Unraveller

Frances Hardinge

In a world where anyone can create life-destroying curses, only one person has the power to unravel them. 

Kellen does not fully understand his talent, but uses it to help those who have been cursed, including his ally and closest friend, Nettle.

But Kellen himself is cursed, and unless he and Nettle can release him, he is in danger of unravelling everything – and everyone – around him.

Student Reviews

Runner-up Review
This award-winning book catches the eye with its stunning, attractive and gothic cover. The blurb and introduction are enthralling, with every sentence perfectly poised to draw the reader in. But is the story itself worth it?
Fortunately, the story lives up to – and exceeds – expectations. The characters are complex, interesting and realistic, growing and changing throughout the story.
The plot is well constructed, with each story element connecting to the overarching narrative and the character. The climax feels like it relies on every part of the story before, with all the threads of the story woven into an emotional and satisfying ending.
However, the most notable element of the story may be the exquisite wordcraft. Each paragraph contains language which masterfully evokes emotion. When a character is angry at an injustice, the reader feels the depth of their emotion. The land of Raddith is brought to life with skilled and careful vocabulary: all the characters have personality, shown in dialogue and description. Curses, perhaps the most important aspect of the story, seem horrifying and agonising, in stark contrast to their fairy-tale origins; and the strange, terrifying Wilds, a place of unearthly creatures and eldritch powers, invoke anger and fear – as befits an eerie realm where nothing is as it seems.
I believe that Unraveller should be seriously considered for the prestigious York Book Awards. But perhaps you should read the book, and judge it yourself – I promise that it will take your breath away.
– Toby W., All Saints

Unraveller is a quick, gripping tale that tells the story of Kellen, the miracle boy who unravels deadly curses, and Nettle, victim of her own curse only recently changed from heron to human form.  In an exciting turn of events, Kellen finds himself waist deep in his own curse, and a mystery that is just as confusing as his own.
During the course of this novel, the characters developed in thrilling speed, so by the end of it, I not only knew their names, but could also tell you their siblings, friends and interesting facts about their daily life. I particularly enjoyed the opening paragraph, in which the author takes us through the book like we are visiting the country it’s set in. As the book continues, we meet Nettle, Kellen and the quest just waiting to be unravelled.
The main characters are Nettle and Kellen, partners in crime ready to conquer the depths of evil and rescue innocent victims from dark hatred-fuelled curses. Through character development, we learn that Kellen, the once weaver boy, was kicked out of his village. He has a short temper and a quick almost nonsensical way of working that fails to follow the rules of any textbook. As much as Nettle hates to admit it, there are some things, e.g. solving curses, that only he can understand.
On the other end of the scale, Nettle is a neat, organised girl, whose only still living relatives are Cole, her much tormented older brother and Yannick, the still-gull boy who refused to receive his cure and return to his human state. She is an extremely quiet person and often Kellen finds himself guessing what she has to say.
The story was written in 3^rd person which is important for the two main characters. There were many settings that were described in detail, so much so that I could imagine that I was in them. The feelings of Kellen were quite obvious but with Nettle it was more mysterious, having to guess some of what her feelings were.
From this book I learned that hate is never the answer and that we should try and forgive each other where possible. It was important to see how hate can affect both other people and yourself. I would recommend this book to any younger reader, especially those who find themselves in arguments. This was a truly inspiring book and I am looking out for other reads by the same author.
– Manor CE Academy

This is a book about Nettle, who is cursed to spend her life as a bird, and Kellen, Raddith’s only Unraveller, and the adventure they go on. It is a story of friendship, curses and unravelling. It is full of mystery every page you turn, and you can’t stop! Cursers are a big part of the journey, threatening people.
In this world where everyone can create life-destroying curses, Kellen is my favourite character. He unravels people patiently, and shows bravery, wisdom and care until the end.
The story is written in third person switching between Kellen and Nettle’s points of view, so we can see the emotion on both Nettle and Kellen’s faces. However, the second person prologue adds a very dramatic effect and a fascinating introduction to the Wilds. It also tells us about the curses and story of Raddith.
This book gives me a feeling of excitement and mysteriousness that other books can’t give me. The end is unbelievable, and there is a peaceful happy ending after this journey of discovering and exploring. I really enjoyed this world full of curses brought by the author.
– Isaac, St Peter’s School

Unraveller is a book about a boy called Kellen and his friend Nettle and their adventures in the creepy marsh-woods and surrounding areas. Kellen is an unraveller-someone who can “unravel” curses. Nettle was one of the victims of a curser – the curse placed on her was unravelled by Kellen.
This book is a suspenseful and captivating read. It draws together the elements of mystery, magic and adventure all whilst imploring you to read more. I could never put the book down.
I would highly recommend this book for people who enjoy mythical adventure books. I think that this book is aimed at readers 10+ years old.
Overall this book is (for me) a 4/5 star book.
– Abigail, St Peter’s School

I really enjoyed Unraveller. The way it was lots of complicated almost detective cases to solve one after another with a clever intertwining storyline linking them all together. Hardinge has successfully created an incredible fantastical world that can be pictured with incredible ease which helps you focus on the incredible plot. The character development and range of emotions used really keep you hooked.
There are also some important morals in the book, such as don’t hold grudges – just forgive, and the book also explores interesting ethical problems to do with imprisonment – is it right to permanently lock someone up for unleashing a curse due to a simple grudge? Should the conditions be pleasant or unpleasant, as having prisons unpleasant results in people being more likely to hold a grudge against the imprisoner, but if the prisons are pleasant, people might purposefully commit crimes to go there and won’t be taught that a bad thing was wrong…
The creatures in the Wilds were incredibly creative and could be pictured with ease due to the vivid descriptions. The cover was also hooking, paired with the title it just drew you into the story and I never wanted to let go.
– Toby C., All Saints

In a land of cursers you must be careful because one wrong move and you will be begging to see your last hope. The Unraveller.
This book tells the tale of 2 teenagers somewhere called Radith. One of them is the Unraveller and the other is a rescued cursed. When they encounter something surprising, they adventure to the deepest part of the Wilds while fighting their own guilt and regret.
The first character is a short-tempered boy named Kellen. He is gifted with the ability to unravel curses. The other is a child named Nettle. She is logical and calm. Yannick is Nettle’s brother. Yannick is cursed, making him a gull. The brother/sister relationship fascinates me.
I love the constant change in perspective. The third person story constantly changes point of view between Nettle and Kellen. I enjoyed the story because of the storyline and meaning. In my opinion the moral is that just because someone did something doesn’t mean they’ll do it again. My favourite moment is when Kellen discovers Nettle’s secret curse egg.
– Manor CE Academy

In this story, Kellen (one of the main characters with the other being Nettle) uncurses people while finding curses. After a dangerous group of them team up, it’s up to him, Nettle and her brother to get the bad people. I don’t think the book goes over a long time. It isn’t stated how much time passes but considering how many nights pass (in the main story), probably less than a week. The idea of the story and the city is (mostly) normal. The opening makes you think it’s a different type of book to what it is. The story elaborates and if you miss a few pages in the beginning, you will not understand the full plot.
The main characters are Kellen and Nettle. Kellen has a short temper and can be a bit far-fetched when thinking of a plan. Nettle is a calm and gentle girl who puts a leash on Kellen and is, as she puts it: “the voice of reason”. Their backstories were described in a lot of detail and Nettle’s is tragic. I won’t write it in because of spoilers.
Their relationship is strong although they do argue sometimes. If the characters change, I didn’t notice. They (SPOILER) change at the end for the better though.
As a third-person story, it switches between Nettle and Kellen’s points of view. This is quite a good style of telling the story. The many areas they go into are described moderately and the feelings of the characters are about the same. I think it was a moderate story because I started getting a bit tired of the book after the halfway point. I like Nettle’s backstory, not as in it isn’t sad but as in that she has dealt with curses in the past. I don’t like how it was a twist that all the cursers are really good. It felt a bit scripted and the twist of the other lady who was cursed could be improved because she does not give us a proper reason for hating Kellen. I would have kept the twist about the cursers being good but removed the other lady’s betrayal.
It was a confusing book, to say the least. I preferred Lily Grim. I still recommend you read it. Just because it isn’t my favourite doesn’t mean it isn’t good.
– Manor CE Academy

Well written.
– Jacobi, The Joseph Rowntree School

Personally, I loved this book. The whole magical feel really kept me motivated and captivated while reading. It’s incredible how Frances Hardinge adds life to the characters. I get a clear sense in my mind the way it’s described in the passage. I love the perspective changes with Nettle and Kellen as you get to see clearly inside their heads but also their thought processes. Honestly, I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for an adventure story with a hint of magic.
– Stella, St Peter’s School

Unraveller is a captivating journey into the depths of the human psyche and the intricacies of time and reality. Hardinge weaves a mesmerising picture, mystery and philosophical inquiry, leaving readers spellbound from start to finish.
The book was interesting, keeping me on the edge of my seat at points and worried for the characters at others. The plotline was excellent, giving a great tale with intriguing characters.
– Henry, All Saints