Title: Unlocked by Margo Kelly
Publisher: Merit Press
Genre: Contemporary, Young Adult, Horror, Mystery, Supernatural Elements
Length: 304 pages
Book Rating: B
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through Edelweiss
Summary:
Hannah is losing it. Everything. Her friends, her life, and probably her mind. Bugs crawling over her hands made her wreck the car and cause her friend’s death, but…were the bugs even real? Is someone moving Hannah’s things around, or is she imagining it? Why does her brain feels as though she’s not controlling it? She’s probably headed for a useless life in and out of the locked ward, like her dad. In desperation, she reaches out when the school’s self-proclaimed “occult” expert offers to help, and, through this supposedly weird kid, Hannah discovers shocking news that could mean she really is going crazy, or that someone misusing a terrible power.
Review:
Unlocked by Margo Kelly is a young adult mystery with supernatural elements.
For their last outing before their senior year begins, Hannah O’Leary, her boyfriend Manny and her friends enjoy a night at a local fair. At the urging of best friend Lily Sloane, the teens not only attend but participate in a hypnotist’s demonstration. Almost immediately afterward, Hannah begins experiencing strange visions, auditory hallucinations and creepy sensations that no one else seems to see or hear. On the way home from the fair, she crashes her car which leaves one of the teens dead and two others seriously injured. When school begins, Hannah is ostracized by her friends but she befriended by a group of misfit teens who help her get to the bottom of her increasingly bizarre behavior.
Hannah is one of the most popular kids in her class with a bright future ahead of her. All of that changes after the car accident and as she begins acting completely out of character, she becomes more and more isolated and frightened by the eerie things she is seeing and hearing. Finding unexpected allies in classmates Eugene, Nick and Kyla, she tries to maintain her relationship with Manny, but he is not very understanding of her inexplicable behavior. In the aftermath of another horrifying incident, Hannah can only count on her new friends to assist her as she tries to uncover the truth about what is happening to her.
Due to her family history, Hannah’s mom believes her daughter is suffering from schizophrenia. Hannah is initially uncertain what to believe but as her life continues to spiral out of control, she begins to think the diagnosis might be correct. On the other hand, Eugene is convinced there is a much more malevolent reason for what is happening to her and their research into the occult offers a plausible explanation for some of her experiences. However, Hannah and her friends soon discover there is much more going on than they previously imagined and she is in serious danger. Will Hannah escape from this nightmare before it is too late?
With a well-rounded cast of characters and an imaginative storyline, Unlocked is a fast-paced and engaging young adult novel. Expect the unexpected as Margo Kelly incorporates both horror and supernatural elements into this thrilling mystery that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the pulse-pounding and suspenseful conclusion.
