All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab

All Unquiet Things
Anna Jarzab
Age: Young Adult
Source: Publisher/Author
Summary:

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School's most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed. 

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn't answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can't get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind. 

Audrey: She's the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton's fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it--especially since she's convinced that the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is...read more at Goodreads. 

The novel is split into four parts, and an epilogue. Neily narrates Parts 1, 3, and the epilogue, leaving Audrey to narrate Parts 2 and 4. At the end of Neily's first narration, I was initially worried that I wouldn't enjoy Audrey's voice as much, or that I would get confused, but the transition was easy and enjoyable.

It took me a few chapters to adjust to Neily's voice, but I grew to enjoy his sarcasm. He's still really hurting from Carly's death, and all the things they went through in the past. Audrey is so sweet and genuine, you just want to hug her. But she can toss a comeback right back to Neily, so I liked for her that as well. She's feeling some guilt too, for helping pull Carly away from Neily in the first place. Carly was definitely the shining star, however. I enjoyed all the flashbacks of her, showing how much she changed, and how many secrets she held. Neily and Audrey pair up, and begin their investigation. But the more they dig, the more danger they place themselves in, as they get closer and closer to Carly's killer.

With each part of the novel, Jarzab takes us through the present while also weaving in some details from the past. I found myself putting the book down, walking away for a bit, just to really think about things, and to savor the story. With each new revelation, I found myself counting down my list of suspects, trying to piece it all together. The ending was definitely quite a surprise, and I wasn't disappointed.

Highlights: Jarzab's writing was just my style. I was hooked enough to attempt dragging out the story as long as I could, reading as slowly as possible, and re-reading passages over again. I enjoyed both of the character's perspectives, and found both of their voices to be believable and realistic. I also loved how effortlessly the flashbacks fit in with the story, because there was never a moment of confusion.

Lowlights: Hmmm.....It took me about a chapter or two in to really get hooked on this story? That's a pathetic excuse for a lowlight, isn't it? I guess, in the end, I just have to say that Anna Jarzab's debut novel All Unquiet Things was spectacular. It was mysterious, realistic, and I loved every second of it.

Rating: 5 out of 5