4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stellar, stellar debut., July 23, 2008
Undone wastes no time meandering along the surface. The very first page, containing the prologue, depicts the first acquaintance between destined-to-be-best-friends Kori and Serena. Serena runs into Kori in the bathroom and Kori, lighting a cigarette and taking a drag, tells Serena that, for some ungodly reason, they're more alike than she thinks. This statement, because of its elusiveness, still haunts Serena two years since the bathroom encounter that inaugurated her and Kori's close-knit friendship. Striking, this is; it's not until later the reader figures out this very scene is where the heart, the core, the key to the story lie.
As previously mentioned, two years have passed, and the girls--having grown so very close in the meantime--are now sophomores. They're given an assignment to list the five things they want to happen in the next six months--their five ways to tempt fate. Of course, Serena scoffs at it. But then something tragic happens to Kori, and Kori's list of five things becomes an important artifact--not only to figuring out the mystery of her tragedy, but also to following through with Kori's desire not to leave anything undone.
So, anyway, Serena is left estranged to the world and life itself without her best friend. What's more, while she's always been very mindful of her and Kori's blatant differences, the deeper she digs in making sense of what happened, the less she sees the Kori she thought she knew. This is devastating in itself because, not knowing what the entity that is Kori stands for anymore, Serena, in turn, doesn't know herself any longer, either.
However, life still goes on. At home, Serena's mother is still the same: Not trying to understand Serena or the pain she's going through. Instead, she's focused on maintaining the same flawless front she's always kept to avoid rumors from the small-town community she reckons still condemns her for getting pregnant with Serena as a teenager. Oh, and of course, she still won't let Serena on to who her father is.
At school, teachers allow a grace period for Serena to readjust, but grace periods don't last forever and Serena's not ready to go back to routine yet. There are also her two other friends, Lexi and Cole, who try to divert her attention, but to no avail. And then there's Anthony, and their "relationship", which she can't make sense of.
Serena lets it all float away while she tries to figure out Kori's secrets, and, in so, figure out herself.
To say this is a novel about finding yourself is to simultaneously hit the mark and to sell it short, because while that is precisely what it is, when I finished reading it, I felt it accomplished much more than the "finding yourself" bit. Thing is, it's hard to define Undone, if only because it fits so many categories and themes of self-discovery: mothers and daughters, best friends, first loves, first temptations, missing fathers, so on, so forth. The truth of the matter is, it touches on many topics worthy of exploration, such as parental abandonment, confusing relationships, friendships you feel are extraneous until you find out they're not, drunken hookups, and many more I won't go into detail here because it would ruin your reading experience.
Added to all of this, is ultimately what makes a sane person keep turning pages the most--a mystery. The plot is very clever (and, admittedly, sneaky) this way, filled with intricacies, and with hints right there in front of you all throughout, but that you don't take notice until the very, very end.
But all of what I have said so far doesn't even touch what struck me most about this novel, and that is its accessibility. Sure, it's crammed with lessons, messages, and morals which the reader can't help but at least consider while reading. However, the tone of Brooke Taylor's writing never wavers from that of a witty, realistic teen, one who taps into your emotions, making you laugh, cry (yes, I did, literally), and feel what she's feeling, in the purest, most pristine manner.
This book spoke very personally to me, and I'm sure it also will to many other girls (or boys, if they may be so bold as to read it) out there. I'd recommend it to anyone, but especially to reluctant readers, who are not going to be disappointed with Brooke Taylor's voice.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, July 23, 2008
What happens when the only person you think understands you is gone? It happened to Serena when she lost her friend Kori.
Her friendship with Kori started just a short time ago, but the two have come to almost define each other. Serena not only adopted Kori's look and style, but also gained her protection and support. Both girls struggle with family issues, but life seemed a bit easier when they could escape together.
Kori brought out the wild side of Serena. There were late night rendezvous, smoking, tongue piercings, and plans of a tattoo. Serena became more of a risk-taker and more sure of herself when Kori was there. Serena had other friends, but everyone took a step back when the two girls were together because their connection was special. The already rocky relationship Serena had with her mother became even edgier when her mother demanded that the two girls not see each other.
The accident was a shock to everyone. The ride Kori accepted with Parker became her last, and it left Serena with a feeling of responsibility to complete the tasks left undone by her friend. It was obvious from the funeral and memorial tribute that Kori's family didn't know her like Serena did, which meant that only Serena knew what to do to honor her memory. But when Serena began to check off the tasks on Kori's list, she began to uncover secrets about her own life.
Brooke Taylor is a YA author to keep an eye on. She realistically captures the frustration of teens trying to deal with family issues, school pressure, and finding a place to fit in. Readers from all backgrounds will be able to find themselves in Taylor's characters. The teen world of insecurities, impulsive decisions, and shifting emotions is well-developed in the storyline of UNDONE. I look forward to Ms. Taylor's next book.
Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"
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