Gullary, Oklahoma is the home of a maximum state prison that has been long abandoned except for one inmate. It is also the frequent victim of violent storms, one of which, some eighteen years ago, deposited a baby in the yard of one of the residents who then adopted her. She was named Stormi, not only for her means of arrival, but because of her ‘free and wild’ temperament and her abilities to heal by touch and to predict the future. Jonah has been in love with her since they were children but he suffers from scoliosis and epileptic fits or old rickety as he calls them so he has resigned himself to playing the role of best friend. Then Stormi predicts a tragic accident involving many of the town’s children and everything changes but in ways even she couldn’t predict.

Unfolding by author Jonathan Friesen is an atmospheric and creepy tale combining the supernatural with a mystery about secrets and the extent a town will go to to keep them hidden. Reading it, there were more than a few times, I found the tale confusing and somewhat disjointed. The one redeeming factor that kept me reading despite my occasional inability to keep track of the storyline was Jonah. His character is complex and sympathetic – his frequent bouts of self-pity are offset by his sense of humour, his loyalty and honesty. Overall, I can’t say I loved the book but I did like it enough to read it all the way through so, to be honest, I’d give the plotline 2 stars but the character of Jonah 4, so an average of 3 stars it is.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review ( )

This is a page turner! Hero (Jordan) has severe scoliosis, is beset by seizures and is in love with a gir, Stormi,l who literally blew into his life when they were toddlers. The girl has prescient powers is related to the only prisoner held in the otherwise empty 'state-of-the-art' penitentiary that dominates this small Oklahoma town. Jordan has developed a relationship with this prisoner because he delivers his meals--he has no idea of the relationship between this strange old man and the girl he loves.Tragedy strikes, Stormi disappears, the prisoner escapes and Jordan finds himself on the run with the girl he loves from a dark menace that has something to do with his family and the rest of the town.

In Unfolding, the plot's two main characters. Jonah, suffering from frequent epileptic seizures and scoliosis, and Stormi, a free, flying girl, that somehow was dropped on Earth in a Tornado Alley Oklahoma village. Stormi senses things before they actually happen. Relax, despite the possibly scary cover, this novel is no thriller, but a love story with twists. Both keep each other locked in conversations. As a reader, I often was wondering what actually happened. Storms, accidents, captured in a kind of religious cult, a narrow escape with a blast, and getting away from the small world.

I found the pace too slow, kept on reading until the very last page, curious for the ending, although putting it aside was a near constant option. When checking the questions to trigger reflection or discussion in a reading group, I realized I must have missed certain details or characters from the many first names that were introduced. Don't stop there, a bonus chapter is provided as kind of encore. ( )

All his life Jonah has loved Stormi while hating his own scoliosis and epilepsy. Some in his little town of Gullary, Oklahoma are leery of her because she sees things before they happen, while others love her. Mixed in with his constant thoughts of Stormi, and his bouts with epileptic attacks, is a mystery surrounding a secret group of men called The Circle and an old prisoner.

I couldn’t get into this book, finding Jonah’s wandering narrative to be sleep inducing and the storyline too far fetched for my liking. Maybe one of you will enjoy it, so I will leave it up to you to Decide if You Want to Read it or Not.

Book review link: https://shouldireaditornot.wordpress.com/2016/10/07/unfolding-jonathan-friesen/ ( )