I enthusiastically booktalk titles like Black Mirror and Rules of Survival by National Book Award finalist Nancy Werlin. And since I had read and enjoyed her Impossible a few years ago, I was eagerly looking forward to another blend of magic, suspense, and fairy tale romance in Werlin's just published Unthinkable. Revolving around many of the same characters, Unthinkable is a unique prequel/sequel to Impossible. Yes, this book is ultimately about what the author calls "becoming strong in broken places," but it moves too slowly with Finella, the Scarborough girl cursed 400 years ago, forced to complete three tasks of destruction in the modern day. While the premise and clever jumping around in time are interesting, it is difficult to feel any affection or attachment to the main character.
Read Unthinkable if you want to see what happens to the family or to explore the idea of whether good intentions can really excuse bad actions. For a faster pace, be sure to try other titles by Werlin or read about strong female characters in Graceling (and its companions) by Cashore. Try a classic about a "cursed" family in The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Prefer re-told fairy tales and/or fantasy? Look for Briar Rose by Jane Yolen or books by Terry Pratchett or Robin McKinley.
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