Unleashed

By Sigmund Brouwer

Jace has it all—money, cars and status. What he doesn’t have is a happy home life. Forced to protect his brother from an abusive father and a neglectful mother, Jace lives a double life on the wrong side of the tracks, learning to box and trying to survive on his own merits while plotting to expose his father as the monster he is. Working reluctantly with two girls who have their own thoughts of vengeance, Jace finds that he is not as alone as he thought and that there are people he can trust.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
• Release date: Oct 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781459807327

Sigmund Brouwer

Sigmund Brouwer is the award-winning author of over 100 books for young readers, with close to 4 million books in print. He has won the Christy Book of the Year and an Arthur Ellis Award, as well as being nominated for two TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards and the Red Maple Award. For years, Sigmund has captivated students with his Rock & Roll Literacy Show and Story Ninja program during his school visits, reaching up to 80,000 students per year. His many books in the Orca Sports and Orca Currents lines have changed the lives of countless striving readers. Sigmund lives in Red Deer, Alberta.

Reviews for Unleashed

[sheilacornelisse · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jace is living a dual life, one disguised as a streetwise boxer and the other as the son of a rich, elite doctor who has been abusing both him and his brother. Desperate to uncover a secret his father is hiding and to expose him to society, Jace gets caught up in a vengeance scheme. This is a quick read that would appeal to reluctant readers looking for a suspense novel without a lot of deep plots. I found it lacking in background information about the characters. Nevertheless, an interesting, although somewhat predictable, read.

[amilligan_13 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story is about a boy trying to get retribution against his abusive father. It is a good quick read written for young adults. I love the idea of a series in which the order does not matter. This is one such series. The reason for only a 4.5 star rating and not 5 is because I felt I was missing some background information.

[kwrolsen · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As an adult reading Unleashed, I thought the story was a bit rushed and lacked some key details that would have helped with character development. However, from the perspective of a young person, I think this book would be incredibly engaging. There was quite a bit of action, some mystery, and relatable characters. The chapters were short and easy-to-read. The twist at the end was interesting. I would recommend this book to a reluctant reader. Hopefully the rest of the series is as engaging.

[jenxy21 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Unleashed was a quick read but a very engaging story. The main character, Jace, captures your attention right from the start. Brouwer creates a story of tension and trouble with an interesting plot twist. This is perfect for teens and reluctant readers.

[ravenshoe-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

On the surface, Jace is one cool dude. Everyone thinks he has it all; fast cars, money to burn and pretty girls vying for his attention, but things are seldom what they seem. No one knows that Jace leads a double life trying to lead his life on his own terms; spending his days plotting revenge against his abusive father & using a false name, learning how to box at a nearby gym. His plans and life take a turn when he reluctantly teams up with two girls who have an agenda all their own. This book is a quick read and one of a three book series that can be read in any order.

[gigglessilly · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received this book in late September but I just read it yesterday. It is a short quick read that I very well enjoyed.Very well written .

[steven.buechler · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Not only does Brouwer have a suspenseful novel here but he touches on themes that occur in young lives. The book deals with Jace, who has been dealing with a cold and abusive household for a very long time. The situation is worsening and Jace decides to take matters into his own hands before his brother is hurt even more. The story is one of the The Retribution Series that young readers can continue to read on with.

[06nwingert · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Jace and his younger brother, Bently, live in an abusive home. Jace is a boxer and chess enthusiast. He has suspicions about his father's business, so he hires two girls to investigate. He ends up using the information against his father.This is a new young adult book series, although there is no order to the series. In each book, the protagonist gains retribution against the antagonist. Brouwer writes was ease.

[karenrendall · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very quick read about a boy who is seeking retribution against his emotionally abusive father. I liked the concept and the way the reader was thrown right into the middle of the action when the main character, Jace, has already taken some steps to get his revenge. What frustrated me was the feeling that I was missing major aspects of the past. That feeling wasn't resolved when I finished reading. I suspect that this is due to the trilogy being meant to be read in any order and that those nagging questions I'm left with would be answered in the other two books. Overall, an interesting story that will likely appeal to high schoolers frustrated by injustices committed by adults.

[kpolhuis_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Part of a series "Retribution" written by various Canadian authors 'Unleashed' is a quick read designed to capture the attention and keep that focus until the end of the story. Well done! Makes me want to read the rest of this series.

[pith_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program; it arrived on 22 September 2015. Disclaimer: I'm not in the target age range for the book, but I am an adult who also enjoys YA and realizes that I'm reading it from a different perspective.The RETRIBUTION series (like the earlier SECRETS series) is a "trilogy that can read in any order". However, I felt like I was missing some inciting action or something. While the SECRETS girls had their common bond, I wish I knew how Jace, Jo, and Raven crossed paths initially. I was also a bit unclear on the ending: is Jace still at home, or is he now on his own?The bulk of the story is engaging enough, and the book is short enough to finish in an afternoon. As a main character, Jace is rather blank, but his motivations are clear and understandable. Lack of trust is a common thread between Jace and the two girls, and again, I was left feeling like I had missed something in that regard, or maybe I'm just overanalyzing.I get that it must be difficult to write one part of a trilogy, let alone a trilogy that's meant to be read in any order, but UNLEASHED's gaps left me wanting more. That's a good thing in some respects (I'll be keeping an eye out for the other two RETRIBUTION books), but I still feel like a few more answers could have been safely given here.A small quibble: At one point, Jace narrates "I had endured it since I was a boy. Blow after blow—not physical, but worse: blows of scorn and insults" (84). I know this is subjective, but I don't think we need compare physical and emotional abuse and proclaim one "worse". Both are abhorrent and wrong.