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noellelovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
This review was first posted on my blog...
Content Warning:
-Drowning
-Mention of childhood abuse
-Bullying
-Loss
-Self-harm mentioned
-Suicidal thoughts mentioned
Content Warning:
-Drowning
-Mention of childhood abuse
-Bullying
-Loss
-Self-harm mentioned
-Suicidal thoughts mentioned
Last summer I saw this book, and its beautiful cover, online and decided to pick it up. The summary seemed somewhat mysterious and magical which always catches my interest. Sadly, like many books I buy, it sat unread on my shelf for months. Over the last few months, I’ve drastically reduced the number of books I buy so that I’m reading more books that I already own.
A few days ago I was scrolling through book Twitter and saw a post by the author, Cole Nagamatsu, where they stated they were harassed for the Ace rep in this book because they weren’t publically out as Ace. This bully forced them to come out before they were ready. I can’t imagine how hurt they were having someone accuse them of adding Ace rep as a money grab when it’s still something, of themselves, they’re still coming to terms with. After seeing that tweet I decided to bump this book up in my TBR pile…and I’m so glad that I did.
This book bounces between a few different narratives, as well as some dream journal entries, which gives it a very “peek into the life” of all the characters involved. We get to see how Link’s death has affected each character including Jonas Lake who only just got to town. This book is full of honesty, self-doubt, concern, love, and understanding. We get to see all these different people for who they are as well as who they feel they are. I honestly love stories that are like this, ones where it feels like we’re just peeking into a life.
I found the way in which one of the characters opens up about being Ace, and what that means for them, to be so beautiful. It can be so scary to open up about something so deeply personal and I found the way Cole wrote it to be so honest and pure. Sexuality is a spectrum that varies from person to person.
Until I read my first Ace character and saw more videos on Tiktok about being Ace, I didn’t realize there was a difference between aesthetic/physical/emotional/sexual attraction. Growing up I’ve always found a lot of people aesthetically attractive like walking pieces of art but that’s literally all I saw them as…walking art not people I wanted emotional/physical/sexual intimacy with. I’ve always loved hugging, cuddling, and just touching but for me, it isn’t sexual it just brings me emotional comfort but I’ve avoided it a lot due to fear that others would misinterpret it as sexual. The more introspection I’ve done, over the last year, I’ve realized so much about myself and where I fit within the spectrum. I’m so happy to see more Ace rep out there in the media because for some of us it takes seeing it to start to really understand ourselves.
I just now, about ten minutes ago, finished reading this story and the ending almost had me in tears. Not tears of sadness more like tears of hope in regards to the future, which is unknown. Although this is a YA book, I feel like many people, of all ages, could relate to some of the character’s feelings, either by reminiscing of their own adolescence or even seeing things in themselves they never noticed before.
This book, although very different in content, reminds me of how I felt after finishing “The Hunger” by Alma Katsu. Neither are fast-paced books, but both had me feeling like I was just peeking into a certain point in time and had me wishing I could see and know more. Realistically it wouldn’t make sense to have a sequel, for either book, so I’ll just daydream and imagine what the future holds.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief
romanticparvenu's review against another edition
5.0
Literary magical realism for the YA crowd + respectful asexual rep; good readalike for fans of Nova Ren Suma.
adrianareadsbooks's review against another edition
3.0
There was a lot of this book that I really liked, however I think that there might have been too much for me to grasp on to.
The world-building in this novel was great, but I struggled to keep up with the storyline. Also, the forest.
If you want a spooky book, this is the one for you, but I think that this genre is a hard one for me to hold onto in general.
The writing is beautiful.
The world-building in this novel was great, but I struggled to keep up with the storyline. Also, the forest.
If you want a spooky book, this is the one for you, but I think that this genre is a hard one for me to hold onto in general.
The writing is beautiful.
lauralashleylovestoread's review against another edition
5.0
Beautiful prose and thoughtful, engaging characters
dremargon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
wondertwinc's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an e-arc to review.
We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu is a story about loss and navigating not only ones emotions in the aftermath, but learning to navigate ones self period.
While the imagery in this book is often times gorgeous and the writing style itself holds up amazingly well, the plot itself falls a little short.
I found myself struggling to read for more than a few minutes at a time, frustrated by the plot and the characters and the character development that was never really developing anything. I feel like throughout the whole of this book that none of the characters truly changed or grew from what they were at the beginning - the author would just 'show' you a different side of them that has existed all along and that was that.
I was excited to see that this book has LGBTQ+ representation, but in the end I was disappointed with how flat it felt. Noemi's asexuality was refreshing to read and rang true to how the character acted throughout the book, but while the relationship between Lyle and Amberlynn felt fated by the time it happened, it also felt hollow.
The surprise relationship between Jonas and Noemi also threw me for a loop and was somewhat of a turn off because I wasn't expecting it.
Overall, while I liked the writing, the story fell a bit short for me but I am definitely going to keep an eye out for this author in the future.
We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu is a story about loss and navigating not only ones emotions in the aftermath, but learning to navigate ones self period.
While the imagery in this book is often times gorgeous and the writing style itself holds up amazingly well, the plot itself falls a little short.
I found myself struggling to read for more than a few minutes at a time, frustrated by the plot and the characters and the character development that was never really developing anything. I feel like throughout the whole of this book that none of the characters truly changed or grew from what they were at the beginning - the author would just 'show' you a different side of them that has existed all along and that was that.
I was excited to see that this book has LGBTQ+ representation, but in the end I was disappointed with how flat it felt. Noemi's asexuality was refreshing to read and rang true to how the character acted throughout the book, but while the relationship between Lyle and Amberlynn felt fated by the time it happened, it also felt hollow.
The surprise relationship between Jonas and Noemi also threw me for a loop and was somewhat of a turn off because I wasn't expecting it.
Overall, while I liked the writing, the story fell a bit short for me but I am definitely going to keep an eye out for this author in the future.
milesofpages's review against another edition
3.0
“Last spring he’d erupted into a classmate like a cold-water geyser. Now, he was depressurized, a near-empty, placid pool, but a shove in the hallway or a match behind his hair could change that. “
The plot of this book drew me in. Link died from drowning, where there is no lake for mikes and miles? Noemi is the only one who knows the truth and it’s becoming too heavy of a burden so she enlists the help of 2 others to get the real truth? Oh yes please.
Someone stating they’re Link is texting noemi to stay away. When I saw those texts, I rubbed my hands together because I knew it was about to get good. Sadly, it never really picked up.
Let’s talk about the imagery in this book. Holy beautiful lines, y’all. It amazes me how someone can use words and form a sentence I can feel, I can see, I can physically taste.
This is definitely a character driven book, which I don’t mind. However, I wanted to know more about the death of Link as that is what drew me in to want to read. I don’t know where the actual plot went. I thought I was going to be taken on a journey or discovery: of theirselves, their friendships, Link’s fate. Instead, I got a lot of casual conversation.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think the characters were fantastic (Neomi had amazing character development and I praise this) but I just longer for so much more.
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire & NetGalley for the gifted copy. This one is out Oct 8th.
The plot of this book drew me in. Link died from drowning, where there is no lake for mikes and miles? Noemi is the only one who knows the truth and it’s becoming too heavy of a burden so she enlists the help of 2 others to get the real truth? Oh yes please.
Someone stating they’re Link is texting noemi to stay away. When I saw those texts, I rubbed my hands together because I knew it was about to get good. Sadly, it never really picked up.
Let’s talk about the imagery in this book. Holy beautiful lines, y’all. It amazes me how someone can use words and form a sentence I can feel, I can see, I can physically taste.
This is definitely a character driven book, which I don’t mind. However, I wanted to know more about the death of Link as that is what drew me in to want to read. I don’t know where the actual plot went. I thought I was going to be taken on a journey or discovery: of theirselves, their friendships, Link’s fate. Instead, I got a lot of casual conversation.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I think the characters were fantastic (Neomi had amazing character development and I praise this) but I just longer for so much more.
Thank you Sourcebooks Fire & NetGalley for the gifted copy. This one is out Oct 8th.
acouplereadss's review against another edition
3.0
Whenever I am enticed by a cover I always want to love the words inside of it. And when I don’t there’s a disappointment I just can’t shake. Unfortunately We Were Restless Things was just not for me. However there are things I did like about it, read on friends.
I appreciate that this is not your typical YA title. It is not plot driven but instead character driven. However, I personally need a mix of both usually to fully invest in the story. It started off well but about 150 pages in petered off for me because it felt as if nothing was happening. I pushed through but wasn’t enjoying it as much as I wanted to.
A mysterious drowning in a strange town completely changes the young kids directly affected as such an event would. Told through several points of views Noemi who knows the impossible truth of what happened to Link, Amberlyn, Link’s younger sister, Jonas, Noemi’s new housemate and a smattering of others tied to the characters. Navigating all the things that come hand in hand with a coming of age story we face all the things the characters do in their everyday lives.
There were a couple things I really did like about this book. Firstly, the ace representation. I could feel how the character was feeling and what the character knew deep within herself. Secondly, the mysterious creepy woods and the lake that pulled you to enter to discover their horrors. There was something so otherworldly about the setting that kept me reading though. Lastly was Nagamatsu’s writing. That was what really kept me turning the pages even though I didn’t enjoy the book overall. I would like to read more by Nagamatsu!
I do think you’ll enjoy this story if you like atmospheric reads and character driven plots. I would loosely compare this to The Raven Boys, very loosely. Other than that it’s entirely unique and I can’t quite put my finger on who would be drawn in by this one. But definitely read it in the colder months, you’ll be pulled right in.
Thank you Raincoast Books for sending an ARC my way for review.
I appreciate that this is not your typical YA title. It is not plot driven but instead character driven. However, I personally need a mix of both usually to fully invest in the story. It started off well but about 150 pages in petered off for me because it felt as if nothing was happening. I pushed through but wasn’t enjoying it as much as I wanted to.
A mysterious drowning in a strange town completely changes the young kids directly affected as such an event would. Told through several points of views Noemi who knows the impossible truth of what happened to Link, Amberlyn, Link’s younger sister, Jonas, Noemi’s new housemate and a smattering of others tied to the characters. Navigating all the things that come hand in hand with a coming of age story we face all the things the characters do in their everyday lives.
There were a couple things I really did like about this book. Firstly, the ace representation. I could feel how the character was feeling and what the character knew deep within herself. Secondly, the mysterious creepy woods and the lake that pulled you to enter to discover their horrors. There was something so otherworldly about the setting that kept me reading though. Lastly was Nagamatsu’s writing. That was what really kept me turning the pages even though I didn’t enjoy the book overall. I would like to read more by Nagamatsu!
I do think you’ll enjoy this story if you like atmospheric reads and character driven plots. I would loosely compare this to The Raven Boys, very loosely. Other than that it’s entirely unique and I can’t quite put my finger on who would be drawn in by this one. But definitely read it in the colder months, you’ll be pulled right in.
Thank you Raincoast Books for sending an ARC my way for review.
cerahsee's review against another edition
2.0
Last year the body of a young man (Link) was found in the middle of the woods. The cause of death? Drowning. The only problem? There isn't a lake anywhere near where he was found.
As the year progresses, the story follows Noemi (your typical manic pixie dream asexual), Jonah (her mom's boyfriend's son), Lyle (a girl), and Amberlyn (Link's sister). Noemi is haunted by strange dreams that she used to turn into haunting photographs. Jonah was kicked out of school and sent to live with his father (who is dating Noemi's mom). Lyle is trying to figure out what's up with Noemi, and Amberlyn is trying to figure out how to exist without her big brother.
Soon, Noemi reveals that there is a lake in the middle of the woods, but it only appears when it wants to or when she takes someone to it. Soon, she and her friends are drawn into a mystery surrounding the mysterious lake and the things at the center of it.
Okay, so I wanted to like this book a lot. However, I just didn't like it that much. To me, Noemi was very much the "manic pixie dream girl" who all of the male characters were in love with. She's artsy, she's smart, she's kind of a bitch.
Noemi eventually kind of gets into a relationship with one of the male characters in the book. And this is where I had my biggest problem with the story. Any time the characters are making out or being intimate/physical with one another her internal monologue is not giving enthusiastic consent at any time. She later tells the male character that she's asexual but that if he really wants to have sex with her she'll let him. She seems to think that the only way that she'll every be able to have any sort of meaningful romantic relationship with anyone is if she lets them have sex with her.
I also felt that the story began to drag on and at times I felt like I was reading two separate stories.
As the year progresses, the story follows Noemi (your typical manic pixie dream asexual), Jonah (her mom's boyfriend's son), Lyle (a girl), and Amberlyn (Link's sister). Noemi is haunted by strange dreams that she used to turn into haunting photographs. Jonah was kicked out of school and sent to live with his father (who is dating Noemi's mom). Lyle is trying to figure out what's up with Noemi, and Amberlyn is trying to figure out how to exist without her big brother.
Soon, Noemi reveals that there is a lake in the middle of the woods, but it only appears when it wants to or when she takes someone to it. Soon, she and her friends are drawn into a mystery surrounding the mysterious lake and the things at the center of it.
Okay, so I wanted to like this book a lot. However, I just didn't like it that much. To me, Noemi was very much the "manic pixie dream girl" who all of the male characters were in love with. She's artsy, she's smart, she's kind of a bitch.
Noemi eventually kind of gets into a relationship with one of the male characters in the book. And this is where I had my biggest problem with the story. Any time the characters are making out or being intimate/physical with one another her internal monologue is not giving enthusiastic consent at any time. She later tells the male character that she's asexual but that if he really wants to have sex with her she'll let him. She seems to think that the only way that she'll every be able to have any sort of meaningful romantic relationship with anyone is if she lets them have sex with her.
I also felt that the story began to drag on and at times I felt like I was reading two separate stories.
mells_view's review against another edition
4.0
If only you could hold on to light, climb it out of the unknown.
I’m going to be completely honest and say that I’m not 100% sure I understand what I just read, but I will say that I finished WWRT quietly crying. It’s haunting, magical, and a little bit odd. The writing has this poetic feel to it. Like each line is meaningful, even if you’re not quite sure what exactly it’s meant to mean, it means something. I feel like We Were Restless Things will be a story that people interpret and feel differently. There are so many difficult topics covered, some causally and some deeply, but still touched on and it’s interesting the way I could relate to each character in small ways.
I don’t know what to say about this book other than that I enjoyed it, and it made me feel things. Like my little gray soul kind of shivered reading this.
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC
I’m going to be completely honest and say that I’m not 100% sure I understand what I just read, but I will say that I finished WWRT quietly crying. It’s haunting, magical, and a little bit odd. The writing has this poetic feel to it. Like each line is meaningful, even if you’re not quite sure what exactly it’s meant to mean, it means something. I feel like We Were Restless Things will be a story that people interpret and feel differently. There are so many difficult topics covered, some causally and some deeply, but still touched on and it’s interesting the way I could relate to each character in small ways.
I don’t know what to say about this book other than that I enjoyed it, and it made me feel things. Like my little gray soul kind of shivered reading this.
AVAILABLE NOW!
*ARC