Unfolding ~ By Jonathan Friesen – 2.5 Stars

Tags

Mystery, Paranormal, YA Fiction

Thanks to NetGalley and Blink for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

288 Pages

Synopsis: Jonah wishes he could get the girl, but he’s n outcast and she’s the most perfect girl he knows.

And their futures seemed destined to fork apart: Jonah’s physical condition is debilitating, and epileptic seizures fill his life with frustration. Whereas Stormi is seemingly carefree, and navigates life by sensing things before they happen. And her most recent premonition is urging her to leave town.

When Stormi begs Jonah for help, he finds himself swept into a dark mystery his town has been keeping for years. And the answers Stormi needs about her own past could possibly destroy everything Jonah has ever known–including his growing relationship with Stormi herself.

I really thought I was going to like Unfolding more than I did, but in the end this just didn’t work out for me. The story is told by Jonah, who suffers from both epilepsy and scoliosis. He’s head over heels in love with his best friend Stormi, but he’s just so socially awkward, that I found myself cringing at times. Naturally he’s a frequent target of bullies and making things worse are his cold-hearted parents who treat him abysmally because of his disabilities, which just made my heart break even more. His character is very sweet and I appreciated how he tried to be straightforward and honest, even though he tended to trip over his own tongue when it came to expressing himself, especially to Stormi. Her character I was just never able to connect with though. She’s very cryptic throughout the book, which I guess goes with who she really is, but it makes it very difficult to understand her. And then there’s the plot which is a sort of messy mix of ancient curses, biblical prophecies, and atoning for the sins of our fathers. I think the author just threw too many themes and plot devices into a relatively short book, which ultimately left me feeling confused. While Unfolding was a disappointment for me, it is garnering some positive reviews on Goodreads, so if you enjoy YA paranormal fiction, I encourage you to read them before making up your mind.