Unravel (Linked)

by Imogen Howson

[bookishzelda]

Unravel by Imogen Howson is the second book in the Linked series and picks up shortly after book one ends. Elissa and Lin have found one another and make it to sanctuary but have decided they need to go back and help their home planet. With the help of the crew of Phoenix, they find their way back to deal with some series aftermath. This is the second book in the series so there might be some spoilers from book 1.

I really enjoyed Elissa character in the first book. I was amazed at how timid she was in the beginning and then really took charge to save her sister. She didn’t always make the best decisions because she wasn’t exactly skilled at being on the run. She would stop and try to find a new way out of it and was ready to lay down her life to protect Lin. At the beginning of Unravel now that Elissa has accomplished what she set out to do, it’s like her insecurities are catching up to her. Lin is out shining her and everyone else seems to have special skills. Elissa feels like she no longer has a place, nothing that makes her special. I loved the turn her character takes because I think it really shows how the events of the first book have impacted her. I think I would feel the same way as she does. It’s like that moment you realize your child doesn’t need you anymore (even though they do just a different way) and you can’t see how they still do. I loved seeing Elissa change and make more stupid mistakes and then realizing she made them and fixing them. Growing as she gets a better understanding and of course her hidden fearlessness that comes out in tough spots.

Oh Elissa...I actually enjoy Cadan and her romance even with her annoying insecurities. She is constantly calling herself on it all the time but there are also times where Cadan has his unsure moments and you want him to validate it as a reader. Plus throw in Cadan’s mother, or throw her overboard maybe. You know how in a lot of books the guys are so sure and the girl has doubts. It kind of felt like a regular relationship between Cadan and Elissa where they both have their moments. You could see Elissa wasn’t understanding that as much as Cadan at times made her feel insecure. She was doing the same thing to him. I liked that it’s not fate/destiny driven and it’s more about how they slowly but then all at once fell for one another. I love their imperfect perfect relationship.

Poor Lin, it’s hard not to feel for her. She no doubt PTSD from her experiences at the facilities, all the twins must. The prejudices they face after the fact are horrible. I kept getting mad at the book and yelling in my head stop calling them “clones” and “spares” they are people. It’s not fault what other people have done to them. They are just trying to learn how to be human and are not finding any good examples from the people in society. Ugh it just made me feel for her.

I continued to love the plot and it’s flawless transition from one book to the next. If you read the books back to back it flows from one to the other easily. Things are explained again but mostly when you need to be reminded and it’s not over done. I feel like that’s a pitfall sometimes of second books, the info dump summary. Which can get boring if you still remember the previous book. I also really love how this book is the aftermath of winning the war. Most series end with the victory but you don’t know how they rebuilt or if they rebuilt. This book is how you can do something good but end up with bad results. It doesn’t changed that what you did was the right thing but it definitely shows that it’s not necessarily all sunshine, rainbows and lollipops after.

I figured I would like the Linked series being a sci-fi fanatic and all but I really loved these books. I thought the plot was great and unique. I bonded with the characters and not just the main ones. I loved the romance that was involved. Plus just how the first and second books fit together and felt like they flowed one right into the next. It’s one for the shelves.