Book review: Unrest by Michelle Harrison

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Elliott hasn’t slept properly for months. Not since the accident that nearly killed him. Sometimes he half-wakes, paralysed, while shadowy figures move around him. Other times he is the one moving around while his body lies asleep on the bed. His doctors say sleep paralysis and out-of-body experiences are harmless - but to Elliott they’re terrifying.
Convinced that his brush with death has attracted the spirit world, Elliott secures a job at a reputedly haunted museum, determined to discover the truth. There, he meets the enigmatic Ophelia. But, as she and Elliott grow closer, Elliott draws new attention from the dead. One night, during an out-of-body experience, Elliott returns to bed to find his body gone. Something is occupying it, something that wants to live again - and it wants Ophelia, too . . .

Review: This novel was another one of those books, written from a male perspective. Don't get me wrong, that doesn't automatically make it a bad book, it just makes it different from everything else. And this book was very different from 'Paper Towns', another male-POV book I've read recently. For one, the book doesn't centre around a girl - it centres on the protagonist's views of the paranormal. And Elliott's narration isn't too dissimilar to a girl's, so I was quite at home reading it.
What makes this book different is the plot, and generally spooky topic of possession. Elliott has been able to see the ghost of the previous resident of his house ever since a car accident which saw him brush with death. What follows is Elliott's quest to see if he really is insane or if he is seeing real ghosts.
The plot thickens at the climax towards the end of the book (which is sudden, yet well-written) catches you by surprise and leaves you with a feeling of unease at the events which have taken place. Michelle Harrison has most definitely moved on from 'Thirteen Treasures'.
To conclude, this terrifying ghost story will thrill and frighten you, and leave you with chills up your spine and fears of what goes bump in the night. 4.5 stars.

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