Customer Reviews

Undone

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

After hearing a lot of great things about this book, I was expecting fantastic things. The only thing that really bothered me about the story was that at some points it got rather confusing. Everything was cleared up eventually, but I just didn't like the little parts where I was left hanging. Also, Serena's character got a little annoying after a while, in how she was always trying to be like Kori and didn't discover who she herself was until the very end of the book. That being said, there were tons of things that I liked about this book. The plot was very good. Even though it was a little bit predictable, I was still anticipating the next twist and flipping pages to get to the next part of the story. I also loved the character of Anthony Beck. He's the ideal boyfriend; a good kisser, supportive, and gives you your space when you need it. I'm completely in love with him. He treated Serena so well even as she was chasing after Kori's old boy toy. The best part of Undone was the huge twist at the end. I'm not going to give it away, but let's just say that it knocked me off my feet. I wasn't expecting it at all which was the greatest part. I also liked how the PostSecret postcard project was incorporated into the book. Brooke Taylor did an excellent job of having relative pop culture references in the story which added a nice edge to the narrative. All in all, I'd definitely recommend Undone. It's dark, captivating, and edgy. You won't be able to put it down.

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"

Author: Brooke Taylor
Pages: 320
Source: Purchased at Barnes and Noble
Series or Standalone?: Standalone

When Kori Kitlzer, the "dark angel" of the 8th grade, tells Serena Moore that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued. As their friendship solidifies and their lives entwine, Serena tries to become more like the fearless, outspoken, and ambitious Kori. Soon Serena doesn't know where she begins and Kori ends. But when a twist of fate yanks Kori away from Serena, she will need to find a way to complete her best friend's life left undone.

* * *


This book is one of those novels that really makes you think. It deals with so many important issues such as drugs, sex, teenage pregnancy, parenthood, growing up without a parent, and the true tests of friendship.

Kori was outrageous and a risk-taker. She did everything without fear, but that also included doing some unhealthy, illegal things. But she loved Serena, and deep down she only wanted the best for her. Of course, all the characters in the book do drugs and smoke and drink, and that was the only thing I didn't like.

I guess I don't like books like that, because, as a teenager myself attending high school, I think it's pretty unrealistic. Honestly, I do know people who do drugs, but it's a very severe minority, and they absolutely don't do it as openly as the characters in this book. The drug use is so casual. It gives an image that high school kids are all like that.

But I did love the message the story gave. Serena had spent her whole life wishing she had a father, and that played a major role in shaping her personality. And then to lose her best friend, who seemed to be the only thing anchoring her down to earth, it really tore her apart. She then had to rebuild her own life, and find herself as opposed to what she was trying to make herself be.

The writing was fine. It was written more in the tone of a teenager, which was good because it helped get into Serena's head. Also, the cover is alright.


Plot: 4/5
Cover: 4/5
Writing: 3/5/5
Uniqueness: 4/5
Characters: 2.5/5

Two completely mismatched teens become best friends. Their friendship, at least on the outside, appears to be fate, but one has a secret as to why Kori Kitzler befriended Serena Moore. When Kori dies in a freak accident, Serena is an empty shell of a person. Trying to hold on to pieces of her friend, she decides complete Kori's fate list. The fate list was a school assignment to list five things they never dreamed could happen. As Serena works to complete Kori's list, she gets closer to the secret and discovers there was more to her friend than she realized.

Having been a troubled teen, Kori's character hit home with me. The story is smothered in realism that wasn't all dark and gloom. For the first fifty (ish) pages, I laughed aloud at the witty dialogue. Add in an extremely satisfying ending and this was one of the best books I've read in 2010. Considering I've read well over a hundred, I believe that's saying something.

Interesting book that I felt very drawn into. It is the story of Serena, a 15 year old extremely screwed-up teenage girl, and her best friend Kori, who is both Serena's roll-model and even more screwed-up.

Although the girls are fifteen, I would not recommend this book to the younger teenage group. The girls are into all the things that most parents want to protect their kids from (smoking, drugs, alcohol, foul language, and sex - although there is no graphic sex). However, none of these things are gratuitous - but rather part of the make-up of how messed-up the kids are and some of the obstacles they must overcome.

Essentially, the story is about how Serena figures out who she and Kori really are and why they each have followed such a destructive course (and once I understood, I *understood*). Serena struggles with the choices she has made, her idolizing of Kori, her dreams of the father who abandoned her, and her relationship with a mother who is having an affair with a married man (and it gets worse).

My biggest complaint (other than the age-appropriateness of the book) is that the ending is too pat. The adults / roll models in Serena's life have done things with hugely negative consequences for Serena. There is an undercurrent of anger in the story (probably why I liked it so much), but as the secrets unfold, Serena forgives (and overcomes her screwed-uped-ness) rather than expressing her anger. I wanted to see the blow up - particularly at her parents who deserved it.

My second complaint is that Serena has a number of `lightbulb moments' that change her view of the world. The problem is the quantity of these, as the importance of each one became diluted and muddled. At the end of the day, I'm not clear which was the true message of the author.

Still, the book appealed to me. The reality is that a lot of kids make the same choices as Serena and Kori if not for the exact same reasons, then similar ones.

Kori Kitzler is the "dark angel" of the eighth grade. Serena Moore is just your average eigth grader. When Kori tells Serena that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intriuged. What could she and bad-girl Kori possible have in common?

Fast forward to years to their sophmore year and they're now best friends.They tell each other everything and Serena has turned into Kori's twin. They look alike and seem to act alike. Serena is working her hardest are becoming a tough, fearless, and outspoken teenager, just like Kori.

But before that can happen, fate yanks Kori away in a tragic accident, leaving Serena with a list of five things she wanted to do. As Serena tries to complete those five things, she learns for the first time how alike they really are but she also learns that there were some secrets Kori had been hiding.

When I first started Undone, I was positive I wouldn't like it. I figured that after it mentioned lesbian sex, getting high, and being arrested on the first two pages that it was going to be some graphic and sex-filled book about drugs and sex. But it wasn't. It never even came close to being that. What it was, however, was a novel about friendship, love, and figuring out just who you are. I loved it.

Everything about this was great. The characterization was exactly right, the plot completely believable, and the prose just kept the reader intrigued. I couldn't wait to find out how deep the relationship between Serena and Kori really was and I was on the edge of my seat every time Kori did something daring. At one point, I was even close to tears. None of those things easily happen while I'm reading which just goes to prove how much I loved this book.

I definitely recommend reading this book when you get the chance. It'll blow you away. However, if you're under the age of 14 or are easily offended, you may not want to read this. (Then again, I'm under 14 and it blew me away so just use your own judgement.)

This is most certainly a typical teenage book, but the younger me inside.enjoyed every word, sentence, and page. This is a book.of.teenage heartache, fun, and self exploration. Drugs and sex are in this book, so I don't recommend it for a very young audience.

Serena is a rather conflicted teenager who has issues with her somewhat overprotective mother. As such, she is drawn to the "dark angel" she sees in Kori.
Not only does the plot of the story move well, it is a great portrayal of having someone you love unbearably die suddenly. The relationship between Kori and Serena is not explicitly sexual, but they are so close that it seems that they share the same blood. Though the subject matter of the book is certainly serious, Taylor lightens the sometimes oppressive mood by providing cynical, hilarious, and sarcastic quips from Serena and her group of friends- Kori, Cole, and Lexi. The book also reveals that people are not always as they seem, as shown in the book by Marci Mancini, a cheerleader who must stifle a difficult secret to remain part of the in-crowd.
This book is a must-read for troubled teens, or anyone who has lost their own "dark angel."

Loved the characters, all were so well written. Though seeds are planted about how a plotline might go, it still read mysteriously enough that I had to keep reading to see if indeed it would turn out that way. Thought-provoking for facing fears and evaluating realtionships - with both friends and family.

I always like to gauge a good book by how long the characters bounce around in my head and I know these will linger for a while. Stunning cover - it's what caught my eye in the first place.