The Unquiet

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Author(s)

Jeannine Garsee

Publisher

Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Genre(s)

Paranormal

Age Range

14+

Release Date

July 17, 2012

ISBN

978-1599907239

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When Rinn Jacobs moves to a new town she hopes it will be a fresh start-a place where nobody knows about her past. At first, everything goes according to plan. She falls in with the popular girls at her new school and falls for the very cute boy-next-door Nate. But River Hills High School has a secret. The ghost of a girl who died back when Rinn's mom was a student supposedly haunts a hallway. Rinn's not sure she believes it, but when strange things start happening to her friends, Rinn decides there's only one way to know for sure. She needs to ditch her bipolar meds and see what the voices are really trying to say...Fans of films like Black Swan will be fascinated by this psychological thriller.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

A Great Spooky Tale

July 21, 2012 (Updated: July 22, 2012)

Overall rating

5.0

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I was intrigued when I found out THE UNQUIET had a protagonist that deals with not only an urban legend's ghost but struggles with bipolar disorder. Garsee works in a psych ward, so she deals with patients with mental illness. My own father, half-brother, and uncle are bipolar. So yes, I kind of know what's it's like to be around those who don't take their meds because they either like the 'manic' part or just don't want to take them. The symptoms can be anything from paranoid thinking to hearing/seeing things.

It's the author's unique twist that had me reading this engaging, suspenseful paranormal tale in one sitting. I love horror stories that aren't too graphic but rather subtle with the creep factor. Garsee does this and more! She nails the voice and shows us a realistic portrayal of a bipolar teen who struggles with her illness.

First off, I have to say the voice of this novel is amazing. Loved it. Loved the dialogue exchange between Rinn and the cute next door neighbor boy Nate. Seems her mother has some history that she's not sharing with Rinn, like the fact that she dated Nate's dad in high school. There's a rhythm to the dialogue that moves this tale right along. And yes, even some humor too.

The layers of Rinn are slowly peeled back. It would be so easy to make this about a 'bipolar' teen that sees things type of story. No, Garsee shows us Rinn's struggles with what happened with her grandmother and the fact that the stepfather she adores, blames her for his mother's death. She misses her stepfather, loves her mother, and also wishes she could just be 'normal' and not take any of the meds.

I love how Garsee doesn't start right off with the urban legend's ghost but rather shows us how this ghost has a hold over them. Think I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER meets a vindictive ghost. Seems Rinn isn't the only one in town with a 'secret'. Everyone in this little Ohio town has 'his/her' baggage. This includes Rinn's friend's parents too. And I can't forget to mention the vacuated pool where the ghost Annaliese died. The teens have to go through a tunnel to get from one part of the high school campus and if they linger in the tunnel apparently bad things happen to them. Or even in a few cases, death.

A huge plus for me in this novel is how Garsee shows what happens when someone doesn't take their meds. I've seen this in my own family and it's just as scary as it's shown in this novel.
Rinn's haunting descent into madness is chilling. I love how it's not over the top but rather subtle. You can't tell if it's the disorder talking or the ghost.

The ending is shocking and caught me off guard. Love that!

A must read for paranormal fans that shows bipolar disorder in a realistic light.

Good Points

1. Realistic portrayal on bipolar teen off meds
2. Unique twist and shocking ending
3. Think I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER meets a vindictive urban legend
4. Great voice

Kim Baccellia, Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 889 reviews

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User reviews

3 reviews

Overall rating

4.2

Plot

4.3(3)

Characters

3.7(3)

Writing Style

4.7(3)

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Great!

August 03, 2013

Overall rating

4.7

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Great! Something new!

Good Points

Finally a book that deals with a mental disorder!

Wow! The concept reminded me of Anna Dressed in Blood scary vengeful ghost out for blood. That's where the similarities end. Really like Rinn's character. Bipolar, suicidal, trying to prove herself to others that she isn't that crazy anymore. Meets Nate, automatically falls for her. Her self-conscious about why a nice guy would go after her. Her dark past. Then we're introduced to Annaliese. The more Rinn becomes obsessed w/ the more we get to find out what happened. Until ultimately we discovered the truth about Bo she died in the pool! Twist, somewhat saw coming... All in all, I liked it!

Duks Castro Top 100 Reviewer 82 reviews

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The Unquiet (A Room with Books review)

November 17, 2012

Overall rating

3.7

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Oh man, did it really have to end that way?!

I really don't know where I got the idea that this was an “issues” contemporary, but that's what I was thinking for the longest time. The only thing that changed my mind was all the reviews popping up saying how deliciously creepy it was, and boy, was it! It has the whole “unreliable narrator” thing going on for it which is always a plus in my book. At times I was seriously convinced there was a ghost and other times I just wanted to throttle Rinn thinking she was making it all up. I mean, how is “I should stop taking my medicine so the ghost can get me” the right answer in any universe? Come on, Rinn.

I don't really know why I had a problem with Rinn and Nate's relationship, but I did. Something about it just felt off for me. Like, it didn't quite feel like insta-love because they were taking things slow at first and yet it did. The whole story takes place within about 3 months and they manage to go through a roller coaster of emotions (albeit, they had some help) including the L word and doing It/not doing It (an argument of sorts). And when they made out I just felt kind of bleh.

As I mentioned, the creep factor was definitely there. The first day I was reading it, half the lights in our apartment building were inexplicably out. We're talking, I-live-at-the-end-of-the-hall-and-can't-see-the-other-end dark. The combination of the tunnel in the book and my dark hall almost gave me a heart attack! I really loved that it wasn't always typical ghosty things either (i.e. ghostly forms, things mving around when they shouldn't, sudden coldness). Oh yes, those things were there, but that wasn't the half of it. We're talking total crazypants stuff too like

The Nutshell: If you like unreliable narrators and WTFery then The Unquiet is definitely your book. Don't blame me if you find yourself wanting t leave all the lights on, though ;P

Hit

Jasmine Top 50 Reviewer 326 reviews

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All The Lovely Creepiness!

October 20, 2012

Overall rating

4.3

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Rinn Jacobs killed her Grandmother.
Well, she didn't exactly kill her...
but she was the one who accidentally knocked over the lamp that caused the fire.
she was the one that her grandma was trying to save, even though she wasn't in the house.
And she was the one who didn't help her or even get help.

After an attempt at suicide, Rinn and her mother move to a small town in Ohio for a fresh new start.
But everything is not all happy and dandy.
About 20 years ago a girl named Annaliese drowned in the high school's swimming pool. The pool has since closed down but there are rumors that Annaliese never left and haunts the school...
Add the fact that Annaliese's grandma committed suicide after the death of her granddaughter by hanging herself, and guess where she hang herself...
In Rinn's new house of course!
When strange things begin to happen to the students and the school (including deaths!), Rinn begins to wonder if the rumor is true and that Annaliese is haunting the school.
But who would believe the crazy girl?
Even more, what if this is all an hallucination?
What if she's going crazy again?

First off, let me say this...
I LOVE GHOST STORIES!!!
I have no idea why I love ghost stories (since I have a fear of dead things and practically everything else) but I find them so interesting!!
And that is precisely why I loved this book!
It had the creepiness that I adore in ghost stories!! XD
Yes, I must say that it took awhile for me to get into the book and even longer for the ghostie stuff to come in but...
All in all, in was worth it!