Customer Reviews

And Then Everything Unraveled

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I felt like this book just got me. It was a mix of my favorite things, a little sleuthing (I love Veronica Mars) a pair of crazy aunts (I love Pushing Daisies) one who has fabulous taste in 80s movies, a cute boy, New York City and ice cream. Yes, there is a lot of ice cream in this book, I kid you not! I just loved this book.

I loved the mystery in the story and really I still don't know how it going to end, can you say sequel! I found the book really funny too, Delia's descriptions of her cousin's facial expressions, just priceless. And Delia in general was just a great character, I really liked her. She was one of many strong characters in a great cast. They were all unique from the P.I. with the cute ties to Natalie the girl that promised her parents she would go to a party to work on her social skills!

There are so many elements in this story I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to find out that the story is left open for a sequel. I need that sequel NOW! It ends with so many unanswered questions, I must know what's going to happen! It reminded me a lot of how Kiss Me, Kill Me and Kisses and Lies acted together, almost thinking of the first book and sequel as one book split into two.

I found this to be a great opener to a really interesting story. I can't wait to see where the story picks up and check out some of the author's adult titles in the meantime.

Oh, wow! I loved this book! A very witty and fun detective-type of story. The writing was fantastic. It pulls you in right away. Delia's voice is one of the best voices I've read in a while. She's a down-to-earth, hilarious, no-nonsense character. The type of character anyone would love to read about. You'll laugh out loud with her sarcasm.

The plot was rich and delightful. A mixture of a coming of age story with the suspense of a conspiracy. Delia's mother is dead, except Delia thinks she's not, and she's determined to prove it. But first, she has to face her aunts in a new city, a new school, which includes a hot mysterious guy... you get the point. The characters were wonderful; all so different and unique, it's hard to believe they're not real. Quinn, the male lead, needs a little more depth, I feel I don't quite get him yet, so I'm hoping for more of him in the sequel, And Then I Found Out the Truth.

Overall, I think this is a must read for any YA lover for it's uniqueness and originality. A fresh mystery/adventure that will have all readers begging for the next book.

Cordelia Truesdale knows that he mother can't be dead, problem is, everybody else thinks she's dead. So, after being shipped off to New York to live with her zany aunt Charley, and starting a new school, she starts to delve into her mother's disappearance. Then finds out that there is a lot more going on then she could have ever imagined. With a cast of characters like the hot/sweet/distant Quinn Riley, The Wicked Witch of the Upper East Side and the Fly Monkeys (Delia's other aunt Patience, and her two children), Natalie the surprisingly not-shy genius, and of course Aunt Charley with her talkativeness that borders of extreme, and her kind heart, this book can be nothing but great.

I really appreciated the the author never really over-exaggerated any situations in this book (overdramatization is a book killer in my opinion), and everything, and the characters seemed pretty realistic. And Then Everything Unraveled is a page turner until the very end. With drama, romance, hilarity and mystery this was defiantly a four star book. I can't wait to read the sequel, And Then I Found Out The Truth.

A captivating mystery with a bold teenage protagonist, And Then Everything Unraveled is a quick but engaging read. The plot and set up has been well planned out with more clues and hints coming at the right moments but still leaving many things hard to foresee. The writing is great, keeping easily with the teenage narrator but also holding a strength a range of readers will enjoy.

Delia is a spunky character, well developed with a strong sense of her upbringing that comes across the pages. Her mother, although not physically in the novel, still comes in strongly both in the way Delia thinks and acts as well as being the basis of the entire mystery. From her views on different acts and events to her job and interests, there is a large part of T.K. in Delia. Her father's influence is also prevalent, providing a strong sense of family despite their absence. Her actions and motivation are smoothly handled, creating an understandable mix between teenage girl and child determined to find her mother.

Charley is a fantastic character, full of life and brings constant humor to the story. Her interactions with Delia are some of the most memorable parts of the book and she is as well developed and rounded as Delia. Her responses and quirks add spark, even bringing out more of Delia's personality as a result. Patience also adds a certain flair though in a different manner and the crazy family who disagrees often scenario plays out fantastically here. Quinn is adorable, a nice mix of apathetic and caring. He has a few different sides and they show up at the right times. Delia's involvement with him covers a few different areas and it adds another nice feature to the book as a whole.

The plot progresses at a pretty steady pace, mixing in high school, teenage drama and events with the mystery of T.K.'s mother's disappearance. Delia is in over her head to some extent as the truth begins to unfold but her determination to continue is both true to her character and to a teenager. The entire set up plays out perfectly for the targeted age group. The book closes with a cliffhanger, leaving a great set up for the next installment, but still does a great job tying up some of the events introduced with this book.

And Then Everything Unraveled is a great mystery, filled with intrigue and strong characters but still harboring a good sense of teenage drama and angst. Delia handles many of the situations maturely and even her moments of weakness come at the right moments to be sympathetic. Quirky characters across the board and vivid descriptions tie together to make this book a fantastic, quick read with a great set up for the next book.

Cordelia Truesdale or Delia had a nice, carefree life in California with 2 best friends and a school she likes. All this comes to an abrupt end when her mom T.K goes on an environmental trip to Antarctica. Her ship is said to have disappeared and everyone, including her mom's manager Thad, believes she is dead. But Delia is not convinced. After all there no body is found.

When her mother's will is read, Delia is sent to her aunts Patience and Charity to New York. Although Delia believes her mom is going to return, she has no choice. She decides to investigate into the matter from New York.

This book was awesome, really. I could not keep it down. It was just so much fun with all the quirky characters. The fun and carefree Charity, the controlling and uptight Patience, her genius geek friend Natalie, the psychic Carolina, and yes the very cute and handsome Quinn. Quinn reminded me a lot of the guy from the movie The Cinderella Story staring Hilary Duff. A caricature, yes, but cute anyway. The sense of humor was amazing and I found myself laughing out loud many times.

From the blurb I thought this book would be funny, but I was really unprepared for how sad I felt for Delia and what she was going through. Maintaining a level of humor and yet making Delia's pain real was a very good and difficult balance. That was one of the reasons I liked the book more.

I was kind of surprised when everyone called their parents by their first name. I mean, is that normal? I didn't find any explanation of that in the book, so it left me a little confused. But other than that, And Then Everything Unraveled was very good.

This book obviously has a sequel. But this book has just released, so I wonder how long I will have to wait for that. Anyway, do read it if you like Young adult or just want to tuck into a nice, fun novel.

Delia Truesdale's life is turned upside down the day her mother's ship disappears on its way to Antarctica. Despite everyone's fervent belief that her mother is dead, Delia can't accept that her organized, precise mother could simply just drop off the face of the earth. But before she can fully comprehend the situation, she's sent from her home in Palo Alto to New York City to live her with two aunts, both polar opposites of each other.

As Delia struggles to adjust to her new life and gets to know the family she's never met, she also begins to unravel some secrets her mother kept--dangerous ones that could unravel everything.

Jennifer Sturman's first YA novel is absolutely wonderful. Delia's character is witty, down-to-earth, and engaging, and Sturman's many supporting characters are quirky and fallible, unique and wholly entertaining. The plot of the novel moves fairly quickly and packs in a lot of suspense as Delia moves cross country with her extended family and gets closer and closer to finding the truth about her mother's disappearance. Despite the gravity of her mother's situation, Delia manages to keep fairly upbeat, and And Then Everything Unraveled is a humorous read. Sturman writes with as much heart and feeling as Sarah Dessen, but also manages to throw in enough mystery, secrets, and danger to rival a Mary Higgins Clark novel. Sturman's engrossing new novel will have you laughing in delight at one moment, and on the edge of your seat in suspense in the next!

Very entertaining teen chick-lit novel. Delia's mother disappears, so she is sent from her home in California to live with her two eccentric aunts in New York City. Even though she is in a new place, Delia sets out to solve the mystery of her mother's disappearance. She misses surfing and her friends in California, but when she meets Quinn at school, he makes New York newly interesting.

Delia's aunts are memorable characters, and Delia's sleuthing is intelligent and daring, but the solution will not be revealed until the second book in the series, And Then I Found Out the Truth.

This was such a good book. It had just the right amount of teen romance and mystery to keep you glued to the pages. I finished the book in a day.
I really liked the character of Delia. She actually reminded me of myself. She over thinks things and is always worrying about what is going to happen next. I felt bad for her at the beginning of the book because her father had died a few years earlier and then her mom comes up missing and she has to move in with her crazy Aunt Charley, who I loved. She was such a fun character in the book. She was always happy and upbeat and was always eating ice cream. The book takes a big turn when Delia starts to research into her mom's 'death'. Delia knows deep in her heart that she is still alive and she keeps searching, even when her life is in danger.
I really liked Delia and Quinn's relationship in the book as well. Nothing really happened until closer to the end when Delia was almost killed, but the way the author leaves the book at the end I know that something good is going to happen in book 2.

This review will be brief, because what I really want to be doing right now is reading the sequel, And Then I Found Out the Truth. That's how good And Then Everything Unraveled was.

Delia Truesdale is a child of the Silicon Valley, but when her Internet tycoon mother disappears while on an environmental trip to Antarctica, an apparently-orphaned Delia is sent to New York to live with her Aunt Charley, a woman she has never met. Delia doesn't think her mother is really dead, but how can she prove it without getting sent to a shrink for not dealing with her grief?

This book has all the usual trappings of a novel set in NYC (prep school, subways, fashion), but the writing is so fresh and Delia and her Aunt Charley are so likable that the novel is in no way derivative. In fact, this book is like nothing that I've read this year. If you're looking for a fun read in the contemporary realistic fiction genre, then look no further than And Then Everything Unraveled.

Off to read the sequel!

My Rating: 4.5

And Then Everything Unraveled was a gripping, witty and fun start to a promising series. Jennifer's writing drew me into the story and well-developed characters. Delia, the main character, was a determined, intelligent and lovable girl. I related to her personality off the bat and quickly learned to sympathize with her situation. Delia's mother T.K. unexpectedly goes missing. On top of that, everyone around her assumed she was dead. Her intuition sensed that her mother was alive and she would do everything in her power to find T.K. The journey she faced was exciting yet dangerous. There were a few evildoers in the novel that Delia had to watch out for. There was more to her mother's disappearance then people led on. Once evidence started unraveling I couldn't put the book down. I read it in two sittings because I was so eager to find out what would happen to Delia and her plan.

As she played Sherlock Holmes, she resided with her aunt Charley in New York City. I absolutely loved Charley. She was quirky, funny and chic. I'd love to have a cool, fashionable aunt like her. I admired how she not only took the role of a parent but, a friend as well. Throughout the novel, there was little romance and a hint of curiosity between Delia and a boy in school, Quinn. He was truly a stand up guy and I really liked the whole cat and mouse relationship. Eventually, he started to play a bigger role in Delia's life and I enjoyed getting to know him better. In general, this book was an awesome YA debut from Jennifer and I recommend it to those who are looking for a fast-paced, thrilling read.