Jan13

Review: Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

by Christy on January 13th, 2012
Posted In: Uncategorized
Title: Unraveling Isobel
Author:  Eileen Cook
Pub Date:  January 3, 2012
Publisher:  Simon Pulse
Source:  Publisher via Galley Grab
Isobel’s life is falling apart. Her mom just married some guy she met on the internet only three months before, and is moving them to his sprawling, gothic mansion off the coast of nowhere. Goodbye, best friend. Goodbye, social life. Hello, icky new stepfather, crunchy granola town, and unbelievably good-looking, officially off-limits stepbrother.
 

But on her first night in her new home, Isobel starts to fear that it isn’t only her life that’s unraveling—her sanity might be giving way too. Because either Isobel is losing her mind, just like her artist father did before her, or she’s seeing ghosts. Either way, Isobel’s fast on her way to being the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons. [Goodreads]

 

Loved this book! It’s funny, cute, and creepy; how could this not be a fun book? Unraveling Isobel was one of those books that I almost didn’t read, but changed my mind at the last minute.  Then it ended up keeping me awake until 1:30am doing the must-read-just-one-more-chapter thing.

Poor Isobel had to leave her high school, best friend, and civilization behind when her unbelievably selfish mother married Richard, a man she barely knows.  Richard, or Dick – as Isobel so affectionately refers to him – is … well, a dick.  Along with Dick’s son, Nathaniel, they all move to Dick’s family estate on Nairne Island, a place where everyone knows everyone and everything that goes on.  Strange things start happening in the house, but the big question is: is the stuff really happening, or is Isobel really going crazy?

Isobel is hilarious.  I felt so bad for when her mom acted like a selfish brat; marrying a man she’s know for only a few months and doesn’t even let Isobel finish out her senior year of high school.  That’s not even the worst of it, in my opinion.  Isobel’s biological dad has schizophrenia, and her mom is always throwing it in Isobel’s face that she might “get it”, so every time she “acts up” or does her art, mom thinks she has a mental illness.  Plus, it infuriates me the way she allowed Dick to manipulate them.  But Isobel had me laughing through it all, because the girl is true smartass.

Isobel’s relationship with Nathanial is adorable, both of them had me laughing.  I thought Nate was so cute, especially when he teased Isobel.  Who cares if they’re technically step-brother and step-sister!  I want them together!

I recommend this book to everyone.  It’s fun, it’s quick, and it totally pulls you in.

“Nathanial looked.  Of course he looked.  She practically was shaking her breast in his face.  If he wasn’t careful, a wayward nipple was going to take out one of his eyes.”  - Isobel

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