About the Book:
Title: Unraveling Eleven
Author: Jerri Chisholm
Series: Eleven Trilogy #2
Page Length: 384
Publication Date: Nov. 16, 2021
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Synopsis: If Eve Hamilton cannot contain the monster inside, she’ll lose everyone who is important to her in this thrilling follow-up to the 2020 dystopian Escaping Eleven.
At long last, Eve Hamilton has realized true freedom. It is electrifying, intoxicating, divine. But much too quickly, it is wrenched from her grasp. And this time, the awaiting corridors of Compound Eleven are even less friendly than before. This time her list of enemies has grown exponentially, and her survival is far from a given—even with Wren Edelman by her side.
Yet her brief taste of freedom has left her with something useful, something powerful, something that terrifies the leaders of Compound Eleven: knowledge. Together Eve and Wren use it to uncover secret after secret, ones so twisted that everything they have ever known is thrown into doubt. Secrets that are so dangerous to wield that mere awareness can spell certain death.
But Eve soon discovers that despite a long list of enemies, despite uncovering secrets worth killing for, her greatest adversary lies deep within. And if she can’t contain the monster inside, if she can’t stop committing unspeakable acts of cruelty—ones she never thought she was capable of—she will lose everything that is important to her and everyone she holds dear.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, including Amazon, and I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you, if you purchase through my links.
My Review:
This is the second book in the Eleven trilogy, and it picks up right where the first book left off. Eve and Wren have escaped Compound Eleven, and they learn that the leaders of Eleven have been lying to them about the world above. Needing a plan to survive outside of Compound Eleven, they return and realize that what awaits them is even more dangerous than before. As Eve and Wren ingratiate themselves into their new jobs, they work to find a way to expose the leaders’ lies to the other citizens and work toward returning above ground. However, not everyone wants this secret revealed, and Eve and Wren find themselves facing their most dangerous threats yet.
Like the first book, the dystopian elements are strong in this book. We learn so much more about the world outside of Eleven, and it is intriguing! It is so different from the world below ground, and the two settings contrast each other well. I think the openness of the land and the community Eve finds highlight just how confining, restrictive, and wrong Compound Eleven has become. I also think seeing a new and better way to live, yet being unable to stay changes Eve.
Eve’s character development is immense, and emotionally she goes through a lot in this story. She is changed by the sense of freedom she experienced when she left Eleven. However, she becomes so obsessed with leaving Compound Eleven that everything else, including those she cares about, seems unimportant in comparison. Guilt, fear, and anger seem to propel her, yet Eve is confused about what she wants and what she should do. She hates feeling powerless and weak, and she often acts selfish and impulsive, which leads to some regrettable actions. Eve has a lot to learn about selflessness, helping others, and seeing things from different perspectives, which she does as the story progresses. I enjoyed her arc and how she perseveres even when all seems lost.
The relationship between Wren and Eve changes over the course of the story as well, and both have some things to work through. She seems to resent him, and he seems colder and more distant. Like most relationships, both Eve and Will make mistakes, and they have to decide how to deal with the consequences of their actions and behaviors. Their social stations still hang between them, define them, and divide them, and the couple has to find a way to get past their social differences if they ever want to be together.
And oh my word, the ending is great! I’m so curious to see where the story goes after that fantastic ending! There are several unpredictable twists and turns throughout the story, which all lead to a heart-pounding and slightly surprising conclusion. It will be interesting to see how Eve, Wren, and others deal with all of the shocking changes and revelations they’ve experienced.
Unraveling Eleven is an engrossing second book in the Eleven Trilogy, and I think it will appeal to readers that enjoy YA dystopias. It is not a standalone, so I would definitely recommend reading the first book in the series, Escaping Eleven, before reading this one. Thanks so much to Entangled: Teen, NetGalley, and Jerri Chisholm for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Rating:
Favorite Parts:
- The character development, especially with Eve.
- The dystopian elements.
Favorite Lines:
Everything feels the same…when all I want is for it to be different.
That grief – that heartache – it makes you who you are today. Someone with heart. Someone strong. Someone determined to survive,
Recommendations:
Want to learn more about the series? Check out my review of the first book, Escaping Eleven!
these covers are stunning!! definitely eye catching. i’m glad you enjoyed this one.