Unraveled (Gena Showalter) Review

SPOILER ALERT

If you have not read Intertwined, there may be spoilers ahead

SPOILER ALERT

Publisher: Harlequin (August 31, 2010)
Hardcover: 572 pages
Book borrowed from Karen

For once, sixteen-year-old Aden Stone has everything he’s ever wanted:

A home.

Friends.

The girl of his dreams.

Too bad he’s going to die...Since coming to Crossroads, Oklahoma, former outcast Aden Stone has been living the good life. Never mind that one of his best friends is a werewolf, his girlfriend is a vampire princess who hungers for his blood, and he’s supposed to be crowned Vampire King – while still a human! Well, kind of.

With four – oops, three now — human souls living inside his head, Aden has always been “different” himself. These souls can time travel, raise the dead, possess another’s mind, and, his least favorite these days, tell the future.

The forecast for Aden? A knife through the heart.

Because a war is brewing between the creatures of the dark, and Aden is somehow at the center of it all. But he isn’t about to lie down and accept his destiny without a fight. Not when his new friends have his back, not when Victoria has risked her own future to be with him, and not when he has a reason to live for the first time in his life... (Source)

Review
UNRAVELED, by Gena Showalter, is an action-packed and romantic continuation of this paranormal series. Showalter created an amazing cast of characters in Intertwined and she turns up the volume in this sequel. In this book, we start from where Intertwined ended and from there the action did not cease. Aden was now dealing the fact that he was the newest vampire ruler, and Mary Ann was trying to figure out how to end the curse that was cast upon her. Riley and Victoria were ever-present with their respective significant others.

My two gripes with this book was the length and the constant back and forth between Mary Ann and Riley. I felt the book was a little too long and it had potential to be tightened up a bit. Also, I though the relationship between Mary Ann and Riley was trying at times. She was more whiney in this book and I felt annoyed at times.

But while Mary Ann and Riley were not my favorite, Aden and Victoria's relationship definitely heated up. As the new vampire ruler, Ethan had to try and please the other vampires. Their relationship was tested while Ethan was trying to help the rest of his friends, and also convince the vampires not to kill him.

Another thing that I liked about this book was the deeper connection with the leftover souls in Aden's head. We got really close this time to learning more, but I was left hanging once again! These souls fascinate me and I like getting close to finding out about their stories but I would hate to lose them too, like we did with Eve. And since Intertwined Aiden has been getting better with controlling his powers to become a frightening (but awesome) superpower in this world that Showalter created.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was full of action and romance, and I can't wait for the continuation of the series.

For more information, Gena Showalter's website