The Burning Beach

Unleashed #5

by Ali Sparkes

The final book in the mind-blowing Unleashed series. When Mia washes up on a remote beach, barely alive and suffering from amnesia, there's only one thing she knows for certain . . . everyone she loves is dead.

Sheltered by a tiny Irish community, her healing warmth brings joy and relief to strangers . . . but her returning memory tells a different story; of terrible things she's done. All she wants is to disappear for ever, but the truth is catching up with her, a shadowy presence is messing with her mind, enemies are closing in. She can't stay hidden for long . . .

Genres: Fantasy

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 2, 2014

About the author

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

Reviews

[Bill Bevan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another enjoyable read. What I like is how well we see the action from the protagonists’ viewpoints and the thrilling action, which takes off about halfway through. Each book in the series focuses on a different character from the ‘COLA Club’ and this time it is the healer, Mia. There is plenty of page-turning action in the second half of the book, with cliffhangers and a couple of surprises.

I’m less comfortable with the cliched dialogue for an Irish couple and the reference to Olu as dark-skinned or the black boy, to reference his ethnicity. Everyone else is, presumably, white and no one else has their colour used to describe them. This really limits how readers of different backgrounds can then identify with the characters and see themselves in the book.

[Deep Ranjan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think it is terrible how Mia leaves- and I don't like the way Ali Sparkes carried such an amazing story with such potential into such a bad direction- I also hate Feather and Fang, absolutely terrible plot- these are more like short stories.



SPOILERS AHEAD
SPOILERS AHEAD
Mia suddenly is a much more powerful pyrokinetic and then it is weird because also in F&F we don't know that the burning beach is after it and it is really weird. I am SO disappointed because I think that doing a spin-off series of unleashed was actually a great idea, focusing on different characters! But nooo, Ali Sparkes HAD to ruin it by introducing the Collector, and he doesn't even make an appearance in Feather and Fang!! Hated this book- if I could I would give a 0-star rating...

[Miriam James · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t cope with how dark this book was! And how stressful! I love Mia and this book was incredible. I can’t wait for the next book to deal with the aftermath of the ending here. Also, I adored that Owen got to come back! It really made my day when I was reading this . I had a lot of mixed emotions about some of the characters in this, which I really enjoyed as it’s great to see the characters growing up and becoming their own people.

[Gemma Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant conclusion

Fabulous series and brilliant ending. My daughter's and I have enjoyed the whole series with the Colas. Hope for many more.

[Adelaide Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This came out when I was eighteen and I got very drunk afterwards and cried to all my cool new friends about how the fictional characters I grew up with were all grown up and setting fire to things. Would have been an incredibly satisfying ending even without Feather & Fang - despite all the unanswered questions (HOW is that guy related to Mia again?) the finale is just So Good. Set fire to that boy's boots, Mia. You're amazing.

[Aj · Rating 3 out of 5]

reminded me slightly of xmen

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book though probably should of read the first book first instead of the last!!! Oh well :D

[Sofia Castro]

Mia from the COLA Club gets kidnapped and finds herself on a foreign beach with amnesia. All she knows is that everyone she loves is dead.

I really liked this because it is not a clique and it is an unpredictable story. I got hooked more in the middle because it got more exciting then, but the beggining was a bit dull.
-Sofia