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A review by chapterswithrae
Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman
Did not finish book. Stopped at 52%.
Synopsis: An autistic half-faerie heroine struggles with her own identity while being swept up in a greater scheme with a magical team.
Highlights:
- As someone with ADHD, experiencing the world alongside Seelie made me feel very validated.
- I think the autistic representation was done well. The writing did not seem heavy-handed or forced. It seemed natural.
- I think Seelie's reactions to plot points and other characters made sense and were relatable from a reader standpoint. She grapples with being the "chosen one" as a changeling for the compass, which I think is refreshing in YA fantasy. It can be tiring to read so many all-powerful-teenage-protagonists, so seeing a protagonist be honest and open about her anxiety and fears towards her role was a fantastic chance of pace for this genre.
Lowlights:
- The pacing was very slow for me personally, and I found I was bored for a lot of the plot. To me, there are too many travel scenes. I understand is important for character development, but it did not keep me engaged as a reader. I wish there had been more action during the middle of the book.
- I am DNF'ing around the halfway mark for now, and I hope to return to this title in the future with a clear head. If I were to rate it at my current stopping point, I would rate it a 2/5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my unbiased and honest review!
Highlights:
- As someone with ADHD, experiencing the world alongside Seelie made me feel very validated.
- I think the autistic representation was done well. The writing did not seem heavy-handed or forced. It seemed natural.
- I think Seelie's reactions to plot points and other characters made sense and were relatable from a reader standpoint. She grapples with being the "chosen one" as a changeling for the compass, which I think is refreshing in YA fantasy. It can be tiring to read so many all-powerful-teenage-protagonists, so seeing a protagonist be honest and open about her anxiety and fears towards her role was a fantastic chance of pace for this genre.
Lowlights:
- The pacing was very slow for me personally, and I found I was bored for a lot of the plot. To me, there are too many travel scenes. I understand is important for character development, but it did not keep me engaged as a reader. I wish there had been more action during the middle of the book.
- I am DNF'ing around the halfway mark for now, and I hope to return to this title in the future with a clear head. If I were to rate it at my current stopping point, I would rate it a 2/5 stars.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for my unbiased and honest review!