The teenaged Isobel isn't happy to be moving to the island of Nairne. Nor is she pleased with her stepfather, the result of a short online romance with her mother--or Nate, the gorgeous stepbrother that comes with him. The new house is too old, too creepy, and perhaps too haunted. With romance and thrills in tow, Isobel begins to delve into what happened to Nate's deceased mother and sister...

The Good

This was really, really cute. If you want a YA mystery with a touch of romance/creepy crawlies, "Unraveling Isobel" is for you. The entire story is laced with this sort of Nancy Drew feel without the cheese. Although I'll admit to predicting the ending fairly early, there were a few unexpected twists here and there and the whole thing is so fun that I didn't particularly care if it was predictable.

Isobel is a realistic teenager. Which, guess what, means that she isn't always right, she is at times self-centered, and oh, yes, she does end up getting herself into a lot of trouble. But I also found her endearing and relatable because she's flawed. Nate, her love interest/stepbrother is less well-developed, but still kind of dreamy in his own way. (Eileen Cook can write some makeout scenes; I wish there had been more.)

Another thing I have to commend Cook for is her inclusion of the bias society has against people with mental illness. As someone with mental illness myself, I have to applaud the way she called out a lot of her characters for their stereotyping and judgment. It was borderline preachy at times, but I felt that that was necessary.

The Bad

Yes, the entire thing is, as previously mentioned, fairly predictable. If you want tons of shockers, this isn't the book for you.

There were also some pacing/believability issues. The climax of the book is kind of--really--unbelievable and several things happened throughout the novel that I just couldn't buy. Similarly, Isobel's dismissal of cheerleaders bugged me--the entire demonization of cheerleaders was typical and unnecessary.

The Ugly

I can't think of anything ugly in particular. But I have to say that you shouldn't expect a lot of sense-making here. This is pure teen mystery. Don't expect the author to be double-checking for plot holes, because I'm pretty sure that there were a few.

The Verdict

Fun, as long as you turn your brain off for a little while and let yourself absorb the candy.

This book is amazing! It takes a lot to impress me when it comes to books and this one definitely made the top 5!!! • awesome hope there's more from you!