Undone by Brooke Taylor

Title:  Undone
Author:  Brooke Taylor
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher:  Walker Publishing
Publication Date: July 2008
Stand alone or series:  Stand Alone
Book Length: 310
First Lines:  'Kori came with a warning label - a black T-shirt that read: DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU HEAR ABOUT ME.'

Synopsis (Goodreads)
When Kori Kitlzer, the “dark angel” of the 8th grade, tells Serena Moore that they are more alike than she thinks, Serena is instantly intrigued.  As their friendship solidifies and their lives entwine, Serena tries to become more like the fearless, outspoken, and ambitious Kori. Soon Serena doesn’t know where she begins and Kori ends. But when a twist of fate yanks Kori away from Serena, she will need to find a way to complete her best friend’s life left undone.

My Thoughts
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book but I'm glad I read it.  The cover won me over and when I read the back I was thinking, this could be good.

The story begins with Serena and Kori becoming friends.  An unlikely duo at the very beginning but as the story progresses I could see the similarities between both girls.  I loved both these characters.  Kori, for her carefree take on life and not giving a damn what others think.  And Serena, computer geek, a bit of a loner and happy to have Kori 'look after her'.  But when Serena loses her best friend and security blanket, she must learn to stand on her own two feet as she tries to complete Kori's assignment - Five ways to tempt fate.

I found this story to be well written, and the little details that would normally be overlooked in some novels, all tied in together to better understand the story as a whole.    My only gripe (and this may sound silly) is that the tragedy didn't happen closer to the beginning.  I think that would have added a little extra mystery to the story as a whole.  I can understand the reasoning behind why it was written the way it was.  To me, it seemed so the reader doesn't dismiss the character after the first 15 pages.  Personal opinion though.

This does include the usual issues involved at school:  Parent-teen and peer relationships, smoking and drinking, rebellion, you name it.  Self discovery and friendship are the strongest themes throughout and I really enjoyed the journey these characters took me on.  Admittedly it has alot of the same usual things that pop up in most YA books, the bitchy cheerleaders blah blah blah but last time I checked that is how most highschools divides themselves (into groups that is) and I don't think the YA books would ring as true and reach out to teenage readers as much without some of these stereotypes.

Overall, a fantastic book!