Garcia, Kami. Unbreakable. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2013

The Beautiful Creatures series has been popular in my library. Garcia's success here didn't seem to generate interest in her new series, that starts with Unbreakable. I decided to read it, so that I could talk it and get it moving. I am so glad I did.

In the novel, seventeen year old Kennedy Waters has suffered more losses than many of her age. Her dad walked out on her and her mom when she was very young. Her boyfriend proves faithless. As the book begins her mom is taken from her through what the doctors believe is heart failure. As she prepares to leave the life she knows for boarding school, mysterious twin brothers Lukas and Jared Lockhart enter her life. Through them she learns that she is a member of an ancient secret society – the Legion that exists to protect the world from a powerful demon, responsible for the death of her mom. She joins with them to find a new place in the world.

My paranormal fans will certainly be drawn to this title. The premise is quite unique in YA’s ghostly offerings. Kennedy is extremely relatable as she struggles with familiar teenage angst in an unfamiliar world. Garcia builds this world carefully, drawing readers in gradually, much the same way as Kennedy. Readers will feel her loss, pain, and confusion and be drawn into the different attractions she feels for the brothers. Students who have loved but grown out of the offerings of Mary Downing Hahn will certainly appreciate this "ghost" story for slightly older and more mature readers.

Priest and Alara round out the Legion, creating a new family for Kennedy. Paranormal fans will enjoy the mysterious hunt for all of the pieces that will allow the Legion to bind the demon once and for all. And finally adventure seekers will enjoy the action packed battles with all of the spooky poltergeists along the way. A very solid offering from an already beloved author in my library. I will be book talking it to juniors this week and am anxious to "sell" it to our kids. Personally, I am looking forward to the sequel that comes out this month.