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graciesaunders's review against another edition
2.0
I loved that the main character was asexual because this is the first time that I've seen myself represented in that way in a book and I really enjoyed hearing her talk about that. Unfortunately the rest of the book was an absolute mess and almost nothing like the synopsis promised
loreofthebooks's review against another edition
2.0
What could be better than a strange mystery? Not much! I was really looking forward to this book as it seemed like a book I would really enjoy. A paranormal mystery, a death and mysterious messages? Sign me up! I couldn’t wait. Unfortunately, this book really did not work for me. It just didn’t read the way I would have liked, and I struggled all the way through it.
Mind you, I like books that are slow paced. Some of my favorite books are slow paced, but this book was slow paced and it had issues in it that I couldn’t bring myself to like above what I did. The first issue with the slow pace is there should at least be some sense of plot. There was none. This book meandered all over the place and didn’t seem to have much consistency. If it lacks plot it should delve into characters. Yet, it doesn’t do that either. In fact it was light on all those things as well. The slowness made the work even harder to get into.
I struggled with the writing style a bit. I wasn’t loving it, and I felt that some of the dialogue was stilted and not to my tastes. I didn’t enjoy those parts. I didn’t enjoy how the characters were crafted for the most part either. I felt most of them were flat and wanting more depth from them. I liked that different sexualities were explored, and truly appreciated the representation, but it wasn’t enough.
I did enjoy the creepy vibe that the book was giving off though. That was one of the few things that it had going for it. It felt creepy, but sadly, fell short. It didn’t keep me entertained and it didn’t keep me interested. Not to mention it flipped through so much time that it felt awkward to the extreme. I did not enjoy that at all. Time skips are fine if done well, and these just didn’t work for me.
Overall, the book didn’t work. I wish it had, but apparently this one just wasn’t for me.
Mind you, I like books that are slow paced. Some of my favorite books are slow paced, but this book was slow paced and it had issues in it that I couldn’t bring myself to like above what I did. The first issue with the slow pace is there should at least be some sense of plot. There was none. This book meandered all over the place and didn’t seem to have much consistency. If it lacks plot it should delve into characters. Yet, it doesn’t do that either. In fact it was light on all those things as well. The slowness made the work even harder to get into.
I struggled with the writing style a bit. I wasn’t loving it, and I felt that some of the dialogue was stilted and not to my tastes. I didn’t enjoy those parts. I didn’t enjoy how the characters were crafted for the most part either. I felt most of them were flat and wanting more depth from them. I liked that different sexualities were explored, and truly appreciated the representation, but it wasn’t enough.
I did enjoy the creepy vibe that the book was giving off though. That was one of the few things that it had going for it. It felt creepy, but sadly, fell short. It didn’t keep me entertained and it didn’t keep me interested. Not to mention it flipped through so much time that it felt awkward to the extreme. I did not enjoy that at all. Time skips are fine if done well, and these just didn’t work for me.
Overall, the book didn’t work. I wish it had, but apparently this one just wasn’t for me.
zfish24's review against another edition
3.0
This book is aggressively average. I don't think that this book was bad or good, but I don't know if it is worth a read. I thought that the beginning and middle were interesting, but the ending fell flat.
kaila_bergmann's review against another edition
4.0
“We Were Restless Things” by Cole Nagamatsu is a Young Adult fantasy novel. It follows several teenagers on a journey to solve the mysterious death of Lincoln Miller. Link drowned on dry land in the woods. The police never found a water source, but Noemi has. When Jonas comes to live with his dad in Shivery, he is drawn into the search for answers. Together with their friends, they face the dangers of the impossible lake.
This novel embeds the paranormal, fantasy element seamlessly into a normal world, adding intrigue and believability to the plot. There are five core characters, which I felt I came to know very well. Their relationships with each other shift and change slowly but drastically throughout the novel. The story is told from a captivating range of perspectives, including the main characters, an “Unknown” character and some of Noemi’s dreams. I liked the supernatural and mystery elements of the novel so much that I felt the characters’ family issues and relationship dramas were merely obstacles to the action. The fantasy element creates incredible tension but at the end of the novel, the reader knows all of the facts, with the magic of the lake clearly explained, the excitement and suspense are ruined. Unfortunately, there was also some swearing and inappropriate content which made it uncomfortable to read at times.
Cole Nagamatsu writes beautifully, with rich descriptions of the mysterious forest and magical lake wonderfully embellishing the reading experience. The atmosphere is dark and enigmatic, creating an experience similar to that of the final Harry Potter books. Paranormal occurrences are peppered throughout the story, building tension and making for a truly gripping read.
This novel embeds the paranormal, fantasy element seamlessly into a normal world, adding intrigue and believability to the plot. There are five core characters, which I felt I came to know very well. Their relationships with each other shift and change slowly but drastically throughout the novel. The story is told from a captivating range of perspectives, including the main characters, an “Unknown” character and some of Noemi’s dreams. I liked the supernatural and mystery elements of the novel so much that I felt the characters’ family issues and relationship dramas were merely obstacles to the action. The fantasy element creates incredible tension but at the end of the novel, the reader knows all of the facts, with the magic of the lake clearly explained, the excitement and suspense are ruined. Unfortunately, there was also some swearing and inappropriate content which made it uncomfortable to read at times.
Cole Nagamatsu writes beautifully, with rich descriptions of the mysterious forest and magical lake wonderfully embellishing the reading experience. The atmosphere is dark and enigmatic, creating an experience similar to that of the final Harry Potter books. Paranormal occurrences are peppered throughout the story, building tension and making for a truly gripping read.
haylzno's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was kind of an odd book.
Chapter 1 almost made me DNF. Something about the writing was not jiving with me.
I liked the asexual rep, but the character herself rubbed me the wrong way.
It was a meh book for me
Chapter 1 almost made me DNF. Something about the writing was not jiving with me.
I liked the asexual rep, but the character herself rubbed me the wrong way.
It was a meh book for me
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
ishi_time's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book cover is GORGEOUS and that is what first drew me to it. The synopsis sounded intriguing and the book was also compared to The Raven Boys, which is one of my favorite books. This book was as lyrical and whimsical as I expected it to be and overall, I enjoyed it.
My favourite character was Noemi, and I looked forward to reading through her perspective the most. I really loved Link as well, even though he was dead. The writing style was lush and imaginative; the metaphors were beautiful. It was like reading a dream. I also loved reading the dream journal entries. They were beautiful and nonsensical (in a good way). They were definitely my favorite parts of the book!
This book came across more as a character study, which is not necessary a bad thing. The dream journal entries told us a lot about Noemi as a character, but did nothing to move the plot forward. I didn't see the point of Jonas having his own POV chapters since he spent most of his time with Noemi anyway. Though I think I might be a bit biased in my dislike for Jonas POV chapters because I found him particularly irritating.
Amber seemed like a nice person but her chapters added absolutely nothing to the plot at all, though we did get to learn a bit more about her. Still, I thought that Lyle and Amber were pale echos when compared to Link and Gate, both of whom were strong characters I really liked. Sometimes even Noemi's "not like other girls" narrative got a bit hard to read about. Even though I liked Noemi, I found it hard to believe that she's fun and quirky and different and that literally every boy in the story was in love with her.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I thought that the writing was beautiful. I am a character-driven reader, so I didn't mind that the book had little plot.
*SPOILER*
I did not like Noemi and Jonas' relationship AT ALL. I thought it was a bit unhealthy and that Jonas was pushy. It felt like Noemi was often rushed into making decisions that she wasn't ready to make yet because Jonas would constantly start with his "woe is me" monologue.
This book cover is GORGEOUS and that is what first drew me to it. The synopsis sounded intriguing and the book was also compared to The Raven Boys, which is one of my favorite books. This book was as lyrical and whimsical as I expected it to be and overall, I enjoyed it.
My favourite character was Noemi, and I looked forward to reading through her perspective the most. I really loved Link as well, even though he was dead. The writing style was lush and imaginative; the metaphors were beautiful. It was like reading a dream. I also loved reading the dream journal entries. They were beautiful and nonsensical (in a good way). They were definitely my favorite parts of the book!
This book came across more as a character study, which is not necessary a bad thing. The dream journal entries told us a lot about Noemi as a character, but did nothing to move the plot forward. I didn't see the point of Jonas having his own POV chapters since he spent most of his time with Noemi anyway. Though I think I might be a bit biased in my dislike for Jonas POV chapters because I found him particularly irritating.
Amber seemed like a nice person but her chapters added absolutely nothing to the plot at all, though we did get to learn a bit more about her. Still, I thought that Lyle and Amber were pale echos when compared to Link and Gate, both of whom were strong characters I really liked. Sometimes even Noemi's "not like other girls" narrative got a bit hard to read about. Even though I liked Noemi, I found it hard to believe that she's fun and quirky and different and that literally every boy in the story was in love with her.
Overall, I enjoyed it and I thought that the writing was beautiful. I am a character-driven reader, so I didn't mind that the book had little plot.
*SPOILER*
I did not like Noemi and Jonas' relationship AT ALL. I thought it was a bit unhealthy and that Jonas was pushy. It felt like Noemi was often rushed into making decisions that she wasn't ready to make yet because Jonas would constantly start with his "woe is me" monologue.
seventhchariot's review against another edition
2.0
You would think that a book with such a beautiful cover and such an intriguing synopsis would be equally beautiful and intriguing on the inside. Unfortunately, this book was super slow. It had a confusing timeline and pacing. It had flat characters that I couldn't connect with and it never explained the family dynamics which was something that would have probably helped me in understanding the story. I really struggled to get through this book and the only thing that made me want to finish was the mystery, which also flopped.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
rileyreadsforfun's review against another edition
3.0
I got this as an ARC and it reminded my so much of the Hazelwood book and Alice and wonderland but with more plot
mt1203's review
emotional
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
breq's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0