The Unseen Ones by Danielle Harrington
Series: The Hollis Timewire Series Book 2
Genre: YA dystopian
After the hair-pulling cliff-hanger that Danielle Harrington left her readers with at the end of The Diseased Ones, I was more than eager to start the second book in the Hollis Timewire Series, The Unseen Ones.
*Attention: This review contains spoilers of the first novel, The Diseased Ones.
Plot:
The Unseen Ones opens with the aftermath of Hollis’ decision to enter the Testing Center for answers about the Diseased Ones and their history, but she loses her powers and almost her life in the process. After a miraculous escape, Hollis recognizes her egregious error as the government tracks her back to the compound and launches a merciless attack on the Diseased Ones. Now a prisoner of the Diseased Ones, Hollis faces the wrath and pain of the survivors. In an effort to redeem herself, Hollis formulates a plan to reenter the Testing Center on a rescue mission with the help of a few friends and acquaintances. However, not all goes according to plan as complications and unbelievable discoveries arise.
Review: 4.8 / 5.0
Just as in the first novel of the Hollis Timewire series, the storyline of this sequel did not disappoint. Readers instantly are thrown into the action of where the first book leaves off. I love how Danielle immediately pulls you in and keeps you hooked throughout the book–I couldn’t put it down and ended up finishing it in one day! I sympathize with Hollis (as I couldn’t in the first novel) as she carries the unbearable weight of her mistakes: causing the compound’s ruin and being responsible for the pain and deaths of countless Diseased Ones. Though Hollis is solely responsible for the destruction, my heart breaks for her as she grieves alone.
Though Hollis’ character arc greatly improved from the first novel, I still can’t seem to connect with her completely. I don’t seem to like rash teenage characters, but that is a personal preference. That being said, Danielle did a great job unraveling the consequences of Hollis’ actions and building her character from the ground up in a realistic manner. Hollis battles with internal conflict once again, except now she’s driven to prove her worth to herself, the Diseased Ones, and all of the people she disappointed.
Overall, this book is an extremely fun read–I truly enjoy this series and praise the author for excellent writing. The Unseen Ones contains more action, conflict, character movement, and surprises than the first novel. The amount of action and PLOT TWISTS in this sequel really keeps you on your toes! My favorite element of this series is how gifted the author is at keeping the reader engaged–the writing is fast-paced, absorbing, and easily understandable. Danielle’s series is a perfect example of the importance of a strong, creative storyline and solid writing techniques. And, in full Danielle fashion, The Unseen Ones leaves readers with an edge-of-your-seat cliff-hanger once again. I am now eagerly awaiting her release of the third book in the Hollis Timewire series–The Pure Ones.
Comparables:
I find this novel comparable to the heroine and enemy dynamic in the last book of The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.
Purchase:
Amazon
