Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Publication date: September 11, 2012
This story introduces us to one of the main characters of Unspoken, Jared Lynburn. Seeing him as the broken, dangerous, closed-off teenager that he appears to be from the outside allows us to anticipate all of the insight we'll have into his character when we get inside his head--which we will, since he's the heroine's "imaginary friend."HOW do I even begin to describe how much I loved this short e-story??? I can sum up my reaction in this one gif:
I loved Jared's character in Unspoken, but reading his story in The Spring Before I Met You has made me love him even more!
"There were certain kids at school who could only be described as mad, bad, and dangerous to teach, and Jared Moore was their king."
Told from the POV of Jared's American guidance counselor, this short story provides insight on Jared's life before he met Kami, before he met his aunt, uncle, and cousin. Before he knew about the Lynburn legacy.
In Unspoken, we saw him as the troubled, brooding outcast, and while that's true in this story as well, you see so much more character depth.
You see Jared's sanity put into question and his apathy to the world around him, except that underneath it all, he's not as tough as he appears. In The Spring Before I Met You, you meet the Jared that loves to read, who has a dry sense of humor, whose most precious thing in the world is the voice in his head he believes belongs to his imaginary friend.
“She’s mine,” he said. “She’s the only thing I ever had for my own.”
I am now sure that Kami and Jared are endgame. After seeing him in this story, it's impossible for me to believe that he could actually say those things to Kami at the end of Unspoken and mean them! If they don't end up together, I WILL FLIP ALL THE TABLES IN THE WORLD.
Once again, Sarah Rees Brennan has made me fall in love with her characters... and brutally ripped my heart out. This short story is simultaneously hilarious and utterly heartbreaking and I am certain that SRB one seriously evil author who enjoys wreaking havoc upon the heart of her readers.
Rating: 5 amazing, heart-wrenching stars
This is a perfect read for anyone who's already read Unspoken and wants to curb their craving for Untold--but BEWARE of the intense feelings that this book may induce!
See, before I even read this review, just the summary made me say, "Yeah, that would rip my heart out." And lo...you and the gifs BOTH confirmed my suspicion! I never, ever doubted Jared was lying to Kami in that last scene they had together in Unspoken. OTP, no doubt. Maybe...probably...I hope. Because the feelings boxes will topple down on me if they're not :)
ReplyDeleteSarah@Sarah's YA Blog
I was just checking my library today to see if they have Unspoken, but now I think I just want to buy it. And I love that animated GIF of Tamaki! My cousin introduced me to Ouran a few months ago, and I can't stop watching it!
ReplyDeleteHello, I'm a new follower from over at Book Blogs! I'm having a giveaway right now if you'd like to enter. Either way I'd absolutely love if you would stop by for a visit and follow if you'd like! Here's the link: MaMa's Book Corner Giveaway
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