I was so pumped to read this book, because lately I’ve been so obsessed with faeries and anything that have to do with them, so when I knew that this book was about faeries I immediately added it to my TBR, and it became one of my most anticipated releases of this year, and I have to say that it was so much different from what I expected.

The thing about this book was that when I initially picked it up, I expected a story like The Cruel Prince, and I ended up pretty disappointed because it had nothing to do with it. In fact, it was entirely different. Though this book had very wicked faeries in it, it was more focused on the two main characters’ relationship and the toxicity of that love, and how these two characters grew throughout the story, and I really enjoyed that.

However, I had a lot of issues with the writing. There was something about this particular author’s writing that made me feel disconnected to the story, and though I was actually enjoying reading about these characters, I was engaged enough with it to fully love it. There was a big difference between the dialogues and the descriptions, and that made the characters at times seemed pretty juvenile, because even though the descriptions were flushed and creepy and so atmospheric, the dialogues were so plain and awkward, and even forced at times, and that created a huge gap between those two things, and that was one of the reasons why I lowered my rating.

Still, I adored our female protagonist. I couldn’t care less about the male character, but I think that our main character was so complex and interesting, and had such a great character arc and evolution throughout the story that even though there were things I didn’t enjoy, I was still interested in continuing with the book because of her.

Overall, this book had its pros and its cons. The characters and their interactions and relationships in the book were very complex and real, but at the same time the writing was a bit odd and I feel we didn’t get a lot of information about the faerie or the fae world, and that was one of the things that I was the most intrigued about.

I don't think this book was for me unfortunately...however I do think the blurb was incredibly misleading. Also the relationship between the two made me super uncomfortable..

So I gave this until about 30% until I dnf. The writing style just really isn’t for me, I couldn’t really understand what was going on completely and to be honest this has a foster sibling romance involved and it just made me extremely uncomfortable. I think this is a specific book for a specific group of people and sadly I wasn’t one of those people.

Sadly, this was a DNF for me. It's got a feel like Nova Ren Suma's IMAGINARY GIRLS crossed with Holly Black's books, which I thought was a sure win for me, but I feel like the characterization was lacking here. I wanted to like this one a lot -- instead, I just couldn't connect.

Received as an electronic ARC from Tor Teen via NetGalley.

My library purchased this title because both the librarian and I were excited by the cover art and the description. Neither of us finished the book, unfortunately. The title and cover were very misleading for what is actually going on in the story. While I love that the tale is interacting with LGBT characters and their personal journeys, I feel like the characters start to loose their depth as the story progresses. I think it would be a great title as a whole if it had been marketed as what it actually is. That being said, I think it would appeal to those looking for angsty, contemporary realistic fiction with a side of fantasy as opposed to edgy faerie with a self-exploration bent. Good book, just not the best for me personally.

I wound up DNFing this book about 40% through. This books is *not* appropriate for younger audiences, it should have been marketed to adults instead. The relationship was very toxic and super creepy. Just not for me unfortunately.

I am absolutely astonished at how awesome this was. I honestly requested it because of the cover. I am in serious cover lover.

But it was so rad. Everything written was lyrical and each perspective seem so different even though it remained lyrical. That’s exactly what you want when you dip your toes into faerie.

It was such a tragic and inspiring read as well. Inspiring and yet believable (even though there are monsters everywhere).

I recommend this to everyone who loves Holly Black and likes a bit of danger with their emotion.

Well, I finally finished this book after I started it about a month and a half ago. I wanted to DNF it so many times, but I am very obsessive about finishing books, and I also requested a copy of it so I felt obligated to finish it. I requested an advanced copy of this book because the synopsis was giving me The Cruel Prince vibes, and I'm interested in anything that might be close to that. This was not. I personally think the synopsis is very misleading, and if you look at the reviews a lot of people felt the same way. So a lot of people are going to pick up this book and be very, very disappointed, which is unfortunate because if this book is marketed to the right people I think the reviews would be a lot higher.

This book is about two foster siblings, Josh and Ksenia, who was a very unhealthy, obsessive relationship. As it nears time for Ksenia to graduate and move away from Josh, he goes to desperate measures to try to keep them together. There are indeed faeries in this book, but they are not even close to central characters. This book is more of a dark contemporary with magical realism, focusing on the relationships between the central characters more than a fantasy plot. I am personally not a fan of magical realism, so if I had known that I wouldn't have requested this book. I also felt very uncomfortable with Josh and Ksenia's relationship, but I believe that is how you're supposed to feel.

The writing was beautiful and lush, painting a strange world that left you feeling like something was off right from the start. Sarah Porter is obviously a very talented author. I haven't read any of her other books and I might not if they all have elements of magical realism. Overall, this was not the book for me, but I'm sure there is a very specific audience out there who will love it.

Holy crap this was DARK!
The synopsis originally caught my eye as it sounded very similar to Holly Black’s “Folk of Air” series, but trust me when I say the only real similarity is the presence of fae.
Where The Folk of Air has political intrigue and hate-to-love romance, this book has codependency and human nature as central themes. It’s raw, unapologetic, and entirely unique.
I think where it missed the mark was in the marketing - I know a lot of readers went into this book thinking it was a Cruel Prince-esque story and weren’t prepared for what this book really had to offer. I would recommend it for fans of the movie Labyrinth and readers with a greater capacity for complexities.
*I was provided an eGalley of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I typically LOVE Sarah Porter's books. She's witty and her prose are captivating. This novel was no different on the prose. It was beautifully written and often times extremely witty. Unfortunately, that did not keep my attention throughout the book. I take that back - the story was too weird too keep my attention. There was foster incest/violence and craziness abounds. Several times I put down the novel, only to pick it up again and find that I was still not able to continue the book. Perhaps I'm not in a dark enough reading place, maybe the subject matter is just a little too close to home, or maybe it's just too weird.

I feel like I will try this novel again, maybe over the summer - but for my students and my current mindset, this is far too twisted for my taste. I DNF @ 65%.

Yes yes yes fae! A love child of Cruel Prince and ACOTAR, I was so excited to read this and absolutely not let down!!!! You know this is definitely the book that will be all the rage and I was right!

Never-Contented Things was not on my radar to read, especially not after my first Sarah Porter book left me a bit unsatisfied. However, after seeing a review for this book that stated it had some topics that interested me, I decided to request a copy.
I am happy to say that this book provided a better experience overall than my previous read by the author.

Let's start by stating there are some trigger warnings that need to be mentioned: mentions of past rape and sexual abuse of a child, and unhealthy relationships.

While "enjoyed" isn't quite the word I want to use for a novel that is very dark, disturbing, and tackles tough subjects, it was gripping and impacting and made me want to see the story through to the end.
As a therapist, there were so many things that this book got right. The way that trauma is portrayed and how it continues to influence a person's life years after the trauma has occurred was spot on. Both Ksenia and Josh were dealt pretty negative cards, Ksenia even more so. And the foster care portrayal - while it was portrayed rather negatively (which is unfortunate because there are so many positives in the foster care system!), it was accurate to some situations I have seen myself. So you add a history of trauma, foster care, and then having foster parents who don't want you, and poor Ksenia was destined for failure.
Then there was the portrayal of unhealthy relationships, which is another tough topic and one that was well defined in this book. Ksenia and Josh have an extremely unhealthy relationship, to the point where Josh (possibly unknowingly) exploits it - which is where the plot really takes off.
The fact that there are faeries in this book is really just a plot device to metaphorically showcase how unhealthy relationships and trauma can impact you and your decisions. Ksenia latches on to the first person (Josh) that treats her well after having years of being mistreated, and Josh's own past traumas influence him to make rash and impulsive decisions that effect more than himself (without thinking of the consequences for everyone involved).
As a therapist, there was almost no way I could read this without dissecting it. But overall I was impressed by how accurate actions, reactions, and thoughts were given the history of the characters. Obviously I would have to advise against this book if you are someone who is triggered by the aforementioned topics, but otherwise if you want to give your brain a good thinking this might be a good book to do that!

No. Just no. I am not sure who the appropriate audience for this book actually is, but whoever decided this was a children's book needs to re-evaluate some things in their life most likely.

I'm not even sure where to start.

Well, let me start by saying that I made it 58% into the book before I decided I just couldn't keep doing this to myself. Because yes, reading this book was like an act of self inflicted torture.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

There is a LOT of creepy body morphing stuff throughout the book and this is not something I was expecting. It literally made my skin crawl, and not in any kind of good "oh this is so new and creepy and awesome" kind of way. No, simply in a grossed out "I might need to throw up if I read another description about half formed creatures changing shape and running around." These images are just soooo disturbing and as someone who has a sensitivity to body changing stuff like this, I did not appreciate how huge a part of the story this was. This was my biggest problem with the book, personally, although there are several other problems.

The borderline incestuous relationship for one. This was a terribly abusive relationship. I read a review recently that claimed it was not abusive, and I'm trying to wrap my mind around how one could possibly read this book and not view the main relationship as abusive. Josh literally kidnaps Ksenia, taking her away to a different world WITHOUT HER CONSENT, and then refuses to acknowledge that she's unhappy, and refuses to let her leave and gets increasingly mad when she shows she is not happy in any way.

Also, even before they end up in this hell, he refuses to take NO for an answer. How many times has this girl told him SHE DOESN'T LOVE HIM LIKE THAT and that she SEES HIM AS A BROTHER. And he keeps pushing and pushing and pushing. Eventually she semi-gives in because she's already learned in her past that her voice is going to be ignored, and this relationship is no different. So basically, she's a traumatized child who was abused and who is continuing to be re-traumatized and abused on a regular basis.

I'm not really sure what happens next. I stopped reading after some weird party where animals were literally beaten to death (except we shouldn't care because they're smoke animals so they're not real, except the description is PLENTY REAL thank you very much for that image now) and more human duplicates were abused and morphed, and Ksenia was further abused by basically EVERYONE. Then I went online and read some reviews and learned that it doesn't get better.

So I'll go ahead and skip the remaining 42% of this book.

I couldn't get into this one, I tried a lot but every time I start reading it I stopped.I didn't like the writing at all!It could be great book but not for me.

Never-Contented Things is dark, very dark. So if dark and twisted is your kind of thing then I recommend this book to you. The author has a beautiful poetic writing style even when she writes about real problems that most people would prefer to sweep under the rug.

Prince and his fairy courtiers are staggeringly beautiful, unrelentingly cruel, and exhausted by the tedium of the centuries ― until they meet foster-siblings Josh and Ksenia. Drawn in by their vivid emotions, undying love for each other, and passion for life, Prince will stop at nothing to possess them. First seduced and then entrapped by the fairies, Josh and Ksenia learn that the fairies' otherworldly gifts come at a terrible price ― and they must risk everything in order to reclaim their freedom.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review through Netgalley. I originally selected this book, because the summary reminded me of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. The title was also really intriguing and unique and the cover of the book sparked my interest. I was looking forward to diving back into the world of Fae.

The Fae world that Sarah Porter created does at times remind me of The Cruel Prince, but only because both books play on long-established rules, myths and legends about faeries. Porter has her own twists and spins on the legends, but, overall, is familiar. What interested most in terms of setting, in this book, is not the magical world, but the only Ksenia and Josh come from. It’s a small, fairly unremarkable world, but it and the people in it loom throughout the book and have a strong presence in the plot, which I really enjoyed seeing in a fantasy-based book.

Ksenia and Josh are the main characters of this book, since the plot hinges on them and they change the most through the course of the story. However, it’s hard to really call either of them protagonists. They’re both dysfunction and hard for the average person to relate to. They have a near-incestuous relationship that is difficult to read about, and an enterily unhealthy and co-dependent relationship. Josh, for me, was pretty much impossible to like, but others may feel differently. I did enjoy seeing Ksenia’s story arc and there were other characters to enjoy in the book, outside of these two, but since they are the central characters and I did not like either of them for the majority of the story, it was difficult for me to feel connected to the people in this book.

This book is beautifully written and detailed, but that makes the pacing a bit slow to start. And with this book being much longer than the others I’ve read so far, it was a struggle to get through. I did enjoy the prose, but just as it was hard for me to connect to the dysfunctional main characters, it was also difficult for me to get through more gruesome and dark aspects of this book. I had a similar issue with The Cruel Prince, but this book’s gruesome aspects were much different. While the main characters are teenaged, I’d struggle to suggest this book to most who love the YA genre, unless their big fans of dark, almost horror-like thrillers.

Never-Contented Things is a great book for older teens with a task for the dark and creepy, or adult YA readers who enjoy horror-esque tales based on legends. The book is beautifully written, but I don’t recommend it for those like me with a weak stomach. The characters are flawed and difficult to relate to, but for those who love the plot this most likely wouldn’t be a problem.

A dark and magical fantasy, but I wanted the fantasy and faeries to be featured more. While I did not dislike the book I did not love it either.

I have enjoyed every single book of Sarah's that I have read, and this was no different. It is dark, and magical and thrilling. I loved it. I love it when fairies are exactly the dark creatures that were written a long time ago. The plot twists were thrilling and the story, dialog and world building was just so very just like poetic.  My one thing would be a slow start for me. That is really about it. I found it great that the sibling relationship stayed so, despite not being related(foster siblings for a time). That is just more realistic. The fae world was just so magical. Sarah is a story magician!! I will absolutely reread this!

I received Never Contented Things as an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review:

WOW. I honestly don't know what to say. I don't know if I liked this book or hated it. There were times when both feelings occurred. I was so excited to start this because of the plot and also because Sarah' Porter's "Lost Voices" Trilogy is one of my all time faves. But the first 70-100 pages of this book I wanted to stop reading. It was so different than I expected and the concept of the fae were in so little of the first half of the book. Once we got more into the magical world of the fae I did enjoy it more and couldn't stop reading it. But it was very very intense and dark and often confusing at times. This is like nothing you've ever read before and I think for some that will be awesome! For me it was right down the middle. Can't say too much without spoiling it, but if you are looking for a typical fae court this book is not for you! If you enjoy intensely odd and strange books, this just might be a favorite.

I really really really wanted to love this book. It was dark and gritty and very emotional and the writing was beautiful! But for some reason I just could not connect with the characters or story. This is the first book by Porter that I've ever read and I've heard amazing things about her novels. I think ultimately this was a case of "It's not you its me." The story line is a bit chaotic to follow at times as the characters speak poetically and are wise beyond their years but then go and also go dumb teenage things. The contrast between actions and thought got to me more often then I would like. The way Josh treated Ksenia as well was emotionally abusive and manipulative and I just really disliked him as he brought more and more people over to their "fairy world" which resulted in them being dead in the real world. I got to about half way and found myself skimmy for the rest of the book despite trying to force myself to finish it.