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Unbound #3
A Phantom Enchantment
Senior year in Paris means dazzling architecture, gorgeous cafés, and a hefty workload. But no matter how busy her days, Emma Townsend misses her Coast Guard boyfriend, Gray. That lonely ache might explain the unsettling whispers Emma hears in the school's empty corridors, and the flickering images in her room's antique mirror. Her foreboding only increases as she reads Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera and becomes lost in the Gothic masterpiece.
When Gray goes missing during a rescue at sea, Emma refuses to believe the worst. In her strange waking dreams, Gray is very much alive, drawing Emma into a mysterious otherworld beyond her mirror. Friends worry that she's losing her grip on reality. Emma half wonders if they're right...and if her own story will end in a way she never envisioned...
When Gray goes missing during a rescue at sea, Emma refuses to believe the worst. In her strange waking dreams, Gray is very much alive, drawing Emma into a mysterious otherworld beyond her mirror. Friends worry that she's losing her grip on reality. Emma half wonders if they're right...and if her own story will end in a way she never envisioned...
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2014
4 people are currently reading
723 people want to read
About the author
Eve Marie Mont
4 books168 followersI'm a high school English teacher and author whose young adult debut, A BREATH OF EYRE, was released by Kensington Books in April, 2012 as the first in the Unbound trilogy. The sequel, A TOUCH OF SCARLET, will be released in March, 2013.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
February 10, 2014
Wow! I stayed up until 12:30am because I had to finish this book.
I've been a fan of the Unbound trilogy since A Breath of Eyre, and I thought I really enjoyed the first two books, but this book blew me away. Now, I've been in love with all things Phantom of the Opera since I was 12 years old, and I hoped Mont's book would do it justice. It far exceeded all my expectations.
I feel like Mont really poured her heart into this book. The prose sparkles on the page. The descriptions of Paris are positively delicious and the characters felt like old friends.
She did construct this book differently from the previous two. In the other books, Emma enters into the world of the books and interacts with their characters. In this one, the plot of classic characters mimics what's going on with Emma. It's a subtle change, but I loved it.
There was so much tension in this book that I couldn't stand to put it down. I had to know how it was going to turn out. The ending was so satisfying, which was a pleasant departure from the trilogy endings I've read lately.
I don't want to include any spoilers, but I am 100% delighted by what happened with Owen in this book.
This book is truly a masterpiece. I will definitely turn to it again when I need a mental vacation in Paris and a Phantom fix.
I've been a fan of the Unbound trilogy since A Breath of Eyre, and I thought I really enjoyed the first two books, but this book blew me away. Now, I've been in love with all things Phantom of the Opera since I was 12 years old, and I hoped Mont's book would do it justice. It far exceeded all my expectations.
I feel like Mont really poured her heart into this book. The prose sparkles on the page. The descriptions of Paris are positively delicious and the characters felt like old friends.
She did construct this book differently from the previous two. In the other books, Emma enters into the world of the books and interacts with their characters. In this one, the plot of classic characters mimics what's going on with Emma. It's a subtle change, but I loved it.
There was so much tension in this book that I couldn't stand to put it down. I had to know how it was going to turn out. The ending was so satisfying, which was a pleasant departure from the trilogy endings I've read lately.
I don't want to include any spoilers, but I am 100% delighted by what happened with Owen in this book.
This book is truly a masterpiece. I will definitely turn to it again when I need a mental vacation in Paris and a Phantom fix.
August 11, 2016
This one a 3.5 because it picks up later on but wow did it take some time for it to get there. We're talking drama this and drama with this third and final installment in this series.
This time, based on the title, obviously involves the Phantom where as the last two had a bit of Jane Eyre and Scarlet Letter surrounding the modern story.
The good things I liked was the character development with Elise and Emma. The descriptions of Paris and all that and two very important side characters it seems.
This whole book got a little slow and just depressing at times. Emotions went threw the roof with this one.
The not so good things was basically the love triangle I guess? And of course the drama and all that. Then again, how could it not when the last two had almost the same amount?
Anyway, I did kind of like the ending. And was a little surprised with the direction it was going but in a didn't mind. Though at times, I took a little longer to read this.
An okay but at times good and has its moments and not so good moments kind of read.
This time, based on the title, obviously involves the Phantom where as the last two had a bit of Jane Eyre and Scarlet Letter surrounding the modern story.
The good things I liked was the character development with Elise and Emma. The descriptions of Paris and all that and two very important side characters it seems.
This whole book got a little slow and just depressing at times. Emotions went threw the roof with this one.
The not so good things was basically the love triangle I guess? And of course the drama and all that. Then again, how could it not when the last two had almost the same amount?
Anyway, I did kind of like the ending. And was a little surprised with the direction it was going but in a didn't mind. Though at times, I took a little longer to read this.
An okay but at times good and has its moments and not so good moments kind of read.
August 31, 2024
THis was such a fantastic read, loved this end of the series, it was so good!
July 4, 2014
4.5
I cannot say the last time a book took me through so many emotions. I loved it, and didn’t like it. Never has there been a book that I struggled to figure out what bothered me so much when everything made sense in the Narrative and there were no out of the blue character changes. There were no inappropriate scenes and while there was language it wasn’t constant or bothersome. So what was it that bothered me so?
Emma and Elise are in Paris for school and they love it. They are there to enjoy Paris and Emma enters a competition for Opera class. But then back in the states Gray goes missing after a resue and yet in Emma's dreams he's alive and well. Leading her to wonder what is real and what isn't
Again this is a good premise and an enjoyable story but in the end it, what bothered me came down to a difference in opinion. But to explain fully I have to give spoilers
Over all the characters are done really well Emma is back and when the story got to her and Gray’s disappearance her grief was handled really well and she always had a level head. I do think Owen and her Phantom gave her a little too much grief as far as the main conflict but the final chapter made up for it and I’ll get to that.
Elise, Owen, Jean-Claude, Flynn and all other characters were well done and I loved all of them and their arches and development. Emma’s family was enjoyable, Michelle and Jess are great. But one character stood out and that had to be Nicolas Crespeau. Out of all the characters he was a joy to read about. He offers Emma good advice on what to do. He is loyal he knows what he has done wrong and he made me cry. I loved this character.
My only character problem…the Phantom
Before the ending I will comment on how the story was integrated- really well. I figured out about half way through that this would be a straight up Phantom of the Opera retelling just with these characters playing the roles. The only one that I can say without spoilers is Emma is Christine. I thought I wouldn’t like this but I did. It helped tell the story well without parts that felt copy and pasted like in Breath of Eyre. However I did feel that Touch of Scarlet did integrate the story better. Emma goes to the Mirror world twice to replay parts of the story and lost was some of the lessons the characters had learned. But it was still well done
And finally the thing that redeemed this book was the ending. I felt like it hit all the places it needed to for the characters and it left the end open. The reader isn’t really sure what will happen to Emma but they know she is ready for it. I also felt like leaving Emma with her future open, her life before her was a good send off to the series. She has grown a lot since book one
In the end this was a good book to send off these characters that the reader has known since book one ( For me a good 2 years since I read breath of Eyre in 2012) and I am satisfied.
Recommend for the people who loved this series.
I cannot say the last time a book took me through so many emotions. I loved it, and didn’t like it. Never has there been a book that I struggled to figure out what bothered me so much when everything made sense in the Narrative and there were no out of the blue character changes. There were no inappropriate scenes and while there was language it wasn’t constant or bothersome. So what was it that bothered me so?
Emma and Elise are in Paris for school and they love it. They are there to enjoy Paris and Emma enters a competition for Opera class. But then back in the states Gray goes missing after a resue and yet in Emma's dreams he's alive and well. Leading her to wonder what is real and what isn't
Again this is a good premise and an enjoyable story but in the end it, what bothered me came down to a difference in opinion. But to explain fully I have to give spoilers
Over all the characters are done really well Emma is back and when the story got to her and Gray’s disappearance her grief was handled really well and she always had a level head. I do think Owen and her Phantom gave her a little too much grief as far as the main conflict but the final chapter made up for it and I’ll get to that.
Elise, Owen, Jean-Claude, Flynn and all other characters were well done and I loved all of them and their arches and development. Emma’s family was enjoyable, Michelle and Jess are great. But one character stood out and that had to be Nicolas Crespeau. Out of all the characters he was a joy to read about. He offers Emma good advice on what to do. He is loyal he knows what he has done wrong and he made me cry. I loved this character.
My only character problem…the Phantom
Before the ending I will comment on how the story was integrated- really well. I figured out about half way through that this would be a straight up Phantom of the Opera retelling just with these characters playing the roles. The only one that I can say without spoilers is Emma is Christine. I thought I wouldn’t like this but I did. It helped tell the story well without parts that felt copy and pasted like in Breath of Eyre. However I did feel that Touch of Scarlet did integrate the story better. Emma goes to the Mirror world twice to replay parts of the story and lost was some of the lessons the characters had learned. But it was still well done
And finally the thing that redeemed this book was the ending. I felt like it hit all the places it needed to for the characters and it left the end open. The reader isn’t really sure what will happen to Emma but they know she is ready for it. I also felt like leaving Emma with her future open, her life before her was a good send off to the series. She has grown a lot since book one
In the end this was a good book to send off these characters that the reader has known since book one ( For me a good 2 years since I read breath of Eyre in 2012) and I am satisfied.
Recommend for the people who loved this series.
May 7, 2014
Stories that wander into reincarnation or a dreamscape territory are hit or miss for me. Some are so imaginative they pull us in with their narrative, others just seem creepy which from a reader's perspective is hard to overcome. This story is the third novel in a trilogy that follows the now 18-year-old Emma Townsend, who in her senior year of high school attends a Paris school along with her friend Elise. Despite the allure and excitement of foreign living, Emma’s days are spent in study and missing her boyfriend, Gray. But it's not long after she arrives that, a call from her father shatters her world with news that Gray has gone missing following a Coast Guard rescue mission he was a part of and now despite their search, the worst is assumed. Refusing to believe Gray is gone, Emma clings to hope that the search will find him safe and sound…
Only when Emma begins to see Gray in her dreams, it becomes clear he isn’t the same guy she left behind.
Marketed as a kind-of Phantom of the Opera re-telling, I’ve not read the prior two books in the Unbound trilogy (based off Jane Eyre and The Scarlet Letter respectively) and in all honesty, I probably won’t bother picking them up. It’s not that I didn’t like this story, it just didn’t come across as the most interesting young adult novel I’d ever or am likely to read. “Waking dream” or not, I was annoyed with how different Gray was in Emma’s dreams which we later realize is all just mental preparation for how he will react to his near-death experience, something that leaves us with sympathy for him. Admittedly the Phantom references were fun, particularly during the story portions when we could easily pull out scenes from the popular opera as are the pretty descriptions of the costuming or the grandeur of Paris. Without being too subjective, I do have to say that Emma is a wishy-washy sort heroine who in my opinion is too undecided for my opinion - one minute she’s madly devoted, in love with Gray and the next thinking of another romantically. (Like with everything, this is not something I wish to be terribly critical of considering there are plenty of books that I adore with this same quality.) This leads to the thing I most respected about this author and the conclusion of the story.
I’m the kind of girl who likes happy endings of the romance-y sort, not almost happy-endings. This book could be a source of frustration for select readers – particularly those who have been with it from the beginning – considering it’s an ambiguous ending. For me, the ending was wise – the author knew what she was doing when taking a step back and writing an open-ended conclusion that you allows in a sense us to write our own idea of the perfect ending. An ending that hopefully when it comes time for that fairytale, it will involve a more mature Emma Townsend.
Sincere thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes.
Only when Emma begins to see Gray in her dreams, it becomes clear he isn’t the same guy she left behind.
Marketed as a kind-of Phantom of the Opera re-telling, I’ve not read the prior two books in the Unbound trilogy (based off Jane Eyre and The Scarlet Letter respectively) and in all honesty, I probably won’t bother picking them up. It’s not that I didn’t like this story, it just didn’t come across as the most interesting young adult novel I’d ever or am likely to read. “Waking dream” or not, I was annoyed with how different Gray was in Emma’s dreams which we later realize is all just mental preparation for how he will react to his near-death experience, something that leaves us with sympathy for him. Admittedly the Phantom references were fun, particularly during the story portions when we could easily pull out scenes from the popular opera as are the pretty descriptions of the costuming or the grandeur of Paris. Without being too subjective, I do have to say that Emma is a wishy-washy sort heroine who in my opinion is too undecided for my opinion - one minute she’s madly devoted, in love with Gray and the next thinking of another romantically. (Like with everything, this is not something I wish to be terribly critical of considering there are plenty of books that I adore with this same quality.) This leads to the thing I most respected about this author and the conclusion of the story.
I’m the kind of girl who likes happy endings of the romance-y sort, not almost happy-endings. This book could be a source of frustration for select readers – particularly those who have been with it from the beginning – considering it’s an ambiguous ending. For me, the ending was wise – the author knew what she was doing when taking a step back and writing an open-ended conclusion that you allows in a sense us to write our own idea of the perfect ending. An ending that hopefully when it comes time for that fairytale, it will involve a more mature Emma Townsend.
Sincere thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of this book for reviewing purposes.
July 19, 2016
Was saddened by how much I DISLIKED this novel. I ADORED the first in the series, and I enjoyed the second (can't say I loved it cos I've a profound hatred of The Scarlet Letter, which was its inspiration). I was really looking forward to the last installment in the Unbound Trilogy because Gaston Leroux's master work of The Phantom of the Opera has been one of my favourite Gothic novels since I first read it at 10 years old. But... I hated it. It took everything I had to finish the book, to be honest.
The main reason is that I just didn't care much for Emma (the narrator) by the end. She made a lot of assumptions about people that just seemed to come out of nowhere, and while I can appreciate a girl with wild imagination (cos I have one myself), her judgments of people were very stilted and disconnected in all ways with how she'd been in the previous two novels.
So much of this final novel was just really hollow-feeling to me. And while there were some genuinely great and quotable bits, on the whole the novel just felt flat.
The main reason is that I just didn't care much for Emma (the narrator) by the end. She made a lot of assumptions about people that just seemed to come out of nowhere, and while I can appreciate a girl with wild imagination (cos I have one myself), her judgments of people were very stilted and disconnected in all ways with how she'd been in the previous two novels.
So much of this final novel was just really hollow-feeling to me. And while there were some genuinely great and quotable bits, on the whole the novel just felt flat.
January 5, 2021
She wrote this from a three day trip to Paris many years ago. It showed.
April 26, 2018
Okay, I have finished this series. I can't say it was all good, but there was some good stuff. It definitely skewed younger on the YA spectrum, which is possibly my issue with it. This third book definitely draws the least from the book that inspired it. Which is good cause that books was Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. Which made basically no sense. Don't get me wrong, I love a little gothic horror and I have read Leroux's novel more than once. I even love the ridiculously over the top musical that everyone knows and loves and remembers far more than the original novel. But inserting Phantom into a story that in any way is supposed to be about a normal high school girl who isn't being stalked by a creeper in the walls is patently absurd. In A Breath of Eyre Emma Townsend fell into a coma where she hallucinated (or maybe not...?) living out Jane Eyre for months. In A Touch of Scarlet she started watching Hester Prynne's story in vivid dreams. Here... she has some weird dreams about going through her mirror and onto a beach to spend time with her missing boyfriend. And a one point one of the characters hides out in a chapel instead of being where they are supposed to be. So that's about all the Leroux in here. Except the fact that Emma enters a contest to write an opera libretto to be performed at the Bastille Opera in Paris. Yes, let that sink in. A girl who has never studied music or even seen an opera before arriving in Paris that year writes a full libretto and... sings it herself despite the established plotline that she can't sing and has horrible stage fright. Her collaborators are her friends from home who have graduated high school and were traveling Europe. So naturally they stay in Paris for the entire school year because hostels "aren't that expensive". True but they are not free, and actually many Paris hostels have a limit of staying for five days.
There was so much contrived about this book that it was hard to take. But, I know I am not the target audience and it did have a lot to say about growing up and changing so that's good. Emma was a good character, even if she was a little square, and the ancillary characters were all pretty entertaining. So it wasn't all bad. But it wasn't that good either.
There was so much contrived about this book that it was hard to take. But, I know I am not the target audience and it did have a lot to say about growing up and changing so that's good. Emma was a good character, even if she was a little square, and the ancillary characters were all pretty entertaining. So it wasn't all bad. But it wasn't that good either.
August 17, 2017
I really wanted to love this book. I read the first two and they were fantastic. I loved the bond between Gray and Emma. I loved how their love was so strong that they could enter each other's dreams. Then in this book everything changed and not for the better. Gray goes missing on his first job for the Coast Guard. At first Emma stays true to their love and knows he is alive. Then an old friend shows up and she instantly starts having feels for him. Gray is found alive after two months of being at sea. In that two months Emma has already gotten over the man she claims was her soulmate and is already practically dating Owen, the old friend. I felt that this shows that woman are fickle and have to be in a relationship at all times rather than stay true to the one they supposedly loved. I know personally if my husband was to be missing for two months I would not have moved on and fallen in love in such a short time frame. I don't care if she is only a teenager I feel that if she truly loved Gray she would not have moved on so quickly. I feel I wasted my time reading this trilogy and getting invested in Gray and Emma's relationship just to have it all fall a part in this last book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 19, 2021
I don’t know what possessed me to read this book besides the fact that I must read everything Phantom related. I read A Breath of Eyer years ago and hated it (enough that I skipped A Touch of Scarlet), so I don’t know what I expected. I only got through this because I knew it was a short book. In fact, this could’ve been less than 100 pages had all the unnecessary scenes been cut out.
The story was so underdeveloped. So much supposedly happened, yet it felt like nothing happened at all because the writing was so non-descriptive. This felt more like an outline or a first draft than a complete novel.
IMO This story totally failed to capture the essence of the POTO. It’s set in Paris, Emma reads GL’s book, it includes some opera and uses a mirror as a plot device. These are the only similarities to the source material. I know these books are middle grade, but I expected at least a HINT of the darkness and sensuality of the Phantom. There was none. The whole thing was childish. The plot felt rushed like the author just wanted to get it over with, all telling and very little showing.
Overall, I’m not impressed.
June 11, 2017
This was a satisfying ending to the trilogy. I liked the further development of Emma and how she really came into her own. My concerns about the "love cures depression" sensation in the first novel were put to rest in this one for me. I was a particularly big fan of the ending. The way this ended is SO rare, especially in young adult books, and I applaud Mont for taking that risk.
January 12, 2018
I absolutely loved the first book and I was definitely disappointed in the second book but I wanted to finish the series. Congratulations to the author - you made me hate every single character in this book.
May 12, 2017
May go back and reread the first two!
April 16, 2018
So didn't end the way I wanted it to but what story ever does. I can honestly say I cried my eyes out in this one big time.
September 19, 2014
The first two books were so good. What happened!?
What happened is an author who has apparently never met a teenager. Emma reads like a 35 year old woman instead of a teen girl. She likes opera (no, she loves opera--she knows the story of "Orphee and Eurydice" and knows it enough to quote the aria), uses the word "iconoclast" properly in a sentence, references the "Lady of Shalott" in passing conversation, can name classical music pieces, and has read more classic novels than a librarian. She also has the most awkwardly un-teenage conversations about sex and appreciates way more food than a normal human (even one with a far reaching palate). It's horrendous to read because she's so unbelievable, and not in a good way.
Also, Phantom wasn't even a portion of this book. The first two had her interacting with characters from Jane Eyre and Scarlet Letter--in this one, her life just basically mirrors Phantom. That's not good enough for me! I wanted to see Erik and Raoul and Christine. I also felt like the plot was just rushed and ham-fisted--Gray's story, all of the "difficult decisions" Emma had to make that weren't at all difficult decisions, and the journey through France that made me feel like the author wishes she were a tour guide instead of a writer. The ending was also a letdown--very anti-climactic.
I suffered through this because I have completion issues, but it's hours of my life I won't get back. I don't usually write negative reviews--I'm pretty even keel about my feelings towards books--but if someone reads this thinking teens act like Emma and her friends, they will be very disappointed when their son/daughter doesn't want to go see La Boheme when they'd rather play video games with their friends over a bowl of Cheetos. Not that there's an issue with kids seeing operas--cultural education is an important part of raising a well-rounded child. I just don't think it would be any teen's first pick of entertainment to do just hanging out with their friends. Normal teens don't act this way, and they shouldn't--that's what adulthood is for.
What happened is an author who has apparently never met a teenager. Emma reads like a 35 year old woman instead of a teen girl. She likes opera (no, she loves opera--she knows the story of "Orphee and Eurydice" and knows it enough to quote the aria), uses the word "iconoclast" properly in a sentence, references the "Lady of Shalott" in passing conversation, can name classical music pieces, and has read more classic novels than a librarian. She also has the most awkwardly un-teenage conversations about sex and appreciates way more food than a normal human (even one with a far reaching palate). It's horrendous to read because she's so unbelievable, and not in a good way.
Also, Phantom wasn't even a portion of this book. The first two had her interacting with characters from Jane Eyre and Scarlet Letter--in this one, her life just basically mirrors Phantom. That's not good enough for me! I wanted to see Erik and Raoul and Christine. I also felt like the plot was just rushed and ham-fisted--Gray's story, all of the "difficult decisions" Emma had to make that weren't at all difficult decisions, and the journey through France that made me feel like the author wishes she were a tour guide instead of a writer. The ending was also a letdown--very anti-climactic.
I suffered through this because I have completion issues, but it's hours of my life I won't get back. I don't usually write negative reviews--I'm pretty even keel about my feelings towards books--but if someone reads this thinking teens act like Emma and her friends, they will be very disappointed when their son/daughter doesn't want to go see La Boheme when they'd rather play video games with their friends over a bowl of Cheetos. Not that there's an issue with kids seeing operas--cultural education is an important part of raising a well-rounded child. I just don't think it would be any teen's first pick of entertainment to do just hanging out with their friends. Normal teens don't act this way, and they shouldn't--that's what adulthood is for.
July 23, 2015
Disclaimer: This is the first book I have read of this series so this book is my introduction to it.
I am a huge fan of the Phantom of the Opera. Book, musical, movie - you name it, I've probably seen it. When I saw this book at Barnes and Noble, I was, understandably, quite excited. Until I read the blurb. Despite my reservations about the quality of the book I hoped that the author had extensive knowledge on the Phantom of the Opera storyline.
I was so wrong.
This book caused me physical pain. This author appears knows nothing about the Phantom of the Opera story. It appeared to me that she watched Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera then maybe read the Wikipedia summary of the book. I doubt she had a copy of the book on her person.
The problem began even before I read the opening lines of the book. The quote placed before the title page that the author "pulled" from Gaston Leroux's novel the Phantom of the Opera isn't even from the book. It's from the Phantom of the Opera 1925 silent movie that has always been misattributed to Leroux by people who didn't read the book.
Then the book opens and we get the most two dimensional characters on earth. Every single character is basic and predicable. Not to mention unlikeable. Their dialogue makes me want to pull out my hair. Anything more basic I don't think I would have made it through this book.
There's a bs subplot about composing and performing and opera (by untrained "classical" singers - so it would basically be a shitty musical) and some boyfriend lost at sea. Honestly I could not care. I wanted it to be over.
This books is so predictable and boring I started hoping that Gaston Leroux's spirit would rise out of the grave and haunt the characters - just anything to make this mess of a plot interesting.
I'm so glad I never have to look at this book ever again.
I am a huge fan of the Phantom of the Opera. Book, musical, movie - you name it, I've probably seen it. When I saw this book at Barnes and Noble, I was, understandably, quite excited. Until I read the blurb. Despite my reservations about the quality of the book I hoped that the author had extensive knowledge on the Phantom of the Opera storyline.
I was so wrong.
This book caused me physical pain. This author appears knows nothing about the Phantom of the Opera story. It appeared to me that she watched Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera then maybe read the Wikipedia summary of the book. I doubt she had a copy of the book on her person.
The problem began even before I read the opening lines of the book. The quote placed before the title page that the author "pulled" from Gaston Leroux's novel the Phantom of the Opera isn't even from the book. It's from the Phantom of the Opera 1925 silent movie that has always been misattributed to Leroux by people who didn't read the book.
Then the book opens and we get the most two dimensional characters on earth. Every single character is basic and predicable. Not to mention unlikeable. Their dialogue makes me want to pull out my hair. Anything more basic I don't think I would have made it through this book.
There's a bs subplot about composing and performing and opera (by untrained "classical" singers - so it would basically be a shitty musical) and some boyfriend lost at sea. Honestly I could not care. I wanted it to be over.
This books is so predictable and boring I started hoping that Gaston Leroux's spirit would rise out of the grave and haunt the characters - just anything to make this mess of a plot interesting.
I'm so glad I never have to look at this book ever again.
December 6, 2021
This was a hard book to rate. Ms. Mont is a talented writer, I just didn't like this story very much. It was OK. I really liked the first book in this series and thought it was a unique take on Jane Eyre. Hated the second book and don't recommend it at all (got partway through and realized it wasn’t for me). I decided I would give the third and hopefully last book in the series a try just to see how things end. It was disappointing to say the least. Emma is a wishy-washy heroine who is so totally in love with one person and then just because he has some real tragic problems, gives up on him. She then goes on to give another cute guy false hope yet again because she can't really let the first guy go. The first book in the series is fun, but I can’t recommend the second or third books in the series.
December 24, 2015
Holy. Smokes. Just finished reading this!! I was getting so tired of the Elise-Owen-Emma triangle and the Gray-Elise-Emma triangle- the mad circles that these characters kept going in were driving me crazy!!
In one scene, Owen and Emma are making out, and I had such high hopes for them... but then Emma finds Gray's scorpion... and my hopes crashed down to the floor. Oh Lord, here we go again!
However, it was a good, solid ending, full of promise and vision. Emma has lots of directions in which to steer herself, and that's perfect for her.
It's been quite a while since I read A Breath of Eyre... I need to go back and re-read it!
It didn't feel like Emma spent a lot of time within the story of the Phantom of the Opera, as she did as a character in The Scarlet Letter, but there were a lot of similarities between this and Gaston Leroux's classic... mirror, chandelier, fire, and of course, a love triangle.
These books have driven me crazy, but I loved that feeling! Eve Marie Mont is definitely an author to watch out for :)
In one scene, Owen and Emma are making out, and I had such high hopes for them... but then Emma finds Gray's scorpion... and my hopes crashed down to the floor. Oh Lord, here we go again!
However, it was a good, solid ending, full of promise and vision. Emma has lots of directions in which to steer herself, and that's perfect for her.
It's been quite a while since I read A Breath of Eyre... I need to go back and re-read it!
It didn't feel like Emma spent a lot of time within the story of the Phantom of the Opera, as she did as a character in The Scarlet Letter, but there were a lot of similarities between this and Gaston Leroux's classic... mirror, chandelier, fire, and of course, a love triangle.
These books have driven me crazy, but I loved that feeling! Eve Marie Mont is definitely an author to watch out for :)
July 2, 2014
I did enjoy this third and last book in the series. It was marginally different from the first 2, but I enjoyed it anyway.
The storyline follows our young heroine, Emma Townsend as she embarks on her senior year in Paris. Her world is rocked shortly after the beginning of her year with the disappearance of her boyfriend Gray Newman. The story revolves around her growing and learning from this experience and finding her true self, all set in the magical city of Paris.
I enjoyed this story so much more than I expected. It was not a typical weak girl finds boy and falls in love forever story. I was happy to see her grow, get stronger, and find true self. I was also glad about the ending (which I wont describe so I don't spoil it).
I would totally recommend this series. It was fun to read.
The storyline follows our young heroine, Emma Townsend as she embarks on her senior year in Paris. Her world is rocked shortly after the beginning of her year with the disappearance of her boyfriend Gray Newman. The story revolves around her growing and learning from this experience and finding her true self, all set in the magical city of Paris.
I enjoyed this story so much more than I expected. It was not a typical weak girl finds boy and falls in love forever story. I was happy to see her grow, get stronger, and find true self. I was also glad about the ending (which I wont describe so I don't spoil it).
I would totally recommend this series. It was fun to read.
May 16, 2016
Eve Marie Mont does such a wonderful job incorporating the book of choice into the main character's life! She does it so seamlessly that one forgets they're parallel, at least, I did on several occasions.
I read the Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux, several years ago, so it took me till three quarters of the way through to remember about the turn or push/pull of the scorpion and the grasshopper, both animals being present as a pin given to Emma. There are so many main details Mont takes out of the classic and puts in her novel that I don't want to give them away; you'll just have to read the Unbound Trilogy for yourself.
All three of the Unbound Trilogy books were fast reads and perfect for reading on vacations! I highly recommend for any modern classic lover!
I read the Phantom of the Opera, by Gaston Leroux, several years ago, so it took me till three quarters of the way through to remember about the turn or push/pull of the scorpion and the grasshopper, both animals being present as a pin given to Emma. There are so many main details Mont takes out of the classic and puts in her novel that I don't want to give them away; you'll just have to read the Unbound Trilogy for yourself.
All three of the Unbound Trilogy books were fast reads and perfect for reading on vacations! I highly recommend for any modern classic lover!
March 3, 2017
This book was AMAZING! I really enjoyed reading it. I was hooked from page one and had a hard time putting it down. I fell in love with the Unbound trilogy after reading the first book. Emma is such an amazing character. She is very strong and independent. She has been through a lot in all three books. Leaning about herself and what she wants out in life. I like how the book ended. I won't spoil it for anyone who has not read it yet, but the ending fit the trilogy perfectly.
April 9, 2015
I really loved the first two books in this series, however I felt this one fell a little flat. I did not like the relationship between Owen and Emma. It felt a little forced and supposedly Gray was the love of her life but she was very quick to move on from him. I also did not like that Gray became a controlling stalker. I can understand Emma and Gray's relationship ending because they were growing apart but I just wish it was handled a bit differently.
January 11, 2015
I thought this was an interesting way to end the trilogy. Emma was different in this book, as were her visions. Spoiler alert- I am hoping that there is another book where Emma and Gray get back together. After Gray works through his PTSD issues, hopefully he can find his true self while Emma is finding her true self at NYU. I would like to see them meet up in about 4 years as confident healthy people and reconnect to have a confident healthy relationship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2015
A very interesting melding of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and contemporary. I had mixed feelings about the end, but that was a personal preferences on MY part and nothing to do with how good the story actually is. I WOULD recommend this whole series and this novel. I would've given 5-stars if not for my own mixed feelings, but because it is an intriguing series, maybe 4.5 is more accurate. All 3 books are definitely worth reading. Very interesting.
February 1, 2016
I would have given this 2 stars if I hadn't loved her descriptions of Paris so much and love the Phantom of the Opera. And I love the other two books. But outside of that, I wasn't feeling it. It seemed very out of character for this girl to treat her love interest the way she did, and it was an odd way to deal with PTSD. It felt like she was trying to fit the story around Phantom, instead of using the book as an enhancement to the story.
June 2, 2016
I liked this book, but then I like everything that is related to the phantom of the opera! I haven't read Eve's other books but this one. I have to say that I'm always going to be on the Phantom side, so this book hurt me a little. The storyline was good and gripping. Her writing is beautiful, too. I hope that she'd write more of anything that is related to POTO and give the Phantom a good ending.
April 15, 2014
I picked this up because I'm a huge Phantom of the Opera fan. This novel did not disappoint. It cleverly paralleled Gaston Leroux's original novel in ways that had me grinning. The prose is beautiful as we ventured around Paris. The characters were a bit young, but the pacing of the story worked well. Great concept well told!
August 24, 2015
Not at all what I was expecting, especially with the title, but not terrible. Just kind of run of the mill, girl isn't rich but still manages to go to prestigious boarding school/overseas to Europe and manages to be popular despite not being portrayed as the popular girl. Meh.
May 6, 2014
I was so excited to read this book but I was disappointed after starting to read it. There was a definite disconnect with Emma throughout the whole story. I like the ending although it was not what I expected. Book 1 was my favorite.
April 26, 2016
Book 3 is much better than book two - the story seems to move along faster and just make more sense. I would have given it 4 stats, but toward the end, the author had to throw in some absolutely unnecessary language.
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