Unraveller
by
Frances Hardinge
Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Abrams
Imprint
Amulet
ISBN
9781419759314
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Language: Infrequent Use , Language: Mild Language , Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse
A dark YA fantasy about learning to use your power and finding peace, from award-winning author Frances Hardinge.
In a world where anyone can create a life-destroying curse, only one person has the power to unravel them.
Kellen does not fully understand his talent, but helps those transformed maliciously—including Nettle. Recovered from entrapment in bird form, she is now his constant companion and closest ally.
But Kellen has also been cursed, and unless he and Nettle can remove his curse, Kellen is in danger of unravelling everything—and everyone—around him . . .
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Language: Infrequent Use , Language: Mild Language , Violence: Domestic/Physical Abuse
Details
Format
Page Count
432
Trim Size
8 1/2" x 5 1/2"
Dewey
F
AR
0: points 0
Genre
Fic
Scholastic Reading Counts
0
JLG Release
Apr 2023
Book Genres
Fantasy
Topics
Blessing and cursing. Magic. Ability. Best friends. Friendship. Mystery and detective stories. LGBTQ.
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Cover Art
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Praise & Reviews
Praise & Reviews
School Library Journal
School Library Journal
Library Journal
Gr 7 Up—In the land of Raddith, anger and hate left to fester in a person's heart form a "curse egg" and those who carry curse eggs can wreak havoc on the lives of those around them. Everyone who isn't a curser is vulnerable to being cursed for real or imagined slights; every interaction with a stranger can turn dangerous quickly. Kellen, who possesses a mysterious ability to "unravel" these curses by finding their source and cause, and his companion Nettle, a girl who was cursed to be a heron until Kellen saved her, are hired to unravel a very specific curse by a strange marsh horseman named Gall. However, as they traverse the curse-ridden and creature-filled woods known as the Wilds, it becomes increasingly clear that whatever has given Kellen the power to unravel curses must be reversed before he unravels himself and everyone else. Characteristically lush and transportive descriptions accompany a rapidly paced, consistently suspenseful plot, keeping readers firmly planted in the land of Raddith from beginning to end. Hardinge again displays her knack for imbuing mythological-feeling tales with casts of creatures and characters who are fully realized and impeccably described, rendered in astonishing detail while carefully avoiding verbosity. Introspective realizations, the processing of uncomfortable feelings, and the importance of knowing and understanding oneself are continual throughlines in the narrative, along with the insidious effects of allowing fury and hate to grow unchecked. VERDICT Another deeply atmospheric, compulsively readable yet utterly unsettling offering from Hardinge. Highly recommended for all libraries serving teens.—Allie Stevens
Grades 9-12
Fantasy/Science Fiction High Plus
For Grades 9-12
Tales of unique and mysterious powers, strange new worlds, alternate realities, and dark fantasies await your high-school readers. They'll discover a new world monthly with the 12 books in this category.
14 books per Year
$302.40 per Year
Interests
Fiction,High Interest/Reluctant Reader,Thriller/Horror/Mystery,Novels
Grades 9-12
Fantasy/Science Fiction High Plus
14 books per Year
$302.40 per Year
