Review: And Then Everything Unraveled

And Then Everything Unraveled
Jennifer Sturman
2009; Point (Scholastic); 978-0-545-08722-3 (hardcover)

Summary: Delia's life is comfortable and unexciting, but that's what she likes. Living in Silicon Valley with her Internet millionaire mom, Delia spends time with her friends and goes surfing in secret. But that all changes when her mother is declared missing while on a trip to Antarctica. Suddenly, Delia's sent across the country to New York City, given to the care of her two aunts. Complete opposites, Aunt Charley and Aunt Patience both care about Delia in their own ways, and both want her to move on from the loss of her mother. But Delia can't move on--because she doesn't believe her mother is gone. This belief will set Delia off on a quest to discover what really happened to her mother.

Two Things to Know About And Then Everything Unraveled

#1: Mothers and daughters have a connection.

Delia and her mother are quite different. While T.K. Truesdale is practical, thorough and scientific, Delia is more emotional, relying on her instincts. Yet in spite of these differences, there is a connection between them. When Delia learns that her mother is missing, her knowledge of T.K.'s personality makes such a disappearance unlikely. T.K. does not allow unforeseen circumstances to change her plans, and even if they did, she knows survival tactics and is able to survive in the wilderness. It's more than a daughter's misguided hope that her mother is still alive: Delia is certain that T.K. is safe and alive somewhere.

#2: Romance can sneak up on you.

While Delia's jugglin a new school, her family, and the search for her mother, there's also a boy on the horizon. Quinn always seems to leave Delia tongue-tied, especially when they're at school and Quinn is maintaining his cool image. But outside of school, the real Quinn appears, who's friendly and funny and good to his younger siblings. It's no wonder that Delia finds herself falling for him. And thinking about Quinn helps Delia in the middle of all her problems.

The YA debut of Jennifer Sturman features a likable, identifiable narrator, caught up in a series of life-changing events. Helped by her friends and her new family members, Delia starts to build a new life for herself, while still hoping her old life isn't gone forever. While the central mystery is allowed to take a big step towards a solution by the end of the novel, there's still plenty of questions left for the expected sequel. Fans of the Gallagher Girls books by Ally Carter or The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen will find much to enjoy in And Then Everything Unraveled.