Unmarked

November 1, 2014

Gr 8 Up-Starting off 19 days after Unbreakable (Little, Brown, 2013) ended, Kennedy Waters's story continues as she deals with her mother's death and having unknowingly released the demon Andras from bondage. The teen is struggling with the aftereffects of her mistake and the fact that being Unmarked, her connection to the Legion (a group of teens whose charge is to protect the world from demon invasion) is increasingly tenuous. Separated from the Legion and forcibly placed at Winterhaven Academy by her aunt, Kennedy is helplessly aware of the havoc that the loose demon is causing. Unspeakable evil has been unleashed upon the world and young girls (who bare a remarkable resemblance to Kennedy) go missing daily without a trace. When Jared discovers the protagonist's whereabouts, he reunites her with the rest of the group. Kennedy's unmarked status makes it obvious that for mere survival, the missing fifth member of the Legion needs to be found as soon as possible. In their quest to find the mystery member, the teens soon discover just how deep Kennedy's past is entwined in the groups' existence. The story's twists and turns have riveting appeal and will keep readers engaged with a perfect balance of romance, fantasy, adventure, and intrigue. The narrative pace is fast and filled with suspenseful anticipation from the start. The Boston setting allows the author to interweave historic sites and events into the fantastical story line.-Sabrina Carnesi, Crittenden Middle School, Newport News, VA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 15, 2014
In this much-anticipated sequel to Unbreakable (2013), Legion members seek to contain a demon unleashed on an unsuspecting world. Kennedy Waters is guilt-ridden: With the help of Legion members, she assembled the Shift, a tool meant to defeat the demon Andras; instead, it freed him from his centurylong imprisonment to wreak havoc on Earth. Soon, the four Legion members (Alara, Priest, Lukas and Jared) realize that Kennedy's unmarked-not their powerful fifth member. The team ends up relying uneasily on two Illuminati, members of a rival secret society, to help them recapture Andras. The demon's leap into handsome Jared's body complicates matters-extinguishing the demon now means killing Kennedy's heartthrob. Garcia poses new questions (was Kennedy's mother a top Illuminati agent?) to keep readers guessing and invents fresh terrors (Andras' unnerving progress from body to body, his ability to mark and follow souls) that will chill even hard-core horror fans. Occasionally, the self-defeating tone of Kennedy's inner dialogue sounds cliched (she thinks of herself as "The girl who destroyed the world" and is certain she doesn't "deserve" Jared). But readers captivated by the cinematic, vivid prose and enthralled by Garcia's deft pacing and high-stakes plot are likely to speed past such moments as they figure out (along with Kennedy) her vital role in this unfolding paranormal drama. Fans hungry for more Legion tales will be left waiting breathlessly for Garcia's next installment. (Paranormal romance. 12 & up)

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