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lifewithnoplot 's review for:
Never-Contented Things
by Sarah Porter
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.