Inner Glimpse: Mystery at a Wealthy High School
Anna Jarzab's debut novel "By Anna Jarzab" delves into a mystery surrounding the brutal murder of a troubled girl at a wealthy private high school, intertwining themes of dysfunctional families and perceived entitlements. Narrated from the perspectives of Neily, the ex-boyfriend, and Audrey, the cousin of the victim's convicted murderer, the story unfolds in Empire Valley, California. As Neily grapples with unresolved feelings for the deceased Carly, Audrey seeks his help in proving her father's innocence, leading to a captivating tale of tragedy, emotion, and closure.
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By Anna Jarzab By Anna Jarzab
Anna Jarzab's debut novel (Delacorte 2010) is part mystery and part inner glimpse at dysfunctional families and the perceived entitlements at a wealthy private high school. Neily Monroe, 17, is the ex-boyfriend of Carly, a beautiful girl who spiraled out of control after the death of her mother and was brutally murdered months before Neily begins his story at the spot he found Carly's body. Audrey is Carly's cousin and the daughter of the man convicted of her murder. Audrey comes back to school and back into Neily's life hoping that he will help prove her father's innocence. Never truly convinced that the right person was convicted and still in love with Carly, Neily agrees, although he is not eager to open old wounds. The narration alternates between the teens' perspectives Neily, narrated by Mike Chamberlain, and Audrey, narrated by Allyson Ryan. Told through chunks of recollections from when Carly was alive alternating with current events, the dual narrators offer a well-rounded picture. The portrayals, while uneven in their voicing and pacing, vividly bring to the surface images of teens coping with intense tragedy, emotions, and a desire for closure. Listeners will be fully immersed in the mystery as it unfolds. Stephanie A. Squicciarini, Fairport Public Library, NY
The novel takes place in Empire Valley, California. Empire Valley is a wealthy suburb in the Bay Area of California. The majority of the story is centered around a private college prep school called Brighton Day School.
Neiland Monroe, called Neily, is the main character in the novel. He is an only child, and his parents are divorced. His mother is a pediatric nurse and his father is a computer software executive. At the beginning of the story, he is haunted by the murder of his ex-girlfriend Carly the year before. Even though they were broken up at the time of her death, he still is in love with her, and wonders if she had felt the same just before her murder.
Although not a traditional antagonist Carly is clearly the character that causes the conflict in the novel. In the year before her death, she started behaving wildly and hanging out with the wrong crowd. She kept getting herself into bad situations. Those close to her chalked it up to her mother s tragic death due to cancer. But was that the only reason?
Audrey Ribelli is the cousin of Neily s dead ex- girlfriend. She was a close friend of Carly s. Her alcoholic father was found guilty of Carly s murder. However, Audrey believes that he is innocent. She needs Neily s help to try to solve the mystery surrounding Carly s death so she can clear her father s name.
Adam Murray is the boy that Carly leaves Neily for. Adam is very popular at Brighton Day School. Mostly because he deals drugs and throws wild drinking parties. He is a bad influence on Carly. But, she begins hanging out with him and his sketchy crew more and more in the days leading up to her murder, and ends up completely cutting Neily out of her life.
Enzo RibelliAudreys father, accused of murder. Cass Irving Audrey s boyfriend, Adam Murray s best friend. Harriet Neily s therapist Harvey Rosenberg Neily s best friend
The central conflict in the novel is Neilys determination to solve the mystery of who killed Carly and why. He struggles with all the students at his school, the police, his parents, and mostly with himself, as he tries to find peace with Carly s murder, and the question of if she ever really loved him.
Neily is so haunted by his ex-girlfriend s death, and the memories of finding her body, that he finds himself at the old stone bridge where she died, and falls asleep on the ledge. He just wants to feel close to her once more.
Another key event is that Audrey gives Neily back the charm bracelet that he had given to Carly, telling him that she was wearing it the night she was killed. Neily is surprised and hopes this means she did love him and was trying to get back together before she was murdered.
The theme of All Unquiet Things is that truly loving someone requires forgiveness when they hurt you, for whatever their own reasons are.
Anna Jarzab grew up entirely in the suburbs, first outside of Chicago and then in San Francisco's East Bay, where All Unquiet Things is set. She graduated from Santa Clara University, earned her Master's degree from the University of Chicago, and currently lives in New York City. -Teen Reads
I really liked All Unquiet Things. It was both a mystery and a book about love and relationships. The dynamic between the protagonist and the other characters was interesting. The mystery of what had caused Carly to turn against Neily and also who was guilty of her murder kept the reader guessing right up to the end. It was easy to feel his pain as he struggled with the loss of someone he had loved. My favorite lines from the novel are: Anyone who s ever had a person disappear from their life knows the feelings. It s an emptiness that still has boundaries, faint outlines that serve as reminders that something is missing, and all you can do is try your hardest to pretend like it never was (Jarzab 136).
Mrs. Mathieson English 9 Period 1 January 18, 2017
