Unbreakable

Bibliographic Information

Garcia, Kami. Unbreakable. New York: Little, Brown, 2013. Print. 

Summary

A paranormal romance, Unbreakable tells the story of Kennedy Waters, a teenage girl with a photographic memory, discovering the hidden world of ghosts and demons. After her mother dies suddenly, Kennedy is approached by mysterious twins who convince her to come along on their mission to banish a strong demon from this world. They believe she is the fifth member of the Legion of the Black Dove, a society formed in opposition to the Illuminati, specifically to rid the world of this demon. Along the way, Kennedy struggles with her own identity, her relationship with her father and feeling torn between the twin brothers. 

Analysis

This book’s greatest strength is how fast paced it is. It moves briskly through the story, always keeping the reader moving and on their toes. It’s engaging and believably references the real world, making the reader feel like this could actually be happening around them without anyone knowing it. It also does a good job tying in the historical references to secret societies and folklore of the supernatural elements. However, the romance is predictable and somewhat trite. It feels like every other teen paranormal love story. The characters could also use some more development- Kennedy herself can be annoying at times and unbelievable at others. The other members of the Legion suffer the same deficits. 

This novel would absolutely appeal to some teens, though most likely girls would be more drawn into the story since it is so heavy on the love triangle plot line. There is little in it that could make it inappropriate for the age range, though some of the paranormal elements may be too much for certain readers who find themselves sensitive to such topics. I wouldn’t necessarily say this title specifically ‘deserves’ a place in the canon. There are many other series that could fulfill its role, just with differences in paranormal style and characters. However, it is certainly an enjoyable quick read that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend as a fun diversion. 

Activity

An interesting activity could be to have a day where students learn about secret societies. This has long been a fascination point with teens, but even with adults. Having students do a “secret society” fair could be a really cool event that also forces students to learn about verifying sources and the role of such societies in history. Emphasize source reliability (not just sketchy websites claiming famous people are Illuminati) and the historical role the society has played in political and social development. 

Related Resources

From reading reviews and blurbs, this book seems to be similar to the TV show Supernatural, so that may be a good connection to make for students interested in either one. For readers who like the romance element of the story, just with a little supernatural element thrown in, both the Chemical Garden trilogy and the Fallen series will continue their reading through multiple more series. 

DiStefano, Lauren. Wither. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2011. Print. 

Kate, Lauren. Fallen. New York: Ember, 2009. Print. 

Supernatural. WB/ CW. 2005- . Television. 

Kami Garcia first became known for another book in a similar vein to this one- Beautiful Creatures. It is co-written with Margaret Stohl and the first book in a series (with many sub novels included), The Caster Chronicles. It was made into a movie, as well. Readers who enjoy Garcia’s writing style and form of creativity in Unbreakable will also enjoy the supernatural elements in Beautiful Creatures and may be inspired to further pursue works by both Garcia and Stohl. 

Garcia, Kami & Margaret Stohl. Beautiful Creatures. New York: Little, Brown. 2009.  

Published Review

"Reviews: Unbreakable." Kirkus Reviews, vol. 81, no. 16, Aug 2013, p. 142.