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2.97 AVERAGE
2.97 AVERAGE
dark
slow-paced
I need some time to think before writing a review because this was one of the weirdest (in a good way!) books I’ve ever read in my life.
Cool concept, strong character development on 2 of the characters. It's an interesting study on one, particularly, who is very charismatic. A tertiary character comments that anyone trying that hard to be charming bears watching - and that articulated a sense of unease I get around certain people.
I was NOT expecting this book to be the way it was, and based on the reviews already up on Goodreads that I've skimmed, neither were most other people.
I love all things Faerie, from Melissa Marr to Holly Black. However, Never-Contented Things was decidedly darker than any faerie book I've read before.
I know a lot of people are expecting this to be kind of like The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, maybe a little creepier, maybe a little darker.
Never-Contented Things is completely lacking in the political intrigue and intricate faerie culture that has drawn so many people to books like The Cruel Prince. This isn't to say that it's a terrible book, although it did take me a while to get interested in it. In fact, I would describe Never-Contented Things as more of a darker version of Coraline, that just happens to have faeries.
(Strangely, I also got Sawkill Girls (Claire Legrand) vibes from it. I'm not sure why. But I loved Sawkill Girls and Coraline was my favorite book when I was in elementary school.)
The first thing to get out of the way is that I didn't find many of the characters to be likeable. The two main characters, foster siblings Josh and Ksenia, have such a strange, codependent dynamic that just made me feel...uncomfortable a lot of the time. Their best friend, Lexi, who is also a main character, was probably the most likeable out of all of them, but I did find her to be a bit self-righteous at times, although objectively she was a very good person. The two main faeries, Prince and Unselle, had absolutely no redeeming qualities and, even more surprisingly, had much fewer spoken lines than I expected.
However, the character's personalities aside, I really liked the diversity in the three main characters. Ksenia is often mistaken for a boy, and while she does use she/her pronouns, she is very androgynous and is attracted to both men and women. Josh is also gender-nonconforming and pansexual. Lexi is black and throughout the book discovers that she is attracted to women as well as men.
Josh and Ksenia are essentially kidnapped by the faeries and taken to an alternate version of their town, one where they believe they have no hope of escape. However, Josh believes that he and Ksenia aren't right for the real world, and that staying in this alternate world will enable them to stay together forever. Ksenia is more skeptical, partially because while Josh sees her as the love of his life, Ksenia sees Josh as a little brother.
You know that feeling when you wake up from a long nap, and everything just feels...off? You aren't sure what time it is or what's going on, and you go through the rest of the day dazed and disoriented?
That's how reading this book felt for me, at least through the first 1/3 or so. That initially put me off from reading, and I was considering DNFing it. Then I realized how incredible it was that the writing could make me feel that way, especially since it was the way Ksenia was feeling throughout the first part of the book. The prose is absolutely amazing, and like nothing else I've ever read.
I decided to rate this book 3/5 stars, since I'm still kind of conflicted about my feelings towards it. It was definitely an experience reading it, but I didn't LIKE reading it. Like I said, I felt "off" most of the time while reading, mostly since it was creepy as hell and there were a lot of uncomfortable themes, as well as characters saying completely morbid things that generally aren't said in normal conversation.
But I did enjoy reading a book with completely unlikable characters, as well as the dark, Coraline-esque atmosphere, which was probably my favorite part of the whole book.
I love all things Faerie, from Melissa Marr to Holly Black. However, Never-Contented Things was decidedly darker than any faerie book I've read before.
I know a lot of people are expecting this to be kind of like The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, maybe a little creepier, maybe a little darker.
Never-Contented Things is completely lacking in the political intrigue and intricate faerie culture that has drawn so many people to books like The Cruel Prince. This isn't to say that it's a terrible book, although it did take me a while to get interested in it. In fact, I would describe Never-Contented Things as more of a darker version of Coraline, that just happens to have faeries.
(Strangely, I also got Sawkill Girls (Claire Legrand) vibes from it. I'm not sure why. But I loved Sawkill Girls and Coraline was my favorite book when I was in elementary school.)
The first thing to get out of the way is that I didn't find many of the characters to be likeable. The two main characters, foster siblings Josh and Ksenia, have such a strange, codependent dynamic that just made me feel...uncomfortable a lot of the time. Their best friend, Lexi, who is also a main character, was probably the most likeable out of all of them, but I did find her to be a bit self-righteous at times, although objectively she was a very good person. The two main faeries, Prince and Unselle, had absolutely no redeeming qualities and, even more surprisingly, had much fewer spoken lines than I expected.
However, the character's personalities aside, I really liked the diversity in the three main characters. Ksenia is often mistaken for a boy, and while she does use she/her pronouns, she is very androgynous and is attracted to both men and women. Josh is also gender-nonconforming and pansexual. Lexi is black and throughout the book discovers that she is attracted to women as well as men.
Josh and Ksenia are essentially kidnapped by the faeries and taken to an alternate version of their town, one where they believe they have no hope of escape. However, Josh believes that he and Ksenia aren't right for the real world, and that staying in this alternate world will enable them to stay together forever. Ksenia is more skeptical, partially because while Josh sees her as the love of his life, Ksenia sees Josh as a little brother.
You know that feeling when you wake up from a long nap, and everything just feels...off? You aren't sure what time it is or what's going on, and you go through the rest of the day dazed and disoriented?
That's how reading this book felt for me, at least through the first 1/3 or so. That initially put me off from reading, and I was considering DNFing it. Then I realized how incredible it was that the writing could make me feel that way, especially since it was the way Ksenia was feeling throughout the first part of the book. The prose is absolutely amazing, and like nothing else I've ever read.
I decided to rate this book 3/5 stars, since I'm still kind of conflicted about my feelings towards it. It was definitely an experience reading it, but I didn't LIKE reading it. Like I said, I felt "off" most of the time while reading, mostly since it was creepy as hell and there were a lot of uncomfortable themes, as well as characters saying completely morbid things that generally aren't said in normal conversation.
But I did enjoy reading a book with completely unlikable characters, as well as the dark, Coraline-esque atmosphere, which was probably my favorite part of the whole book.
Well this book had a great premise and some really cool dark under tones. This book also had some real unhealthy relationships and no characters that I liked. While I liked the LGBTQ aspects I just cannot recommend this book because it was mostly boring and just not enjoyable. It was well written just not my cup of tea.
Having just finished the copy I received to review from Netgalley, I can say that this book definitely scratched fairy-themed itches and left me a bit dazzled myself by the subtle depth of the story.
I loved the characters, the switching perspectives (in larger chunks of story, not per chapter, which I liked) really made me feel wrapped up in their narratives and voices. I loved that Ksenia was so complex and real - I loved the... well... chaos and mess that was her path through basically any relationship. Focusing on two foster kids added a much-needed grittiness to this genre that's been overrun by 'hot fae kings with brooding brows and messy, sexy hair'.
I'm not sure this book fits easily into a 'fantasy' novel description. It felt a little more like a gothic horror that cast a band of fae as their monsters (and rightfully so!) That's sort of the thing that's stuck with me after the book - how deliciously horrible and thorny these fae were. How inhuman and discordant they were written. With how realistic and refreshingly accurate I felt the human characters were, seeing this darker, messy, brittle sort of fae made them seem realistic too! Like other books were the Disneyfied version of faerie but this is how it'd truly 'go down' should they catch one of us.
All of this said, the book sort of had this strange ramble to it. I never felt like it'd be a DNF sort of story, but I found it sort of swirling and almost fixating a bit on moments that left me a little impatient. It lulled a little around the middle, as many books can do. I did feel like things picked up quickly at the end but were satisfyingly finished (in a not-too-perfect way, as the story requires). A lot of the action is interspersed with moments of deep reflection and memories, which can occasionally stall things out, but honestly, I'm not sure I'd change that. Introspection and dealing with internal demons sort of fueled the resolution of the book.
Overall, this was refreshing and haunting all at once. I loved this new, back-to-the-old-stories sort of book. The mix of modern situations and lifestyles with the darkest of old-school fairy mythology really worked well.
I loved the characters, the switching perspectives (in larger chunks of story, not per chapter, which I liked) really made me feel wrapped up in their narratives and voices. I loved that Ksenia was so complex and real - I loved the... well... chaos and mess that was her path through basically any relationship. Focusing on two foster kids added a much-needed grittiness to this genre that's been overrun by 'hot fae kings with brooding brows and messy, sexy hair'.
I'm not sure this book fits easily into a 'fantasy' novel description. It felt a little more like a gothic horror that cast a band of fae as their monsters (and rightfully so!) That's sort of the thing that's stuck with me after the book - how deliciously horrible and thorny these fae were. How inhuman and discordant they were written. With how realistic and refreshingly accurate I felt the human characters were, seeing this darker, messy, brittle sort of fae made them seem realistic too! Like other books were the Disneyfied version of faerie but this is how it'd truly 'go down' should they catch one of us.
All of this said, the book sort of had this strange ramble to it. I never felt like it'd be a DNF sort of story, but I found it sort of swirling and almost fixating a bit on moments that left me a little impatient. It lulled a little around the middle, as many books can do. I did feel like things picked up quickly at the end but were satisfyingly finished (in a not-too-perfect way, as the story requires). A lot of the action is interspersed with moments of deep reflection and memories, which can occasionally stall things out, but honestly, I'm not sure I'd change that. Introspection and dealing with internal demons sort of fueled the resolution of the book.
Overall, this was refreshing and haunting all at once. I loved this new, back-to-the-old-stories sort of book. The mix of modern situations and lifestyles with the darkest of old-school fairy mythology really worked well.
*I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, but this does not affect my rating*
How's that quote go from the movie Role Models? "I like the idea of it more than I actually like it." That dude was referring to soda, but I'm referring to this book.
There were certain things I enjoyed, including Ksenia's POV and her general character arc. I also appreciated the characters' diversity and how Porter covered trauma and the different ways it affects people. But I struggled with everything else.
Like in When I Cast Your Shadow, Porter delves into another weird brother-sister relationship (and by weird, I mean pretty gross), and it was like so much of the story was rehashing the codependency between Ksenia and Josh that not much else was developed. I felt nothing toward the fae-like creatures, who were supposed to be creepy and scary and strange, but they were just... strange. I think part of it was the way one of them spoke; it was like baby-esque gibberish that I couldn't take seriously.
I wanted to know how the story ended—out of curiosity rather than investment in the characters—so I skimmed quite a bit to find out. I think I just wanted a different tone for the whole book—more dread, more development into madness, and less quirkiness (which I never thought I'd say, but there it is). I do love Porter's imagination, and Vassa in the Night remains one of my favorite fantasy books, but this one was a miss for me.
How's that quote go from the movie Role Models? "I like the idea of it more than I actually like it." That dude was referring to soda, but I'm referring to this book.
There were certain things I enjoyed, including Ksenia's POV and her general character arc. I also appreciated the characters' diversity and how Porter covered trauma and the different ways it affects people. But I struggled with everything else.
Like in When I Cast Your Shadow, Porter delves into another weird brother-sister relationship (and by weird, I mean pretty gross), and it was like so much of the story was rehashing the codependency between Ksenia and Josh that not much else was developed. I felt nothing toward the fae-like creatures, who were supposed to be creepy and scary and strange, but they were just... strange. I think part of it was the way one of them spoke; it was like baby-esque gibberish that I couldn't take seriously.
I wanted to know how the story ended—out of curiosity rather than investment in the characters—so I skimmed quite a bit to find out. I think I just wanted a different tone for the whole book—more dread, more development into madness, and less quirkiness (which I never thought I'd say, but there it is). I do love Porter's imagination, and Vassa in the Night remains one of my favorite fantasy books, but this one was a miss for me.
Frankly, Never-Contented Things is a significant disappointment. Sarah Porter’s version of the cruelty of the Fae towards humans is neither original nor good. The heroes are weak, and the villains are boring. Ksenia spends so much time defending her relationship with Josh to an invisible audience that the rest of the story feels like an afterthought. As such, those elements Ms. Porter intends to be horrifying are dull, and the entire story lacks excitement. I found myself severely detached while reading it, not caught up in any character’s story enough to warrant my full attention. I finished it in the off-chance it got better and because I still really like the cover. It is not one I would recommend to others though. If you want stories about the Fae, stick with Holly Black, Julie Kagawa, Melissa Marr, or Sarah J. Maas.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First off, I have to say - I love a good faerie story. Not like a fairy tale or children's story (although I do like those too), but a real, dark, gritty story about the realm of the faerie and how twisted they can be. I was already expecting to like this book. Part of it reminded me of Tithe by Holly Black, and I think fans of that book would enjoy this one as well.
Plus look at how gruesomely beautiful that cover is!
The best part of Porter's storytelling is how well she juggles the different voices of these characters. There are three point-of-view characters: Ksenia, Josh, and their friend Lexi, who is trying to help save them. Each time the point-of-view changes, the writing is decidedly different. Lexi is more practical, Josh is more irrational under the faerie's spell, Ksenia is more conflicted. It was very well done and very well written.
I also like that this is a bit different. Ksenia and Josh get taken to the faerie realm, but in a different way than what I had seen before. Instead of crossing over a barrier and going to a different place, the fae world looks exactly the same, just . . . off. Different. Odd. It is a really creepy way to distort reality in this way, which is perfect for dealing with fae creatures. Porter has a very good way of describing things that is very poetic and beautiful, but also very unnerving. It all just works so well!
Speaking of, let's talk about the fae. We don't actually see them much, only a few brief times in the whole first half of the book, but their absence actually makes them a bit scarier. We know they are in charge of this strange new world, but we can't see them. They are just there, watching. The other creatures that we see are fae creatures that are also . . . sort of part of Ksenia and Josh? Pieces of them that break away? Not to give anything away too much, but Ksenia especially has to face her own inner demons almost as much as she has to deal with the fae holding her captive, and the combining of those two things made the story even more compelling.
This isn't for everyone, but if you like a creepy story about the fae and how they like to play with their chosen "pets," you would probably really enjoy this.
First off, I have to say - I love a good faerie story. Not like a fairy tale or children's story (although I do like those too), but a real, dark, gritty story about the realm of the faerie and how twisted they can be. I was already expecting to like this book. Part of it reminded me of Tithe by Holly Black, and I think fans of that book would enjoy this one as well.
Plus look at how gruesomely beautiful that cover is!
The best part of Porter's storytelling is how well she juggles the different voices of these characters. There are three point-of-view characters: Ksenia, Josh, and their friend Lexi, who is trying to help save them. Each time the point-of-view changes, the writing is decidedly different. Lexi is more practical, Josh is more irrational under the faerie's spell, Ksenia is more conflicted. It was very well done and very well written.
I also like that this is a bit different. Ksenia and Josh get taken to the faerie realm, but in a different way than what I had seen before. Instead of crossing over a barrier and going to a different place, the fae world looks exactly the same, just . . . off. Different. Odd. It is a really creepy way to distort reality in this way, which is perfect for dealing with fae creatures. Porter has a very good way of describing things that is very poetic and beautiful, but also very unnerving. It all just works so well!
Speaking of, let's talk about the fae. We don't actually see them much, only a few brief times in the whole first half of the book, but their absence actually makes them a bit scarier. We know they are in charge of this strange new world, but we can't see them. They are just there, watching. The other creatures that we see are fae creatures that are also . . . sort of part of Ksenia and Josh? Pieces of them that break away? Not to give anything away too much, but Ksenia especially has to face her own inner demons almost as much as she has to deal with the fae holding her captive, and the combining of those two things made the story even more compelling.
This isn't for everyone, but if you like a creepy story about the fae and how they like to play with their chosen "pets," you would probably really enjoy this.
I was very excited when I got this book but unfortunately it was not my cup of tea and it failed to keep my attention.
I liked the dark and atmospheric setting, I found it hat a lot of potential but it somehow failed to deliver.
The dialogue and some situations seemed forced and unreal.
Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.
I liked the dark and atmospheric setting, I found it hat a lot of potential but it somehow failed to deliver.
The dialogue and some situations seemed forced and unreal.
Many thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.