! ( )