Words I Write Crazy: Week 21 Reviews: The Spring Before I Met You, The Summer Before I Met You, Unspoken, The Night After I Lost You, Untold, Unmade

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Week 21 Reviews: The Spring Before I Met You, The Summer Before I Met You, Unspoken, The Night After I Lost You, Untold, Unmade

From Goodreads:
Introduction by Holly Black:

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.

From Goodreads:
"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."

From Goodreads:
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?

From Goodreads:
A Lynburn Legacy present for you, my petal darlings.

Set the night after the end of Unspoken, before all the action of Untold. You have to keep moving in a Gothic mystery. But sometimes you can take a night to be sad.

From Goodreads:
It's time to choose sides....

On the surface, Sorry-in-the-Vale is a sleepy English town. But Kami Glass knows the truth. Sorry-in-the-Vale is full of magic. In the old days, the Lynburn family ruled with fear, terrifying the people into submission in order to kill for blood and power. Now the Lynburns are back, and Rob Lynburn is gathering sorcerers so that the town can return to the old ways.

But Rob and his followers aren't the only sorcerers in town. A decision must be made: pay the blood sacrifice, or fight. For Kami, this means more than just choosing between good and evil. With her link to Jared Lynburn severed, she's now free to love anyone she chooses. But who should that be?

A darkly humorous take on Gothic romance, Sarah Rees Brennan's Lynburn Legacy weaves together the tale of a heroine desperate to protect those she loves, two boys hoping to be saved, and the magical forces that will shape their destiny.

From Goodreads:
A modern, magical twist on the Gothic romance and girl detective genres, the Lynburn Legacy books will appeal to fans of both Beautiful Creatures and the Mortal Instruments series.

Powerful love comes with a price. Who will be the sacrifice?

Kami has lost the boy she loves, is tied to a boy she does not, and faces an enemy more powerful than ever before. With Jared missing for months and presumed dead, Kami must rely on her new magical link with Ash for the strength to face the evil spreading through her town.

Rob Lynburn is now the master of Sorry-in-the-Vale, and he demands a death. Kami will use every tool at her disposal to stop him. Together with Rusty, Angela, and Holly, she uncovers a secret that might be the key to saving the town. But with knowledge comes responsibility—and a painful choice. A choice that will risk not only Kami's life, but also the lives of those she loves most.

As coauthor with Cassandra Clare of the bestselling Bane Chronicles, Sarah Rees Brennan has mastered the art of the page-turner. This final book in the Lynburn Legacy is a wild, entertaining ride from beginning to shocking end.

My first review of The Spring Before I Met You, The Summer Before I Met You, Unspoken, The Night After I Lost You, Untold, Unmade
My second review of Unspoken
My Review:
Man, I just loved reading this series again! I just really enjoy Sarah Rees Brennan's writing, and this series has an excellent amount of humour! I love these characters, they're full of life, and in the case of Kami, full of crazy plans, plans that Jared is more than willing to put into action!

I did come to the conclusion that this world is different than the one of the Demon Lexicon series. Because in this book, it's mentioned that besides in Sorry-in-the-Vale, sorcerers don't gather in groups. While in the other series, there's the Circles and such. So I'm glad that's put to rest correctly in my head!

A big part of this book is about how much the bond influences those who are linked. Jared thinks that it'll form a romantic bond, no matter what. Kami is in love with Jared, and because she broke their first one, knows that Jared's belief is wrong. But it causes a lot of conflict for them over the course of these books!

Oh, man, Rusty! I forgot what happened to him! I enjoyed all the scenes we had him in, he was a perfect foil against Kami, relaxed and restful. It hit me so hard when I got to the point, like, how could I have forgotten this?

Loved reading these books so much, they were just so great to read!

Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Series: The Lynburn Legacy #0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3
First Read: October 31st, 2012, November 4th, 4th, 5th, 2014, April 16th, 16th, 2015
Second Read: November 5th, 2014
Read: May 18th, 18th, 20th, 20th, 21st, 21st, 2019
Source: Free, Own
Reason Why: Rereading! And they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2014 Books! And The Night After I Lost You is a LLFL Book!
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Published: September 11th 2012, September 5th 2012, September 11th 2012, September 25th 2013, September 24th 2013, September 23rd, 2014

The Spring Before I Met You: