Unleashed

Rewind #2

by Carolyn O'Doherty

Alex has the ability to freeze time and to rewind it. She and three other time spinners have successfully escaped the government facility that had imprisoned them. At last, they are free. Or are they?How free can you be in a world that fears spinners—imprisoning them, medicating them, and killing them before they reach adulthood? How free can you be when you know that the twenty other spinners you grew up with are still trapped? How free can you be when the police officer you used to work for is determined to track you down?In this second book in the riveting Rewind trilogy, Alex finds that the city outside the Center is more complicated and dangerous than she’d imagined—and that some of the dangers lie within herself.

Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult, Thriller, Teen

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 10, 2019

About the author

Carolyn O'Doherty lives on a floating home in Portland, OR, where, most disappointingly, time moves only at a very predictable pace. When not writing, she uses her free time to develop affordable housing. Carolyn earned degrees in psychology and urban planning so she figured the best possible use of an expertise in both people and places was to make up entirely new ones.

Reviews

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Satisfying and exciting conclusion while still leaving the door open for more stories in the Rewind world. The love interest is, frankly, kind of boring, though the love triangle itself is more thoughtful than some. I would have liked to see more rewinding of time in this book as well--after it being such a feature in the first book, it was odd to only focus on freezing time in this book.

[Will G · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy second effort in O'Doherty's Rewind series. No spoilers but this is a unique look at time travel capabilities by young people and efforts to control them. Looking forward to the third and final story in the series.

[Karen Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is closer to a 5 than 4.
I loved the 1st book, and this one is even better. Can't wait for the next one.

Every time I think I have it figured out, there is a twist. And, whenever I think I've found a potential logic error with the spinning concept, it gets explained in a satisfying way.
Action packed, interesting characters to love, despise, feel sorry for, and everything in-between.

Worthy of being in my 8th-grade classroom library.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read. The dual POV was my least favourite and it could’ve been done without tbh. My favourite part was the friendship and dynamic that unfolds between Alex and Jack. Least favourite character is Shannon.

First book was the best. This one was ok. Planning to read the third.

[Diana Soltani · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was okay. The creativity in the writing could be much more broadened, but most of the issues lied with the dual POV; it just ruined so much of the book for me, and made me question Ross's existence.

[Angel Frymire · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a good book. It took a while to get to the point of the story and the ending was pretty predictable but it was well written and it had some twists to it.

[Wayne Bowmanchester · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the first book, but this one was even better! Looking forward to the third and final book.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unleashed is a typical YA novel. A little dystopian, a little SciFi, a lot of 16-year-olds saving the world. It’s a good easy read, the kind of book you might want to use to wind down before bed without having to worry about it being a page-turner that’ll keep you up until 2 a.m.

The characters are one-dimensional, but they get the job done. The plot is predictable, but advances steadily. The novelty of time-spinning as a concept has worn off a little since Rewind, but it’s still intriguing enough to hold your attention. Altogether, a perfectly decent book.

[Becky B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Alex, Jack, KJ, and Shannon have escaped from the state run home for spinners after learning some terrible secrets. They have to keep a low profile. KJ is still unconscious, Shannon isn't sure they ever should have left (and she only came because she thinks KJ loves her and has no clue he was planning to break up with her before he blacked out), Jack wants to use his newfound powers however he wants, and Alex is determined to not only keep everyone safe and together but to also rescue the rest of the spinners from the home before they leave town. Figuring out how to do that is hard, and finding a safe place to stay in the meantime is even harder. On top of that Alex feels like she should do something about the secrets she learned about the Sikes case.

Woohoo, I finally finished! It was a long, hard slog for this book. I tore through the first book in the series and it took me a while to figure out why I was having such a hard time with this one. I realized that I tore through the first one because I was gripped by the serial killer case and wanting to figure that out. In this book, that secret is out and there's no compelling mystery to solve other than figuring out how the spinners can find a life of safety. This is no Hunger Games and Alex is no Katniss. While some authors would've found a way for Alex to become the face of the spinners and campaign for spinners' rights country or even world-wide, that isn't what O'Doherty does. Alex stays pretty underground and just focuses on the small local group of spinners she's lived with so it is quieter and much slower paced than the average dystopia. Another thing I struggled with in reading this is that the characters started getting on my nerves. There was a point when I actually put Alex in time out for a few weeks because she was driving me crazy with her questionable decisions, and I very nearly put the book down for good. I'm glad I did persevere eventually because I came to a point when another secret is revealed and all of a sudden I realized that the whole Alex driving me crazy was on purpose, had a point, and O'Doherty was a genius with the subtle way she proved this later secret. The ending felt a little bit sudden, but I do like that it was enough and avoided anything overly dramatic. I'm glad I finished this. I doubt I'll ever read it again. I do like the different take on a teens with special powers story. We'll see what others who read the first book think when they read this.

Notes on content: An occasional mild swear with two or three strong uses of profanity. No sexual content beyond some kissing. A serial killer is referenced but none of his killings replayed on page in this book. There are a couple fist fights/skirmishes with some black eyes and such. One seriously messed up cop is a main character.

[Diana Wells · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really looking forward to the second book in the Rewind trilogy and Unleashed did not disappoint. Alex faces a new set of challenges and her character matures as she figures out how to live outside the CIC. She's a very likable blend of brave, vulnerable, smart and confused. The dialog is excellent. O'Doherty has a wry sense of humor and some clever turns of phrase that made the book a real joy to read. I highly recommend it to adventurous teens and those who love them.

[Winnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this second book we have Alex and her friends on the run. And while the first one was about Alex saving herself, this one is about her saving ... Well that might be a spoiler. More secrets about Spinners and their world are unveiled in a high tension story. Alex has a lot on her shoulders and she knows the wipers are out to get her. She also has to deal with her relationship with kj and how Shannon mucks up the whole deal. A bit of pinning and uncertainty that ya lovers will enjoy.

This is a great follow up to Rewind. We get more neat powers. More threat. More heroic deeds, and do I enjoy my heroic deeds.

[Cal The Theatre Gal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun continuation in the Rewind trilogy! Lot of twists occurred and some of the more tense moments really made me feel some strong dread. I felt like I was going on an immersive adventure with Alex as she went through her ups and downs.

I don’t have much else to really say about this book specifically, but it was intriguing seeing certain characters change either for the better or worse. I would definitely recommend this book if you enjoyed Rewind, the first book in this three-book series! I look forward to finishing off this trilogy with a bang!☺️

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful follow up to the second book, where the world expands. Alex is free of the center, but she's got no skills to survive in the real world. I don't want to spoil it for you, but she's got lots of struggles she's dealing with and she's willing to put everyone on the line to save the Spinners.

[Sarahi · Rating 4 out of 5]

still waiting on the last book!!! can't sleep at night thinking about it