Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Never-Contented Things in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 20%

This book is a strange one. I really felt like I would enjoy it based off the synopsis. I have an open mind and actually love a good twisted or dark story, but for me this just missed the mark. I read the first 20% of the book and just couldn't get into it. The world building is nonexistent and the pacing was slow. I honestly did not care about the characters even though it was clear I should. Overall, wish I loved it but I really did not. Maybe this will be someone else's cup of tea.

I wanted to finish this book, but I wasn’t enjoying it, so I decided to stop reading around 25%. I just. I tried, I really did. Usually I enjoy books that are different and have complex characters. But NEVER CONTENTED-THINGS just wasn’t my cup of tea.

Here are some of my thoughts and observations on the first 25% of the novel:

- The MC, Ksenia, kept on mentioning how everyone liked Josh and being around him. I don’t know if the reader should like him or not, but I didn’t.
- The fairies made one appearance in 25%. Although it was clear that their magic was present, it wasn’t enough to keep me hooked.
- Incest. Even though Ksenia and Josh are foster siblings, their love for each other made me uncomfortable.
- Josh states his love for Ksenia so much that it comes across as false and more like infatuation, or an unhealthy obsession.
- These two teenagers declared their love for each other more times than I tell my dog I love him in a week. Their love for each other was emphasized so much that it came across as tacky and unbelievable.
- “I only really want you. I was killing time screwing random people, until we could be together.” Words from Josh who is sixteen years old. Is this even normal for a sixteen-year-old? Is it really THAT hard to just wait until they can be together. I feel like this is another example that proves Josh is obsessed with Ksenia rather than in love with her.
- Exclamations. The amount of exclamation marks in Josh’s speech declared his ongoing enthusiasm and made me exhausted.
- The writing. Some paragraphs could be summarized in one sentence. I know it was to build the tension and the world, but it slowed the pace. Phrases like “that was when” could have been removed. I did however like the descriptions and most of the writing when it got to the point.

The only reason I would pick up this book again, is to see what happens to Ksenia. I liked her character, she was realistic and complex. I hope to pick this book up again in the future when I’m committed to finish it.
I would recommend this book to readers who are mature and like darker themes.

* Thank you NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Never-Contented Things is a dark YA fantasy novel by Sarah Porter. And, when I say "dark" I do not mean that there is an evil faerie prince in the story who falls in love with a human heroine. Porter's faeries are creatures of nightmares and pure evil. They are utterly devoid of feeling, and are more akin to the folk stories about them, heartless beings who steal human children in the night and replace them with counterfeit changelings.

Our main characters are Ksenia and Joshua, two foster kids growing up in a small American town, who very soon will be separated because Ksenia is about to turn 18. That is until Joshua makes a deal with faeries and gets both of them spirited away into Nowhere.

I have seen quite a few negative reviews by readers who received advanced copies of the book from the publisher. I honestly do not understand that. I loved this book. The plot was unexpected, dark, interesting and wholly unlike the cookie-cutter YA fantasy that is being churned out by the publishing industry nowadays.

The story felt like an allegory for being stuck in a dark abusive relationship, or a situation you cannot get out of. Ksenia, for all intents and purposes, is dead to her friends and foster parents. But she is very much alive and suspended in a parallel world of faerie where she is kept by Josh and his twisted obsession for her. She feels powerless in this situation because she is vulnerable. She was hurt and abused as a young girl, and is starved for love and affection. She also has an appallingly low self-esteem and feels utterly undeserving of love. Josh, under the guise of saving both them, robs her of her ability to make choices for herself. This is a startlingly accurate description of how a dominating abuser might be justifying the way he treats his partner.

Ksenia starts finding her way to who she is only when Lexi appears. Lexi is the one who truly loves her in a completely unselfish and genuine way. She does not see Ksenia as someone broken and requiring constant care. Lexi's ability to precisely voice her feelings, set boundaries and allow others and herself to make choices, fascinates me. There is a lot I can learn from her.

Overall, I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars. I took my time reading it and I enjoyed every minute. An e-ARC was provided to me by NetGalley.

DNF at 46%

I feel like I’ve been scammed. The synopsis of Never-Contented Things sells something that it’s not true: a fantasy story. So imagine my surprise when I started it and I found myself reading a contemporary book with magical realism elements. I don’t know who wrote the synopsis of this book, but they are misleading the readers. Because if I had known what I was really getting into, I wouldn’t have even requested the ARC.

I don’t like magical realism at all, so I think my experience with this book was doomed to failure from the beginning. Nonetheless, I tried to finish it. I really did. But then I decided to stop forcing myself to read it and decided to DNF it, because I wasn’t enjoying this bizarre story at all.

This is a dark book about two fosters siblings, Ksenia and Josh, that have an unhealthy, questionable and problematic relationship. Josh doesn’t see Ksenia as a sister and she, afraid of losing the person she loves the most in the world, tries to give him what he wants. I want to point out that the author condemns this toxic relationship from the beginning, but having to read how Josh tries to pressure Ksenia into having sex with him just made me sick. I know that was probably the author’s intention, but I still had a hard time reading that. Also, trigger warnings for sexual assault, parental neglect and emotional abuse (and probably more, but these are the ones I found before DNFing this book).

I was curious about other relationship, as I decided to read other reviews at some point—I needed to know if this book improved at any point. But even the possibility of a f/f relationship wasn’t enough to force me to finish this book.

As I mentioned before, my main problem was the magical realism. It’s just not my cup of tea and the setting and plot of this story was just too wacky and bizarre for me. Also, the fairies are mentioned in the synopsis as if they had a leading role, when the reality is that they hardly appear, at least in the 46% of this book I read.

There is one positive thing I have to say about this book and it’s that all the three main characters are queer. Ksenia and Josh are both pansexual and gender non-conforming, and I’m pretty sure Lexi is bisexual.

In conclusion, Never-Contented Things wasn’t my cup of tea.

This book just wasn't meant for me. I think a lot of people will enjoy this but I was just uncomfortable and didn't like anything going on this book. The characters were written well but the world and the plot were too drawn out for my liking.

Told through a variety of point of views, Never Contented Things shows us the dark side of fairies. So far we’ve been lulled into believing that fairies are these wonderful beings (looking at you Rhysand & Rowan) that we’ve sort of forgotten that fairies were once above and beyond feared. How people once upon a time were deathly afraid of changelings and of their babies being taken by the fairies in the middle of the night, replaced by sickly lookalikes. Never Contented takes us back to these times and Sarah Porter weaved a story where you’re not exactly sure who to trust and are left gripping the edge of your seat right up until the very end.

I knew from almost the second I started Never-Contented Things that the book wasn’t going to be for me. I ended up DNF-ing (not finishing) it because life is far too short to read books you’re not enjoying. So, after a torturous 24% I called it quits. And here are the reasons why:

1) The writing
The writing was overly flowery, and to be honest I think the word flowery is far too kind a word for what I read. I read passages that made absolutely no sense because the metaphors were so ridiculous. I read sentences about the sky apparently trying to swallow people in blue. I read things that I didn’t like and to be honest another 75% of this writing was not possible for me.

2) The “romance”
The romance was between someone on the cusp of 18 and someone on the cusp of 16. The almost 18 year old actually referred to herself as 18 so it felt like a huge age difference, and definitely implied a big power imbalance. Moreover, the love interests were foster siblings, and the 18 year old referenced, one multiple occasions, to her love interest as her brother. It was all just very strange and uncomfortable to read.

3) The promiscuous pansexual
If you care to look there are lots of people talking about why the promiscuous bisexual trope is incredibly harmful, and for the most part I think that can be applied to a promiscuous pansexual as well. In this book, the 15 year old boy character – Joshua – is pansexual. Points for using the word on page, but minus points for making him promiscuous just to “bide the time” until his foster sister would allow herself to be with him. Hard pass.

4) Literally everything I read
Honestly, there was nothing redeemable in the 24% of this book that I read. I disliked every second I spent reading this book and I wished I had DNFd it in the very beginning like I wanted to. But I also wanted to give the book a chance so here we are. There are just so many things I disliked about what I read that I could have a huge, long list of them but instead I wanted to keep it readable and focus on the things that really stood out to me. But this last point is a blanket one to cover all the other things I didn’t like about this book. For example, the scene where the main girl character is bleeding and a “faerie” girl laps it up with her breasts, all the while moaning and apparently having some sort of pleasurable experience from it. And how a “faerie” boy created multiple copies of a naked seventeen year old. I’m all for not shying away from sex and whatnot in YA but this truly felt like the author just made the ages YA appropriate but not the content, which is something that is happening far too often in YA nowadays. Authors, remember who the heck you’re actually writing for, please and thanks.

DNF at 30%

I really tried to read this book and I just couldn't. This book is more of a dark magical realism book than fantasy/fae. I really did appreciate that our main characters were queer and nonbinary. However, the sibling relationship between Ksenia and Josh was something I had a lot of trouble reading. I felt very uncomfortable reading about Josh's infatuation with his elder foster sister and the "almost sex scene" that occurred between them in the beginning. I also struggled with following the plot and the "not-world" that Josh and Ksenia were in. Overall, I was not enjoying the book and had to put it down.


ARC provided by Macmillan-Tor/Forge via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts and review.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39863312

First I want to thank NetGalley for this free eARC for my free and honest review.

This book was so hard to get through. In the beginning I was really worried about Josh but the way that the book is told through Kesina’s perspective didn’t work for me I had no interest in her as a character.

I thought that the fantastical elements to the story were fun but I didn’t find the amazing.

I think that there is definitely an audience for this book I just don’t think I am that audience.

DNF at 34%

I don’t normally do books about faeries unless they have Holly Black’s name on them, but that cover and synopsis really sucked me in. And I’m not sure how to review this book.

This story was a struggle from the beginning. I had heard poor reviews from friends, but wanted to give it a try. Pretty much from the start, I could tell there was something off about the relationship about Ksenia and Josh...and yeah it’s absolutely what you’re thinking.

Plot wise, nothing made sense. I mean, I understood the general idea of what was happening, but it constantly felt like 50 words were being used when 5 would have worked. For me, things that should have been given a bit more clarity were the parts that were ignored. If that’s a specific choice for a reveal or something down the road, I didn’t get to it.

From the part that I did read, I didn’t see much of the faeries, which seems a bit odd. Perhaps things would have changed for me if I would have continued. Sadly, it just didn’t hold my interest. I didn’t care for these characters or their journey and the overuse of the words “baby” and “chubby” really annoyed me.

FYI: lots of talk of incest and a few mentions of rape

**Huge thanks to Tor Teen for providing the arc free of charge**

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.

*** Thank you to Tor Teen for providing me with a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! ***

*** Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault (Mentioned), Violence, Suicide (Mentioned), & a Potentially Triggering Relationship (incest; though the characters “technically” are not blood related) ***

Wow. Where do I even start with this book? It was beyond bizarre and not in the way where you think “Oh, this book is so unique and interesting. It’s quirky/weird, yet fun!”. No. It was just straight up weird, confusing, and left me thinking “what the hell did I just read?”. I tried, I really did but I just could not get myself to enjoy this book which is really disappointing because creepy, evil fae! This was supposed to be awesome! However, that is not what I felt I got with this book.

Plot

First of all, this book is more about Ksenia and Josh’s relationship than it is about fae so for those of you that, like myself, were looking for a good fae time. This isn’t it. The fae didn’t even really show up until around the 25% mark and even then they were scarce. However, I will say that from what little we did see of the fae they were definitely creepy, manipulative, and downright twisted. And honestly that, to me, is fae at their best because I love the creepy, twisted ones!

Normally I could still enjoy a book that focuses more on the characters and their relationships than what I expected, but Ksenia and Josh were a huge no-no for me. This is where I’d like to discuss one of the trigger warnings I left above: incest. Ksenia and Josh are foster siblings and not blood related, however, I believe it’s the thought that counts here. Their relationship just felt icky to me while reading and I did NOT get this impression from the synopsis, but maybe that’s just me. I was expecting a brother/sister relationship….not whatever this was. Ksenia states repeatedly that she thinks of Josh as a brother and tries to keep their relationship this way but Josh is persistent (and honestly a bit obsessed) until she gives in. Which was also very disturbing and not to mention extremely unhealthy.

On top of that the story felt very convoluted and confusing, there were magic bits here and fae there trying to be weaved in but overall failing. Everything felt so messy. When the magical elements first started popping up in the book I was excited, finally something was happening! But then it felt like it was just strange for the sake of being strange, nothing is ever explained or expanded on. No world building or anything, which is always disappointing when fantastical elements are introduced into a book.

I also thought the pacing was a bit off and leaned more towards the slower side and there wasn’t any action or twists to speak of. Overall it’s more of a character study which can still propel a book forward when done right but for me left something to be desired.

I will say that I did like the writing and it was really good, anything that can get me to read through this mess of a plot definitely deserves credit that’s for sure. I will give Sarah Porter’s other book “Vassa in the Night” a try and hopefully will have better luck there.

Characters

The characters are the main focus of the book and we get POVs from all three of the main characters: Ksenia, Josh, and Lexi. Ksenia and Josh are foster siblings and Lexi is one of their best friends but she doesn’t really come into play until later in the story. I will say that the characters definitely have a lot of complexity and are very flawed which made them all the more interesting and relatable.

Ksenia came from a broken family and suffered at the hands of people in previous foster homes, she found solace in her foster brother, Josh, at her new foster home. However, a lot of people do not like her because she comes off as “cold and aloof” but really it’s more of a defense mechanism. She’s described as being androgynous and also having acne, I thought I’d mention that because it’s really refreshing to have a heroine/main character who isn’t perfect and is realistic. Trust me, acne is something I can relate to! I didn’t really care for Ksenia right away but as the story continued she really grew on me and I could definitely sympathize with her character.

Josh on the other hand I didn’t really care for but he had a way of making you not outright hate him either. He’s described as being chubby and pansexual, he also dresses very flamboyantly with colored hair and plenty of glitter eyeliner, which I loved! However, Josh comes off a little strong. He has plenty of friends and quite literally everyone loves him and he’s very kind, BUT, he’s obsessed with Ksenia. He would do anything to have her and keep her, which you find out while reading. This is why I didn’t end up liking him a whole lot: he basically pushes Ksenia out of her comfort zone and I was not comfortable with that. Yes, he’s got a lot going but I don’t think it excuses pushing the boundaries that Ksenia chose to put up.

Then last but not least we have Lexi who was probably my favorite character. She’s a POC and is described as being non-white and is bisexual/pansexual (it’s not stated which she specifically identifies as). I was pleasantly surprised by her since I originally thought her to just be a background character, but she proved to be much more than that! Lexi is such a strong character and I loved how she stood up not only for herself and her choices but for others and theirs as well. There are a few scenes that really resonated with me; Lexi at one point is walking away from an argument with her boyfriend and he grabs her arm to prevent her from doing so and tells him to let go to which they both respond with:

“Will you listen to me, if I let go? Just for a minute?”
“My freedom is not something you can bargain with.”

I thought this was just such a powerful scene and I loved and respected Lexi for being strong and standing up for herself like this. There’s also another scene where she defends Ksenia when some high schoolers are making rude comments and gossiping about her. Lexi doesn’t care about Ksenia and Josh’s backgrounds or the fact that they are foster kids, she sees them as equals and treats them as such.

Overall I did enjoy the characters and how they developed throughout the story BUT it just wasn’t enough to make up for the strange, convoluted plot line.

Romance

I’ve already mentioned it a few times but I did not like the overall romance in this book. It focuses mainly on the relationship between Ksenia and Josh and it’s border line incest, in my opinion. Ksenia has put up boundaries and tells Josh she sees him as a brother and he should treat their relationship accordingly. However, Josh is constantly trying to push these boundaries and enter a romantic relationship with Ksenia to which she eventually relents. I didn’t care for that at all, if Ksenia says she wants their relationship to remain un-romantic then Josh should have respected her wishes if he truly loved and cared about her. However, the relationship was consensual. I just didn’t like how they went about getting there.

I found their relationship to overall be very unhealthy not only because of their foster situation as “siblings” under the same roof but because of how Josh pursued Ksenia. He wanted to keep her all to himself and goes to great lengths to do so, I won’t mention exactly because I want to keep the review spoiler free. Just know it definitely is not a healthy, normal relationship.

There is an F/F relationship that blossoms towards the end of the story that I liked MUCH better and it was also much healthier. I won’t mention specifics because, again, I’d like to avoid spoilers!

In Conclusion

What I Loved:

Creepy, twisted Fae (though I didn’t get enough of them)
Good writing
Complex, developed characters (mostly Lexi, who was a total badass)
Diversity (Including POC and LGTBQ+ characters)
F/F romance, later in the story

What I Didn’t Love:

Bizarre, convoluted, confusing story
Not enough Fae
Not any world building, not enough magical/fantastical elements
Slow paced
Unhealthy, border line incestuous relationship

Recommend?

I can’t say I really recommend this but for the right reader it could be an enjoyable story, especially if you like strange, dark character studies with a little Fae mixed in. However, if you’re looking for a story strictly for the Fae there really isn’t much here. I personally could not get past the relationship the book chose to focus on.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Never-Contented Things in exchange for an honest review!

DNF @ 20%

Did I just awaken from a fever dream? Never-Contented Things was so off the wall that I still have no idea what I just read.

The cover was really what drew me into this book, but that definitely wasn't enough to keep me in. I really wanted to love this book; I wanted to be in the minority of people who reviewed this. But, alas, Never-Contented Things definitely wasn't for me.

I'm not going to stress too much on the writing-style, because after awhile I adjusted to it; but it was very iffy in the beginning. The characters really weren't that great -- I didn't care for Ksenia at all. & her foster-brother, Josh, was fine in the beginning. I loved that he was glamorous & extravagant, but after awhile I just ended up annoyed by his neediness & obsession with Ksenia.

The main thing that I couldn't deal with was the incestuous vibes. Granted, Ksenia & Josh are not blood-related, but it was written in a way that made me so extremely uncomfortable. It probably didn't help how often it was mentioned that it was practically incest & that Ksenia acknowledged it as such.

The last chapter that I read -- the chapter that really made me set this book down -- had me so disturbed, and not in the way that I typically enjoy (when I watch or read something in the horror genre). It felt very rape-y & I just.. I couldn't do it, friends.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The two words to most accurately describe this book? Creepily Strange.
While this book never names them, the antagonists in this book are fae, and this book is them what I would consider their most natural. These are most the shining elves or the misunderstood that can change from love. These fae may have human shape, but they are most definitely not human. And yet, this book is not about the fae.

This is a book about Ksenia, Josh, and Lexi. All three have their own parts-- sections of the book told from their point of view. One fae does get a chapter, but while it lead to the gritty atmosphere, I'm not sure if it did anything for the book. All three main characters are changed in someway and they grow, for the most part. Understanding why they had to change, is the basis for this book, I feel.

So, let me talk about the characters.
I adore Lexi. She isn't propped up as a main character until her section comes about. Until then, I just thought she'd be another background character. Lexi is a champion for consent in all things and everyone being allowed choices. She is presented as not-white, because of she father's lifestory, she understands her middle-class privilege, and she's not down with mean-spirited gossip. Lexi is one of the most woke characters I've ever read and honestly she even opened my eyes. The below lines are just one of the few moments that feel seared into my mind.
<i><b>“Will you listen to me, if I let go? Just for a minute?”
“My freedom is not something you can bargain with.”</b></i>

Ksenia took a while to grow on me, but wow did I feel for this girl. She's a foster kid with lots of baggage who doesn't open up completely to anyone, not even herself. There is so much I wish to say about Ksenia, but I can't without spoiling things. Her growth though, or how it comes about, is heartbreaking.

Josh out of all three is the one I don't really like, but at the same time I can't NOT like him. His kindness, warmth, and radiance truly shine through the pages. He is the light by which Ksenia's character is somewhat defined by, and therein lies some of the problems that come about. I can't blame him for anything that happens, you can only hope that he'll get therapy to help. What comes about because of his decisions, what happens to Ksenia and him is what almost brought me to tears. Because truly, I was able to connect to these characters and even though I wasn't enthralled with his section, he is a character you just want to see happy.

There are some LGBTQA themes here and while this most definitely isn't a romance novel, there is a slight romantic edge to this book. tFYI, there is no straight up sex in this novel, but it is mentioned and there is kissing.
See, this book is about looking deeply at yourself and also about love in it's different forms-- good and bad.

This book has a creepy feel to it with the bizarre things that happen. It is darkly atmospheric and while I wasn't always 100% hooked, the writing is really well done; I always wanted to know how it would end.
I'd recommend this to people who like darker books and are looking for something a little strange.

If I was giving out awards for beautiful book covers, you can bet that Never-Contented Things would be getting one. The cover is absolutely striking, and immediately gave me an impression of the sort of story that it would have.
Never-Contented Things was written by Sarah Porter, and it’s an interesting shift on the whole fae/changeling/human dynamic. That’s not to say that the typical hierarchy isn’t there, because it absolutely is. More that the perspective is different. Everything is from the human side, and it really makes you realize just how hard it could be to identify fae actions.
Warnings: Two of the main characters in this novel are foster children. One of them had a pretty horrible life before she ended up where she did. Her backstory starts out as hinting, but will eventually outright state the fact that she was raped. There are no details, but it does come up from time to time. And it results in a few uncomfortable scenes. Also, like any true fae story, there are some kidnappings that occur throughout. That’s probably more expected though.
Never-Contented Things was such a different experience to read. It had fae, and I believe changelings as well, and of course there were plenty of humans. Together it was and always is a recipe for disaster. Yet Sarah Porter managed to make her telling unique, despite the rules she based it on.
The whole story is set in this perspective you don’t really get when it comes to fae stories, and I love that. I spent half the novel trying to convince myself that I wasn’t imagining things, and the other half worrying about how they would get out of their situation.
I loved the different perspective on this tale. If I could get more stories like this, I would be thrilled. There are big bad fae as well, and not the type that appears to be bad, but are truly nice on the inside. I mean they are truly horrible creatures, through and through. It’s refreshing that Porter stuck to her guns there.
I’ll admit that at times the novel did drag on more than was needed. The subtlety was appreciated at first – it was refreshing not just seeing the fae jump out and go ‘boo!’ to the main characters. But after a while I found myself wondering if they would ever actually see them - which might make for an interesting book, but it’d have to be done carefully.
There was a lot of raw human nature in this book, both the good and the bad. I actually loved the juxtaposition between all the human emotions and reactions and the fae just doing their thing. It added a complexity to the world that I hadn’t expected.
It took me a while to become attached to the main perspectives in this novel, but it did happen. Once I was invested in what was happening to them, I couldn’t stop myself from worrying and theorizing about what was going to happen next.
The ending came as a bit of a relief to me. I was happy to see how everything played out – especially since not everyone got what they wanted. Likewise, not everyone got what they deserved…but that’s to be expected. Life is hardly ever that clean, especially when the fae have become involved.

Never-Contented Things is a book that is dark and has horror vibes and I loved it. I am always in the mood for a book on the fae and because NCT is by Sarah Porter I knew that I was in for a dark, wild and whimsical ride and I was not disappointed.

I was surprised my this book. I knew the story had fae and I thought that the story would be centered on them more than it actually was. NCT is character centered, not the infamous magical creatures that are dangerous and deadly. Don't get me wrong they are still dangerous and deadly, actually frighteningly so but the story doesn't revolve around them and their magic. The story centers on primarily on Ksenia her foster-brother, Joshua but on others and their relationships as well.

The story is very character driven and takes a deep look at different types of relationships and teaches how one relationship can be viewed in many different ways. How people can see the world in different ways. The book does have some darker themes, the emotional damage that can be traumatic for a child, the foster-care system, how one actually sees themselves, how dark the world can be for some and not others and so on.

Don't get me wrong the fae are very much in the story and they are just as dangerous as you can imagine and the things that happen... at one point shit just gets crazy and it's a little bit of a horror show. They have their magic and create fantastical things all the while being evil incarnate. And while they may not be the fae that I am use too they are still at their very core fae and I love it.

Sarah has written such a wonderful book and I don't think I am doing it justice in this review. It's so different, a little weird and marvelous. I loved reading the story and I felt so invested in Ksenia, what would happen to her and the others, what would her life be like if she can change things around. The story kept my interest all the way through and there was no way I could predict to were the story was headed or how it was going to end. I admit the ending left me a little sad but that is okay sometimes because not everything is meant for a perfect ending and this story is a great teacher of that.

Overall 3.75 stars

Knesia and Josh. I initially thought this was going to be their love story, I realized too late that it wasn't. This book is set in a normal town, with normal high school kids issues. Knesia is the outcast, she has lived a hard life and is the foster kid in town. Josh is her foster brother he is a little different, a bit of an outcast, but is generally liked. Unfortunately he loves Knesia and this love borders on obsessive. However it passes obsession very quickly, and it is scary to see how Knesia can't seem to see what is happening to her.

The author can write, very well. The pages are beautifully written, I could read her writing all day long. However this one just isn't for me. The story it self bounced around a little too much for me, and at some points I didn't know who was talking or who's POV the chapter was from. That could just be the ebook copy.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest review.

DNF around 20%

I hate doing this - especially an ARC - but the few chapters I read made me feel so unconfortable. The characters are boring and wasn't invested with the story.

Perhaps I was expecting something different (like, it seems, everybody else) but this does not change the fact that this book is so cringy.

Anyway, thank you Netgalley.

*Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for honest review*

Man I had such high hopes for this book. I was drawn in with the cover and premise of the book from the blurb. Unfortunately it wasn't an exact fit for me. I was definitely an interesting book, but not my personal favorite. This doesn't mean you won't like it, so don't be deterred. I just couldn't get into it fully.

I read the blurb of this and had just finish Wicked King so knew I was ready for more of the dark fairy scene. I enjoyed the first 1/2 but then my interest faded, it was just a little to... hmm.. I think I needed more details and explanations. I would have really liked more of the story telling aspect, but it also needed more flow.

Overall just not my favorite book. BUT AGAIN this is just me and you might fall completely in love with it!

I will not be writing a full review of this book on goodreads as I had to DNF it about 25%

This book is so problematic, for so many reasons, I can't even begin to describe it. I thought it would be right up my alley with a dark story and faeries but the pseudo incest, sexual assault, and over all weirdness of this book made me so incredibly uncomfortable that I could not read any more of it.

I'm an adult female, and I am surprised this is marketed as a YA novel.