“We Were Restless Things” by Cole Nagamatsu is a Young Adult fantasy novel. It follows several teenagers on a journey to solve the mysterious death of Lincoln Miller. Link drowned on dry land in the woods. The police never found a water source, but Noemi has. When Jonas comes to live with his dad in Shivery, he is drawn into the search for answers. Together with their friends, they face the dangers of the impossible lake.

This novel embeds the paranormal, fantasy element seamlessly into a normal world, adding intrigue and believability to the plot. There are five core characters, which I felt I came to know very well. Their relationships with each other shift and change slowly but drastically throughout the novel. The story is told from a captivating range of perspectives, including the main characters, an “Unknown” character and some of Noemi’s dreams. I liked the supernatural and mystery elements of the novel so much that I felt the characters’ family issues and relationship dramas were merely obstacles to the action. The fantasy element creates incredible tension but at the end of the novel, the reader knows all of the facts, with the magic of the lake clearly explained, the excitement and suspense are ruined. Unfortunately, there was also some swearing and inappropriate content which made it uncomfortable to read at times.

Cole Nagamatsu writes beautifully, with rich descriptions of the mysterious forest and magical lake wonderfully embellishing the reading experience. The atmosphere is dark and enigmatic, creating an experience similar to that of the final Harry Potter books. Paranormal occurrences are peppered throughout the story, building tension and making for a truly gripping read.

This book cover is GORGEOUS and that is what first drew me to it. The synopsis sounded intriguing and the book was also compared to The Raven Boys, which is one of my favorite books. This book was as lyrical and whimsical as I expected it to be and overall, I enjoyed it.

My favourite character was Noemi, and I looked forward to reading through her perspective the most. I really loved Link as well, even though he was dead. The writing style was lush and imaginative; the metaphors were beautiful. It was like reading a dream. I also loved reading the dream journal entries. They were beautiful and nonsensical (in a good way). They were definitely my favorite parts of the book!

This book came across more as a character study, which is not necessary a bad thing. The dream journal entries told us a lot about Noemi as a character, but did nothing to move the plot forward. I didn't see the point of Jonas having his own POV chapters since he spent most of his time with Noemi anyway. Though I think I might be a bit biased in my dislike for Jonas POV chapters because I found him particularly irritating. Amber seemed like a nice person but her chapters added absolutely nothing to the plot at all, though we did get to learn a bit more about her. Still, I thought that Lyle and Amber were pale echos when compared to Link and Gate, both of whom were strong characters I really liked.

Sometimes even Noemi's "not like other girls" narrative got a bit hard to read about. Even though I liked Noemi, I found it hard to believe that she's fun and quirky and different and that literally every boy in the story was in love with her. I did not like Noemi and Jonas' relationship AT ALL. I thought it was a bit unhealthy and that Jonas was pushy. It felt like Noemi was often rushed into making decisions that she wasn't ready to make yet because Jonas would constantly start with his "woe is me" monologue.

Overall, I enjoyed it and I thought that the writing was beautiful. I am a character-driven reader, so I didn't mind that the book had little plot.

I had high hopes going into this book. It is a contemporary fantasy, but I did not understand the fantasy aspect. I felt like the characters were very 2 dimensional, I did not connect with them and wanted more. The first 25% of the novel, I was very into it. Opening the story I wanted to know more about everything, I was craving to find out what happened to Link. I might have been going into this thinking it was more of a contemporary thriller and I think that’s were it fell flat. As the book kept going on it just kept falling flat and I started to not care about what was happening. I still will describe the book to others and let them choose to read it or not, but I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

This was such a unique look into a murder mystery. I don't think I've ever read one with a fantasy twist. It was definitely interesting and well-written.

This book is hard to encapsulate because it's a kind of story I don't see very often in YA.

We Were Restless Things is not plot-driven. The mystery of Link's drowning-on-land unravels not through clever detective work or unexpected twists, but rather in the strange minutiae of the lives of the people he left behind. Noemi, the prickly girl he loved. Jonas, the boy who never knew him, now living in Noemi's house. Amberlyn, Link's sweet-tempered sister.

This is ultimately a slow-burn story propelled by characters and atmosphere. I found Cole Nagamatsu's prose so beautifully evocative: the moon is eyelash thin, but the strange lake sprawls huge as memory. Worry and insecurity sow thistles in one's lungs. Each word feels precisely placed—and what the book lacks in action, it makes up in elegiac lyricism.

"He was unraveled memory, a history and a heart broken open, left new and naked."

If you've read A House at the Bottom of a Lake, I think you'll be familiar with the peculiar dread that haunts Noemi and her friends (and in turn, me) as they venture back to the disappearing lake where Link died.

This book also reminds me a LOT of Sarah Rees Brennan (her Lynburn Legacy series in particular) and Maggie Stiefvater's Raven Boys. Here, the characters live in the fictional town of Shivery, where strange creatures dwell in the forests and special festivals are held every winter solstice. Our protagonist is a quirky girl who takes no bullshit (like Kami and Blue), and she's accompanied by flawed, angry, insecure boys (who've definitely taken a few pages outta the Ronan Lynch/Jared Lynburn handbook).

I'm not opposed to meandering, character-driven stories, but it's ultimately a 3-star read for me because I didn't really love or connect with any of the characters. (Blue and her boys didn't do it for me, and neither do Noemi and hers—sorry!) I also found it baffling and a little unnecessary that literally ALL the dude characters in the book catch some form of feels for Noemi.

What sorta pheromones this girl be putting out and can we bottle some for personal use, asking for a friend??

Last thing I'll say is that it was pretty damn cool to read an asexual character (Noemi's ace) and have some wlw goodness on the side too.

This book was beautiful. Beautiful characters. Beautiful narration. Great writing altogether.

I loved the cover of this book. And the title. So, it LOOKED good before even cracking it open or reading the cover summary. I requested it at random as I was going through requesting books, and I'm so glad I came across this one.

This follows a group of teens, with two teens, Noemi and Jonas at the center of it all. There's a mysterious lake that they try to figure out all while coping with death and love and their senses of self. It's mysterious and suspenseful.

This is the type of book I would refer to as a quiet book. I feel like the narration is slow and measured in a way that makes it quiet, but it sucks you in. The narration definitely outweighs the dialogue, which makes all the talking that much more important. I feel like a ratio like this is difficult to achieve sometimes, but this book did it!

Nagamatsu was able to really develop every single one of these characters. There were no characters who got less attention than the other when it came to development. We got to see all their stories unfold. I think the characters were my favorite part of the novel. But this story was told so well. I loved it.

The beautiful cover, mention of a drowning on dry land, and the victim contacting his friend from beyond the grave were what drew me to this book.  I'm always intrigued by the supernatural.

It's not exactly what I expected.  The writing is incredibly lyrical and flows with some beautiful passages and vivid descriptions.  Noemi is quirky, creative, and loyal - all qualities I admire about her - and handles a conversation about asexuality brilliantly.  I'd expected the storyline to lean more heavily on the mystery of Link's death, the strange texts Noemi receives from someone claiming to be him, and the disappearing lake.  All of that was part of the plot, but another very large portion is made up of the three (four, really) characters in love with Noemi (which seemed a bit excessive) and her feelings about them.  At times, it seemed as if I was reading two different stories.  The POVs primarily rotate between Noemi and Jonah, but the inclusion of Amberlyn's POV in a few chapters puzzled me since they didn't add anything to the plot.

Each of these characters experience grief in different ways, and some of their conversations are emotionally heavy and brutally honest.  They'll make you think.  One character has an especially difficult life that tugs at the heartstrings, and I just wanted to hug him. 

With an unusual storyline, poetic writing, and slower pace, there's much to enjoy about this book, but I wouldn't recommend it to readers looking for an action-packed thriller as it sways more toward contemporary fantasy.  

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was drawn to this book by the beautiful cover and the blurb. Drowning on dry land? The CSI/Criminal Minds fan in me was intrigued. Coming-of-age in the wake of a death? Sounds like the kind of post-traumatic growth/mental health representation I live for. Indeed, the beginning was great.

Nagamatsu is an incredibly talented writer, especially in terms of imagery and description. The metaphors were fresh and lush, the scenes lively. Indeed without this, I doubt I would have finished the book.

The representation of an asexual character was refreshing, although I’ll go into what I wish was different about it later.

Other than that, the more I read, the more let-down I felt. I wanted to give this a good rating, especially since the author is a debut, but I couldn’t in good conscience give it more than a 2/5 stars.

What I wish was different: To start, the names were unique, in the bad pulls-me-out-of-the-story because I’m trying to pronounce them/understand them way. (i.e. Cesca, from Francesca, so probably pronounced Chesca. Noemi, girl Lyle, Gaetan, the last name Lake, despite the Lake being a big metaphor).

The imagery really was beautiful, but after a while made the story drag. Part of that was the dependence of the book on the imagery, with little plot/tension/characterization driving the story. The dialogue was just mediocre. There was nothing I really needed to keep reading to find out (its apparent very early on the lake is some fantastical thing, so what more is there to learn?). Similarly, I didn’t understand why I should care about any of the characters. Jonas was the closest I came to feeling for someone, but Link, for example, or even Noemi, I honestly didn’t care much about them. Part of that is they don’t seem to have concrete, tangible goals they are trying to accomplish.

I loved that the story took place in Minnesota, since I am from there as well. Shivery, MN was a great place name (its cold all the time here) but Galaxie was another too-on-the-nose metaphor/name.

Speaking of the asexual representation, while I appreciated it, and thought it was refreshing in the midst of a romance plot, some of the language used made me cringe. Over time, I understood it, but at the beginning it felt like the problematic trope of kissing/etc-despite-not-liking-it and not saying anything/saying no, as a reinforcement of women not stating, and sticking to, their boundaries.

As for the dream sequences, these felt unnecessary and aggressively literary. A former creative writing teacher of mine used to say that all parts/sentences should “do work” i.e. characterize, push the plot forward, or reveal themes. From the description it feels like these are supposed to be thematic, but for the life of me, I can’t figure out how or why. Similarly, what’s the point, thematically, of the book? I can maybe see the argument for “learning to love ourselves”, but how is this any different than any other book? And for the power of our desires? How does this appear? Also what desires? Part of what this book was lacking were concrete goals/desires for the characters to achieve besides the nebulous “find out about the lake”.

All in all, the author is, no doubt, incredibly talented, especially with imagery. I wish I enjoyed this book more, and perhaps would have if it stopped at about 1/4 of the way through.

What could be better than a strange mystery? Not much! I was really looking forward to this book as it seemed like a book I would really enjoy. A paranormal mystery, a death and mysterious messages? Sign me up! I couldn’t wait. Unfortunately, this book really did not work for me. It just didn’t read the way I would have liked, and I struggled all the way through it.

Mind you, I like books that are slow paced. Some of my favorite books are slow paced, but this book was slow paced and it had issues in it that I couldn’t bring myself to like above what I did. The first issue with the slow pace is there should at least be some sense of plot. There was none. This book meandered all over the place and didn’t seem to have much consistency. If it lacks plot it should delve into characters. Yet, it doesn’t do that either. In fact it was light on all those things as well. The slowness made the work even harder to get into.

I struggled with the writing style a bit. I wasn’t loving it, and I felt that some of the dialogue was stilted and not to my tastes. I didn’t enjoy those parts. I didn’t enjoy how the characters were crafted for the most part either. I felt most of them were flat and wanting more depth from them. I liked that different sexualities were explored, and truly appreciated the representation, but it wasn’t enough.

I did enjoy the creepy vibe that the book was giving off though. That was one of the few things that it had going for it. It felt creepy, but sadly, fell short. It didn’t keep me entertained and it didn’t keep me interested. Not to mention it flipped through so much time that it felt awkward to the extreme. I did not enjoy that at all. Time skips are fine if done well, and these just didn’t work for me.

Overall, the book didn’t work. I wish it had, but apparently this one just wasn’t for me.

Usually anything even bordering on fantasy or paranormal is not my thing, but after reading the blurb - a boy drowns on dry land in the woods - I had a feeling that I had to read this book, and I'm so glad I did. The 'otherworldly' element is hard to explain - it's almost like a character in itself, but is mild enough to not deter readers who normally shy away from the genre.

The writing is good, at times beautiful, and there was something about the web that Nagamatsu spun that caught me up and wouldn't let me go. Although I have to admit that at times I caught myself wondering what the theme was for this strange tale, the lyrical prose lulled me happily along to an ending that left me wondering.

This is a perfect twisty, creepy book that anyone can enjoy. The plot of this book was so fun and interesting to read about, I loved the family dynamic of this book and watching how they all adjusted to each other when moving in together. The relationship between Jonas and Noemi was super funny to watch unfold and I really enjoyed how they worked together with Link to uncover what happened. A super fun and interesting read!!

This book seem right up my alley as I love paranormal murder mystery and this one delivered. The mix of paranormal and real life was so well balanced. A good book for those days were you want something more dark and haunting

We Were Restless Things is a dreamy, atmospheric young adult debut with a literary bent and a eye for detail. Noemi Amato is an artistic teen living in Shivery, Minnesota and she has a secret. There's a hidden lake in the woods outside her door, one that appears and disappears whenever it wishes. That may seem a little concerning, but it's only when her friend, Link, appears drowned on dry ground that she understands the ramifications. Link died in the lake only she knows about, but the how and why are deeper questions she and her friends must solve before it takes someone else.

Told in multiple pov, We Were Restless Things is a deep dive into teenage dynamics with just enough paranormal magic sprinkled over the pages to keep things weird. The voices used to tell the story were all compelling--possibly only save for Jonas, who is a stranger introduced to a group of friends and the weakest link in an otherwise strong cast. The exploration of maturity from childhood magic to adult disappointment, and the ways we hide in technology as well as from ourselves, are interesting themes. Cole Nagamatsu's writing is vivid and I look forward to her next book.

3.5 stars

We Were Restless Things is a fantastical tale of a group of teenagers wading through life in the wake of a friends mysterious death in the forest of a small town. Our main lead, Noemi, finds herself experiencing some strange circumstances, starting with the fact she's recieving text messages from an unknown number claiming to be Link, the boy who drowned in a forest with no body of water. As she navigates between reality and her dreams that seem to be coming to life she begins to trust and rely on those closest to her, each processing and dealing with their own grief.

Going into this book I was expecting more of a dark fantasy thriller type of story but what I found was a lyrical dark fantasy. Much alike the writing of Neil Gaiman, I often found myself thinking of The Ocean at the End of the Lane, though there is a reason I couldn't quite push it to that four star rating. For the only part of this story I could not connect with was the main relationship. Not wanting to give spoilers this relationship simply made me a little uncomfortable and was the hardest thing for me to believe in (which is saying a lot when we're talking about a peculiar forest that seems to have a life of its own). While it did help discuss the concept of asexuality, which wouldn't have been possible without a relationship forming, I just couldn't take in.

For the most part I really enjoyed my time reading We Were Restless Things and that cover is still just so damn beautiful!

A haunting tale of a group of teenagers connected by the mysterious death of Link, who is something different to each of them- friend, brother, stranger. There is a nice blend of reality and supernatural, with the supernatural just under the surface for most of the story. On one end this is a journey of self discovery that follows several flawed teenagers. On the other end there is something about the forest, leaving you asking what really happened and who is really communicating with Noemi. The lake concept and the forest was truly fascinating, especially as it was more deeply explored toward the end.

I enjoyed the alternating perspectives that allowed me to get to know each of the characters more intimately. The links between them and each other were complicated and as unique as the ways they dealt with the loss of Link. I felt like the main protagonist for me was Noemi. The way she related with her friends was refreshing in its honesty. That said, Gaetan was probably my favorite of all of the characters, also for his refreshingly unique depiction.

This is a fascinating YA fantasy with a creepy tone and realistically painted teenagers dealing with everything from love to loss. I hope there will be more to follow.

Thanks #NetGalley & #Sourcebooksfire for the e-ARC

This book was not for me, but I could see others enjoying it.

The good: It was creepy, unpredictable, and character driven. It kept me reading till the end and I cared about the characters and was curious about what would happen to them. I also loved the representation!

The bed: the writing style did not work for me personally. The descriptors, particularly around romantic concepts felt.. uncomfortable? I found it really off-putting and it made me wish the characters would be less interactive with one another, because all of their interactions felt so awkward.

Last year the body of a young man (Link) was found in the middle of the woods. The cause of death? Drowning. The only problem? There isn't a lake anywhere near where he was found.

As the year progresses, the story follows Noemi (your manic pixie dream asexual), Jonah (her mom's boyfriend's son), Lyle (a girl), and Amberlyn (Link's sister). Noemi is haunted by strange dreams that she used to turn into haunting photographs. Jonah was kicked out of school and sent to live with his father (who is dating Noemi's mom). Lyle is trying to figure out what's up with Noemi, and Amberlyn is trying to figure out how to exist without her big brother.

Soon, Noemi reveals that there is a lake in the middle of the woods, but it only appears when it wants to or when she takes someone to it. Soon, she and her friends are drawn into a mystery surrounding the mysterious lake and the things at the center of it.

Okay, so I wanted to like this book a lot. However, I just didn't like it that much. To me, Noemi was very much the "manic pixie dream girl" who all of the male characters were in love with. She's artsy, she's smart, she's kind of a bitch.

Noemi eventually kind of gets into a relationship with one of the male characters in the book. And this is where I had my biggest problem with the story. Any time the characters are making out or being intimate/physical with one another her internal monologue is not giving enthusiastic consent at any time. She later tells the male character that she's asexual but that if he really wants to have sex with her she'll let him. She seems to think that the only way that she'll every be able to have any sort of meaningful romantic relationship with anyone is if she lets them have sex with her.

I also felt that the story began to drag on and at times I felt like I was reading two separate stories.

Received this e-book free from NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for an honest review! All opinions expressed herein are my own unbiased impressions.

Link Miller drowned in a forest, miles from any body of water. Only Noemi Amato knows the truth – that he was murdered. Link is texting Noemi from beyond the grave, warning her to stay away from the woods.

Jonas is sent to his father’s house after causing trouble at his old school, where he moves in with Noemi at the Lamplight Inn. Amberlynn Miller is Link’s sister. The three of them, along with friends Lyle and Gaetan, must find out how Link died and make sure it doesn’t happen again…

I’ll be honest; I struggled to get through We Were Restless Things. I almost DNF’ed it several times and only didn’t because I wanted to write a review. I love, love a slow-paced story of close-knit, found family friends – a la The Secret History or The Raven Boys – but a plot still needs to coalesce at some point…

Things I loved about this book: the title, the gorgeous cover art by Sasha Vinogradova, some of the characters, the LGBTQIA representation and the Lamplight Inn. And that’s where my love runs out…

Things I disliked: there was no tension or stakes…and really no plot at all. The characters were all passive, with the possible the exception of Noemi. In all, We Were Restless Things felt more like a character exploration piece than a fully-realized book. Which is great, but not worth reading 250 pages great.

The book is told in three alternating points of view – Jonas, Noemi and Amberlynn, but really could have benefitted from a single point-of-view. Noemi was by far the strongest character and all the characters revolved around her. In fact, every single male character in the book was in love with Noemi. Jonas, Gaetan, Link and the antagonist all at one point express their love or desire for Noemi, who as an asexual is uninterested in any of them, though she and Jonas have…something.

Jonas and Amberlynn were both passive characters, who I never really connected to. Jonas was alternately described a bad boy, a victim of bullying and a quiet, thoughtful boy, but he mostly felt like a blank slate. Amberlynn has a romance with another girl, Lyle, but the relationship is really glazed over and I have no idea how they really felt for each other. Nor was Amberlynn’s grief for her dead brother ever particularly palpable.

There was a weak antagonist who is not really explained until the last ten percent of the book and despite being responsible for Link’s death, never really seems scary or threatening.

Everything was sort of…vague…and grey. Amaphorous connections, gauzy, barely-there villain, flat characters and too many points-of-view.

I’m not sure I would recommend this book to anyone, but this is Cole Nagamatsu’s debut book and I think if she gets a handle on plotting, I’d be willing to try another book by her as the characters were quirky.

We Were Restless Things will be available for purchase on October 6th, 2020.

it's not just a pretty cover, as it contains an excellent writing style that wavers between flowery prose and captivating horror. In terms of idea and compulsive page-turning, this book deserves all of the stars, but I did find a few points worth mentioning, in case your expectations are not in the right place, as mine clearly were not. All of my criticisms are purely personal preference, so please do not put too much weight in them and instead, use them to decide whether this might be the right book for you.

The main reason this book didn't work for me were the characters. There wasn't anything wrong with them, not really, but by the end of the book, I realized that I didn't know them at all, which was the reason I couldn't bring myself to care about them. I rooted for them, of course, but I didn't feel it.

It gets you in with its beautiful prose and inspiring storytelling, with intriguing concepts and picturesque descriptions. I really enjoyed reading it until I realized some basic elements, like plot consistency and character development, were heavily unrepresented. As the plot moved further, I was only less impressed and grew more indifferent to anything that happened. The plot twists were dull and kind of expected, and the climax wasn’t really anything but another scene that I read with half-hearted interest. To be honest there are still a lot of things that I couldn’t catch up because they were insufficiently explained or badly elaborated.

There is such a stark, almost hopeless, beauty to this world. A casual kind of horror. A strange, uncertain, weirdness that you just can't look away from.

I’m disappointed that I couldn’t get into this one. It read exactly like an adult trying (and failing) to write how a kid would speak/think/talk