Unleashed: Life and Death Job Bk. 1

Unleashed #1

by Ali Sparkes

A group of special teenagers, each with an incredible power. They live together and learn how to use their abilities, protected from those who wish to harm them. Now, for one short week they are let out into the world, with strict instructions that they must not use their powers. But good intentions are easy . . . following them through is a different matter. For Lisa, every day is about life and death. Because she can hear dead people talking, and they just won't leave her alone. But on a trip to London it's the living who need her help. Someone is kidnapped and this time Lisa knows she has to help, even though it means walking into mortal danger. Now Lisa is in fear for her own life is there anyone to help her?

Genres: Childrens, Fantasy

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Ali Sparkes (born 1966) is a British children's author.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable, pacy read but didn't do anything new or interesting with a familiar genre. The short length meant that character development was minimal and the plot perfunctory. The main character's lack of agency bothered me (she was continually being rescued at the last minute by ghosts), as did the burgeoning romance - a twenty year old kissing a fifteen-year-old girl? Maybe it works in a fantasy setting but in modern London it's creepy. And you definitely don't want to be a bodyguard in an Unleashed novel - you're there to be brutally murdered and callously undermourned. The damsel in distress grieves over her dead lapdog at the end, but never mentions her poor bodyguard who was dispatched at about the same time. Still, I liked the characters and breezily upbeat writing style enough to look for more in the series.

[Ray Donnelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a pretty good continuation of the Shapeshifter series. We focus on Lisa, Cola Clubs most powerful psychic, as the spirit world derails her holiday and sends her to rescue a kidnapped girl and perhaps prevent the assassination of the PM. An engaging read, with one real downside: the burgeoning romance between Lisa (14-15) and a 21-year-old.

SPOILERS: Both psychics, they share an understanding of how difficult Lisa's life is and likely will continue to be, but their age gap makes it unnerving rather than a moment of real connection. It's uncomfortable throughout (Lisa continually thinks about how he considers her and reads that he finds her attractive) but culminates in a kiss that is supposed to be a moving moment of understanding between them and instead cements their relationship as the wrong side of creepy.

[Melanie Harvey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reasonably pacy book for children (sorry, it’s an old passion!) about teenagers with supernatural powers saving the day. This one focuses on using spiritual guides to prevent the PMs assassination. Simple, two dimensional, good for Years 6 on.

[Miriam James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved reading about the Cola club again, and this was a great book which focused on Lisa a bit more, which was nice to see! It was a shame to not have the whole gang reunited and I missed Dax and some of the other characters, and thought everything was resolved a bit quickly. I wouldn’t have minded reading more, but it was an exciting and great book.

[✿Berra⁠✿ · Rating 5 out of 5]

MÜKKEMMEL BİR KİTAP✨💗

[Il Libretto · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of Ali Sparkes Books were incredible, I felt like I could relate with her characters once you got passed their abilities. These books kept me glued to the page to the very end. I couldn't put them down. Definitely Recommend

[Ben]

Nice

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

review to come