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A review by cloaknquill
We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu
4.0
3.75 Stars
“The ocean crept through the trees and made them strange like a thing in a dream that tells you you’re sleeping” (68).
A year since the mysterious drowning of Link Miller in the forest, an eeriness still remains. Noemi sets out to investigate the forest’s incidents and uncover the person impersonating Link in text messages. Link’s sister, Amberlyn, suspects Noemi is hiding more than she has revealed. Can they uncover the truth or will the darkness take hold of another victim?
“... but he would still plunge into it, drown in a mouth full of milk and darkness, and the memories of where he was and when he was would seep from his mind and fall into droplets on his shoulders” (357).
We Were Restless Things features a grieving and bewildered Scooby Doo type friend group with a new-comer set off on discovery. The diverse characters all bring a different element to the plot while not being typecast. There is a romantic trope intertwined with the narrative. It is portrayed with a slight twist, because of that I wasn’t completely disturbed.
Although there are many POV’s, the center stage surrounds itself with Noemi. Pieces of her intricate dream journal are found throughout the book. Not only does it play into the plot, but it reveals more to the reader. A creative way to Noemi’s psyche without being told outright, especially since she is reticent.
“But he knew, outside the walls of the stable, the world was a Tesla coil, bright and crackling on all sides of him. Inside him the organs he couldn’t see or hear grew bright and crackled too” (229).
Nagamatsu’s imagery had its roots gripping me. I could almost hear the breeze rustling the tree leaves and feel the lupine flowers gliding across my finger tips. The setting is far more contemporary than expected sprinkled with fantasy elements which I adored. In doing this, the atmosphere played more to my attractiveness of the suspense and lingering questions about the plot. The only consequence is that it results in an overly slow burning plot which could feel exasperating at times. Every couple chapters, one can find a grammatical error but it is not excessive. With that being said, I did still feel myself being pulled to continue onward and tremendously enjoy this work overall.
“... she wondered how many rains it could weather, if the world could end and it would still be standing in whatever rubble of humanity remained.” (87).
Triggers: Death of a family member/close friend, Divorce, Self-harm, Suicide, Domestic Abuse, Homelessness, Grieving, Anxiety, Panic Attacks.
Recommended for those who enjoyed Maggie Stiefvater’s [b:The Raven Boys|17675462|The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573508485l/17675462._SY75_.jpg|18970934].
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Cole Nagamatsu for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
“The ocean crept through the trees and made them strange like a thing in a dream that tells you you’re sleeping” (68).
A year since the mysterious drowning of Link Miller in the forest, an eeriness still remains. Noemi sets out to investigate the forest’s incidents and uncover the person impersonating Link in text messages. Link’s sister, Amberlyn, suspects Noemi is hiding more than she has revealed. Can they uncover the truth or will the darkness take hold of another victim?
“... but he would still plunge into it, drown in a mouth full of milk and darkness, and the memories of where he was and when he was would seep from his mind and fall into droplets on his shoulders” (357).
We Were Restless Things features a grieving and bewildered Scooby Doo type friend group with a new-comer set off on discovery. The diverse characters all bring a different element to the plot while not being typecast. There is a romantic trope intertwined with the narrative. It is portrayed with a slight twist, because of that I wasn’t completely disturbed.
Although there are many POV’s, the center stage surrounds itself with Noemi. Pieces of her intricate dream journal are found throughout the book. Not only does it play into the plot, but it reveals more to the reader. A creative way to Noemi’s psyche without being told outright, especially since she is reticent.
“But he knew, outside the walls of the stable, the world was a Tesla coil, bright and crackling on all sides of him. Inside him the organs he couldn’t see or hear grew bright and crackled too” (229).
Nagamatsu’s imagery had its roots gripping me. I could almost hear the breeze rustling the tree leaves and feel the lupine flowers gliding across my finger tips. The setting is far more contemporary than expected sprinkled with fantasy elements which I adored. In doing this, the atmosphere played more to my attractiveness of the suspense and lingering questions about the plot. The only consequence is that it results in an overly slow burning plot which could feel exasperating at times. Every couple chapters, one can find a grammatical error but it is not excessive. With that being said, I did still feel myself being pulled to continue onward and tremendously enjoy this work overall.
“... she wondered how many rains it could weather, if the world could end and it would still be standing in whatever rubble of humanity remained.” (87).
Triggers: Death of a family member/close friend, Divorce, Self-harm, Suicide, Domestic Abuse, Homelessness, Grieving, Anxiety, Panic Attacks.
Recommended for those who enjoyed Maggie Stiefvater’s [b:The Raven Boys|17675462|The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle, #1)|Maggie Stiefvater|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1573508485l/17675462._SY75_.jpg|18970934].
Thank you to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Fire and Cole Nagamatsu for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.