Unbreakable audiobook

4.5 starsWhen you wait for a book as long as I’ve waited to read Unbreakable, finally holding it in your hands seems like the most surreal experience. Needless to say, the expectations that come with it are sky high, and there is always fear of disappointment, no matter how much you trust an author. In this case at least, I shouldn’t have feared, not even a little bit. Elizabeth Norris ended her duology just like she started it – confidently and with a bang.The first few chapters of Unbreakable slowly paint a picture of the aftermath. Janelle’s world is in ruins – her life, her house, her school, her mother… it’s all gone, buried under the rubble. Janelle herself is doing her best to rebuild her life in a small apartment with Jared and Struz. Try as she might, she’s having a hard time finding anything to look forward to, except maybe the time she gets to spend with her baby brother. She is out of high school and working for the FBI, her shifts are endless and her efforts hopeless. People are disappearing all the time, and no one has any idea why. Enter Taylor Barclay, the IA agent Ben and Janelle have a love-hate relationship with. He knows something about the missing people, but even more importantly, he seems to know something about Ben. He wants Janelle to help him solve the human trafficking case and Janelle is certainly brave enough to try, but first she has to decide whether she can trust him at all.When I first started Unraveling, I didn’t even dream it would end up being a story about human trafficking. It started as your run of the mill YA speculative fiction and even when it proved to be much more, I somehow pictured the ending as something smaller, quieter. Contrary to my expectations, Unbreakable is full of action, a real attention gripper that will keep you on the edge of your seat. But even as such, it retained two things I’ve come to associate with Elizabeth Norris: elegance and thoughtfulness. Good pacing is so hard to achieve in books like Unbreakable, but Norris knows how to keep a tight hold on her reader’s attention. The short chapters just added to the overwhelming sense of urgency, as did the countdown we all remember from Unraveling. It was impossible for me to sit still and read – I paced anxiously the entire time instead. It breaks my heart to think that my time with Ben and Janelle is over. And now we finally come to the part I’m sure you all want to know about: Ben and Janelle. Once again Norris found a way to seamlessly blend action and emotion. In Unraveling, they faced external challenges, but their feelings never came into question. By the time they found each other in Unbreakable, they both had to do things they weren’t proud of and while neither of them ever doubted their love for each other, they were both well aware that sometimes love just isn’t enough. I strongly recommend reading Undone, a HarperTeen Impulse novella from Ben’s POV, before Unbreakable. It covers some of the most important events from Unraveling, which will help you remember the details, but even more importantly, you’ll find out what happened to Ben between the two books.

They were not kidding when they said the book is action-full and completely addictive. I have only 2 regrets, that I couldn't read it in one sitting (as I was not able to fully apreciate the suspense this way) and that it ended so fast - I wanted more *sigh*PREREADING UPDATES:-- 2012 --Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris - Cover RevealI loved Unraveling, can't wait for this one!-- Feb 2013 --Later update: And what about these matching covers?I want them both so badly I think I'm gonna cry!-- Early March --Another late update: If someone else starts writing reviews for this one, I will really start crying!-- 28th March --Preorder for the prety cover: 70 days to go?! But that will be like in.. June... And here goes away my beautiful birthday present *cries, cries, cries* (view spoiler)[With a bit of delay I might even get it on my wedding day, LOL (hide spoiler)] (I know, I'm being quite overly dramatic. I'll still get it eventually *cries some more*)-- April --We shall have an ebook too for my birtday ^_^ (as an early gift - thank you, dear!)["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***Unbreakable by Elizabeth NorrisBook Two of the Unraveling seriesPublisher: Balzer + BrayPublication Date: April 23, 2013Rating: 4 starsSource: Purchased copySummary (from Goodreads):Four months after Ben disappeared through the portal to his home universe, Janelle believes she’ll never see him again. Her world is still devastated, but life is finally starting to resume some kind of normalcy. Until Interverse Agent Taylor Barclay shows up. Somebody from an alternate universe is running a human trafficking ring, kidnapping people and selling them on different Earths—and Ben is the prime suspect. Now his family has been imprisoned and will be executed if Ben doesn’t turn himself over within five days.And when Janelle learns that someone she cares about—someone from her own world—has become one of the missing, she knows that she has to help Barclay, regardless of the danger. Now Janelle has five days to track down the real culprit. Five days to locate the missing people before they’re lost forever. Five days to reunite with the boy who stole her heart. But as the clues begin to add up, Janelle realizes that she’s in way over her head—and that she may not have known Ben as well as she thought. Can she uncover the truth before everyone she cares about is killed?What I Liked:I read Unraveling six years ago, but somehow I never followed up and reading this book. I love that this series is a duology, because there's less waiting and less commitment involved. At this point though, it has been years, but I probably forgot about this book in the year of waiting after Unraveling published. In any case, I'm sorry I waited so long to read this book because I was missing out, after having read Unraveling! Unbreakable was even more thrilling and engaging than Unraveling. I almost wish there was a third book!Warning: there will be spoilers for Unraveling (but not Unbreakable).The end of Unraveling was quite shocking, as it was somewhat cliffhanger-y. Unbreakable begins four months later, and in those four months, Janelle hasn't seen Ben. He hasn't returned to her universe. Her universe is in shambles, but the pieces are coming together... until Barclay shows up, and explains why he's back: he needs Janelle to come with him to find Ben. Why? Because Ben is possibly a wanted man, and Janelle is the key to finding him. Ben's brother is kidnapped and imprisoned and if Ben isn't found, his family will be executed. But it's not just Ben's family that has been kidnapped - someone that Janelle knows in her universe has disappeared. Tensions are high and time is running out to save Ben, or let his family die.I usually don't like it when the sequel involves a long separation between the couple, but it actually seemed to work for me, in this novel. I was pretty sure Ben was not behind the human trafficking operation, but at the same time, what if he was? What if he's a villain and not a hero? The separation was good, because Janelle had to decide just how far she was willing to go for Ben. And we got to see just how far Ben would go for Janelle. That being said, the romance is present but the two characters don't share a ton of page space, until about three-quarters of the way into the book. Which worked, given the structure of the story. The romance has some longing and pain and sadness, but it becomes stronger as the story progresses. Ben and Janelle needed the distance to clearly see how important the other was to them. There were a few swoons, a few sweet scenes.Janelle is even more bada** and fierce in this book. She is by no means an invincible, fearless warrior - she gets scared, vulnerable, and insecure - but she is mentally tough and physically tough too. This book presents all kinds of difficult situations for her, but she labors on. She does so much for all the people in her life, and I wanted to see her get a happy ending.Same with Ben - he was selfless to the very end. The author will make you question his values and his decisions. But Ben is still selfless and brave, no matter what is in his path. He and Janelle are always putting everyone else first, and each other, and I really wanted him to get a happy ending too.You'll have to read the book to find out about Ben's suspected involvement with the human trafficking between universes, and how all of that went down. It's a complicated web and politics play a role in this book, towards the end especially. It all comes together in the end.The ending has a lot going on (as does the book in general), and everything happens at a rapid pace, though not to the point where things go confusing. The author had a good balance with the pacing throughout the book, and I actually enjoyed the faster pace at the climax. You really have to digest everything to understand the magnitude of the actions. Norris executed the climax and ending very well!Yes, there is a HEA. That's all I'm going to say! It's a lovely HEA. You should check out the series!What I Did Not Like:I mean of course I wanted more swoons! But I get that the romance was set up with Ben and Janelle being separated for most of the novel. But still. More kisses is always a good thing.Would I Recommend It:I highly recommend the entire series (it's a duology, so the commitment is low). I love sci-fi novels and thrillers, and this sci-fi thriller had me hooked from page one of Unraveling. The first book had a few spots that were slower or had some info-dumping, but once we get past the initial setup of the world-building and the big reveal (Ben is from an parallel universe), the series zips by. I liked the fast pace, and I adored the characters (Ben = swoon! Janelle = bada**!). Rating:4 stars. I would love to read more by this author! This series is perfect as is, but something new by Norris would be awesome. I hope she publishes something soon. This backlist reread/read has been fun and I plan to do it more often with other "older" books on my TBR.

Oh. My. God. *girlie squeals*When I finished the first book, I was tearing up at the end. I mean, how could Elizabeth Norris do that? I WAS SO SAD I thought that was going to be the end and then i went on goodreads to check if there was a sequel. AND THERE IS! I WAS SO HAPPY. I hope Ben comes back because I hate to see Janelle alone. And Ben is HOT HOT HOT.

** spoiler alert ** love the first book! only concern: come on, man. since alex isn't going to be in this i am really sad. he rocks.

4 stars. UGHHHHHHHupdate: Okay, hold the fcking train — no one told me Unraveling and Unbreakable were the only two books in this series! WHAT! NO! BLASPHEMY! I DEMAND A THIRD BOOK! I DEMAND IT! How is this fcking possible? HOW??UGHHHHH UGHHHHHHHHHHHH.^ Those are my tears. My stupid, long, can't-stop-crying tears.But I should probably start from the beginning, shouldn't I?What Happened: ◦ After four long months since Janelle's seen Ben, her world has turned into a post-apocalyptic environment. She helps however she can, working with the FBI, but suddenly a new problem arises — people are missing. And then when Taylor Barclay, the loyal agent from the Interverse Travel Agency arrives on Janelle's doorstep, she knows there's something much more worse at play than just a few "missing people" — and it can only be up to them to stop it.The Characters:◦ Oh, man, oh man. How did I end up rating Unraveling three stars? Do I have to re-read it? Or is Unbreakable just x100 times better than its prequel? Because whatever happened, I loved Janelle's character. She was cynical, she was badass, but most of all, she was focused and determined to meet her goal. She didn't get sidetracked by her feelings for Ben, which I loved. It made the story and mystery and countdown that much more exciting. ◦ I think my favorite character, even through Unraveling was probably douchebag Agent Taylor Barclay. And even through this, where we see different sides to him, (view spoiler)[only to see him fcking die in the end, (hide spoiler)] Barclay was a funny, dry, gruff character who never failed to make me smirk or laugh or just — I don't know, enjoy the book. There were some sneaking suspicions about the fate of this lovely character, but I either a) refused to believe it or b) didn't make sense to me. (view spoiler)[SO IMAGINE MY ANGER AND SADNESS AND GRIEF AND SURPRISE WHEN HE FCKING DIED SAVING JANELLE. URG NO. NO. NOOOOOO. (hide spoiler)]◦ Ben is probably my least favorite character. I don't all that care for him, and I don't see his personality as developed enough, seeing as he was a stoner-biker-leather-jacket-but-secretly-smart guy in the first book, and was barely here throughout the second to broach on his personality. So as of now, I'm feeling particularly nothing towards Ben — which, in a way, means I'm feeling essentially nothing towards Ben x Janelle. (Though I love Janelle's character.) I don't care what any of you guys say, Janelle x Barclay is my favorite couple here. I DON'T CARE.The Plot:◦ As with the first book, if there's one thing Elizabeth Norris excels at, it's her plotting skills. There was straight action throughout the book, with Janelle and Barclay (along with other characters, each in their respective time) either on the run or invading the secret trafficking society's headquarters. All the shooting and action and everything sounded amazing — in my mind, at least. The Ending:◦ Still stuck on that thing. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU DID THAT NORRIS. YOU BETTER BUILD A MONUMENT IN YOUR ROOM. I know I will.The Conclusion:◦ A much more fast-paced sequel than its prequel. Lovely characters, lovely plot, lovely conflict, with an all in all, great book and sequel to the Unraveling series.(view spoiler)[*goes back to crying*UGHHHHHUGHHHHHHH (hide spoiler)]["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

Read more reviews at What Danielle Did Next UNRAVELING was nothing less than a thrill-ride so you can bet I had my helmet and crash pads ready when I cracked open UNBREAKABLE! Not to mention a pint of chocolate chip ice-cream for the wallowing bits because let me tell you...Elizabeth Norris? She likes to gut-punch! I have visions of her laughing maniacally as I wail when she delivers that blow and I gotta admit...I ADORE her for it! She takes risks, doesn't pander to readers and serves up amazing characters and storylines. When we catch up with Janelle, her world has literally been turned upside down! Millions are dead, infrastructure destroyed, loved ones departed and oh so dearly missed and Ben...Ben is gone back to his own dimension. Struggling to keep it all together for Jared, Janelle has had to grow up even faster than she did in UNRAVELING. Graduating early from High School, she now works alongside her guardian Struz investigating the disappearance of several refugees scrambling to find normalcy in the centre run by Janelle's friend and personal cheerleader Cecily.When Cecily disappears and Barclay, antagonist from Unraveling shows up with some shocking information about the disappearances and the involvement of Ben, Janelle teams up with Barclay to prove her boyfriend's innocence, get her friend back and try and find her way back to normal. Janelle was just as likeable in this instalment and just as admirable. Despite clearly feeling low about all that happened in the tumultuous months leading up to UNBREAKABLE, she ensures that her priorities are sound. Jared, her little brother is top of the list and making sure he has a stable home in a world of instability is her goal. With the help of her father's colleagues and friends Struz and Deirdre she is determined to rebuild. When Barclay showed up I was a little unsure how I would feel about him and Janelle interacting. I wasn't his biggest fan in UNRAVELING but I have to admit he definitely proved to have more than one layer and it wasn't just prickly! I liked how he was a strong support for Janelle however I did find their changing dynamic odd. At one point I was torn whether I should be 'shipping them and had to repeat Ben's name as a mantra in my head ;) Aside from the death (yes that's not a spoiler, you're reading a Liz Norris book you need to know this) there were plenty of emotionally charged scenes particularly when Janelle finally catches up with Ben. The tension and hurt seared through the pages and I felt like I had to catch my breath. The pacing is again stellar and you can't help but get caught up in the story and race through the pages as the tension builds to one amazing climax. I didn't think it was possible for the themes of the book to get any darker but the story behind the disappearances was chilling. I love how visual Norris's writing in, reading her books is really the literary equivalent to a movie playing out between the pages. The characters are so realistic and well developed, apart from Barclay the biggest surprise of the series for me was Elijah and how much I grew to love him plus E + C = True Love! Sacrifice, Truth and Honour play just as big apart in UNBREAKABLE as they did in its predecessor and you cannot help but root for Janelle as fights for what she loves. I'm in two minds about the fact that it's a duology but I did love how Norris delivered a satisfying conclusion to an awesome and original story! Highly recommend!

It's always disappointing when you don't enjoy the sequel as much as the first book, especially since Unbreakable started off soooo good and I was sure I was going to like it more. The things that threw me off- 1. Ben. I loved Ben in Unraveling but his character this time around seemed flat and there was no spark for me between him and Janelle. He was whiny and beaten down the whole time. Where was the smart, funny, thoughtful Ben from Unraveling? I never thought I'd like Elijah and Barclay more than Ben but they were way more entertaining and interesting. 2. Speaking of Barclay (view spoiler)[ seriously?! That just made me mad. Why does Norris keep killing off my favorite characters!? Not cool. (hide spoiler)] 3. The ending. It just felt so anti-climatic after all the awesome action and the heart-wrenching moment a few pages before. I wanted a better declaration or something and instead it was pretty cliché. So why the four stars still? I really loved Janelle. She's still totally awesome and sarcastic and kicks some major butt while managing to save the boy again. And the action is pretty much non-stop from the beginning. There were times I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next and I was constantly on the edge of my seat. Those things were enough to keep it at a strong four stars because I really enjoyed the vast majority of the book. I just really, really hope we get another book in this series because I don't want to leave it thinking Ben is kinda lame.

No one told me it was but a duology.So this series was recommended to me by the best person in the world. And since we love pretty much the same type of books, when she says, "Read this." I do. No questions asked.That's why I was really surprised when I found out this is the last book of the series. And if I'm going to be honest about it, I'm happy that that's the case. I think making this a trilogy would have sucked (at least the third book would have). But I really, really, really, REALLY want a spin-off. *sigh*Now I shall add Norris to the never-ending list of authors who kill mercilessly. Damn. She knows how to push my buttons. And not knowing that this was the last book had me feelings tons of emotions before that last chapter. I can't believe it's possible but I love this even way more than the first book (and believe me, that's saying something). The action mixed with romance was still superb. I won't even discuss the characters cause I don't think I'd ever do them justice so let me just say these two things...One: I ship Elijah and Cecily. Those two are just too cute for words.Two: Ben+Janelle = NEW OTPThis review also appeared on Amazon.

May 2015 update: Yessss also even better the 2nd time. SO WONDERFUL. SO MAGNIFICENT. WHYYYYY THE FEELINGS. SUCH BARCLAY FEELINGS.This doesn't happen to me that often - but I was seriously worried about half way through that I wouldn't like how the book ended. I was SO WORRIED. But wow. Wowowowowowowowow. Yep. Mmmmhmmm. What else an I say? I cried. I laughed. I cried some more. I hyperventilated. I FREAKED OUT. And then wow. Just. Wow.

Review coming soon!