Unbroken: A Ruined Novel

Gr 8 Up—In this sequel to Ruined (Scholastic, 2009), Rebecca is back in New York maintaining a long-distance relationship with Anton; hanging out with her best friend, Ling; and trying to put last year's horrors in New Orleans behind her. But the ghosts can't seem to leave her alone. She soon learns that she is the only one who can see Frank, and he begs Rebecca to help him find a lost locket that he hid in the final moments before he was brutally murdered centuries ago. The locket, Frank affirms, is under the floorboards of a house in New Orleans that is scheduled to be demolished. If he cannot recover it and return it to its rightful owners, he will be stuck haunting the city forever. Rebecca is not in a hurry to start helping another ghost, but then her father surprises her with a trip to New Orleans for spring break. Once she returns to the magically haunted city of her past, Rebecca can't resist helping Frank. Love-interest Anton is more concerned about the resurfacing of Toby Sutton, Rebecca's nemesis from last year who is now obsessed with revenge. Morris's tale culminates in a just and satisfying ending, but all in all, there are too many plotlines, too many characters, and too much action. The highlights of Unbroken lie in Morris's descriptions of the city neighborhoods, traditions, and diverse people.—Tara Kehoe, Plainsboro Public Library, NJ