This story certainly has a great atmosphere, but the plotline was a bit too disconnected in my opinion. I really enjoyed the concept of this book, but there wasn't enough there to pull me in and feel completely invested in the story. It could be a good read for the fall if someone enjoys a spooky atmosphere.

Intriguing premise and gorgeous prose. Ultimately, these characters felt flat to me, so it was hard to stay invested in all of their points of view. But I really liked the lyric phrasing and the eerieness of the setting.

We Were Restless Things is a twisted fairytale, YA, coming of age story. It touches on loss, friendship, love, and loneliness. I’d you are intrigued by the strange and bizarre, then this book is definitely for you.

I absolutely love the concept of this book, the synopsis had me hooked before I even finished reading it, and it did not disappoint. Nagamatsu’s writing style is poetic and imaginative. The book is told through varying viewpoints, and the mystery of Link’s death continues to keep you captivated.

𝚆𝚎 𝚆𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚕𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 is about a group of friends as they navigate their lives after one of them has died in a mysterious way. There is a magical hidden lake that only shows up when Noemi is around. Sometimes there is a lighthouse, sometimes there are magical creatures. There are text messages from the beyond and strange dreams that blur into reality.

I really loved this book. It was strange, mysterious, heart felt, relatable, and extremely imaginative!

We Were Restless Things follows characters who are exactly as the title says, trapped in a town suspended in time with people satisfied with being alive rather than actually living. While the premise sounds great, a fantasy mystery catalysed by the drowning of a teenage boy in the middle of a forest, it unfortunately fell flat.

This is a snail of a book, and it was a hard push to get through the first half to the more intriguing sections. This is exacerbated by the fact that the characters are not particularly endearing, to the reader or each other (not the tight-knit, rag-tag family of dreamers I was expecting), and it was extremely hard to form any emotional connection with them to keep me invested in the story. There were also several romances that seem unnecessary to me, and hindered the story.

Nagamatsu's writing is simply gorgeous though, with vivid imagery that is not so overdramatic that it takes the reader away from the scene, but evocative enough that a distinct, fantastical atmosphere was created. I greatly appreciated seeing an asexual main character in the forefront of the narrative as well.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed it were I younger, and more interested in this kind of story but I do not think I am the target audience for this book.

The whole feel of this book -- the cover, the description -- was haunting and intriguing and I was really excited to see how this mystery story would straddle the realm of fantasy, but I have to be honest, this book was not for me.

The story made me restless. It's not plot driven and it moves very slowly. In fact, it feels like the story doesn't so much move as it does circle around on itself in one place, lingering in the mundane daily lives of those left behind in the wake of their friend's death.

I like stories that leave me meandering about, clinging to their characters as opposed to the story itself, but the characters have to be able to carry that weight and I'm not sure if these characters did. I mean, they were fine characters, but I wasn't overly drawn to any of them, and I wasn't even sure what it was I was supposed to be getting from them. I figured that would make itself known the further I read, but the whole story was very murky, and everything was just sort of gray and blended together. It created quite a tone, it's very atmospheric, but I'm not sure it ever really became something more than that.

The fantastical elements were littered throughout, but it was all kind of the same thing, something we learn early on and then don’t really learn much more about as we go through. I was really intrigued by the mystery, and I think that is what kept me reading, but it was kind of a disappointment in the end as well.

I certainly didn't care much for the romance parts. One came out of nowhere for me, without hardly any build up or tension at all which made it really hard to care about. There was a lot of diversity in sexuality among all the characters which was great, but a glaring issue surrounded a really interesting conversation about asexuality that seemed to completely negate itself a page later. This was frustrating and just very confusing.

I'm having a hard time of putting into words what I felt about how this book was put into words. There were some really beautiful passages and Nagamatsu is clearly a talented writer, but I kept coming across awkward bumps in the prose that threw me from the story. Words that seemed to fall out of line with the rest of them, making me double back to make sure I read it correctly. This was more than an editing error, I don't think it was because I was reading an ARC, it seemed to be part of the written voice and I found it jarring.

I really don’t know what to say about this. My lack of words isn’t because my breath was taken away, it stems more from confusion and uncertainty and because of that, I have to give this a lower rating. I would be interested in reading something else by the author, but this book just sort of drowned me.

Thank you to NetGalley and SourceFire Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are exclusively my own.

An atmospheric contemporary fantasy.

Jonas moves to the small town of Shivery, Minnesota with his Father and his new girlfriend after being expelled from his old school.

Step-sister Noemi is receiving text messages from an old friend, Link, which wouldn't be out of the ordinary if Link had not drowned a few months prior. The circumstances surrounding Link’s death are also out of the ordinary. As I said previously, Link drowned… on completely dry land, away from any large bodies of water. It just gets weirder from there.

The story is told through multiple POVs. Some were more interesting than others but I guess we needed all of them to get the big picture.

I have to say, I really had to push through the first half of this book. It just did not capture my attention right away, and I found myself bored. However, at about the midpoint, things did grab my attention more. Reading this at night in my room by myself gave me actual goosebumps because the creepy factor was high (for my weak self anyways).

The romance seemed unnecessary. I skimmed through most of their “romance” scenes to be honest, although I did appreciate the asexual representation and there is a f/f romance.

I guess I was expecting more focus on the creepy murder aspect. I definitely wasn’t expecting the ending that it had… more paranormal or is it fantasy?? I don’t know.

This book was more about the relationships and bonds we have with others, and how those impact us.

It was an overall decent book, it just wasn’t what I was expecting …

We Were Restless Things is a young adult fantasy novel. Sure, there's your typical prom and homecoming mentions... there's also a boy named Link who drowned in the middle of a (dry) forest and a mysterious spirit that seems set on taking more lives. 

The story follows three friends on their quest to discover the truth about what happened to Link. While the premise was unique and creative, I got lost in some of the descriptive sections which employed unclear metaphors. (I received a pre-release copy, so perhaps the sections in question were changed before publishing.)

If you're into coming of age novels with a paranormal twist, give this book a read!

A group of three teenagers of someone finding the truth about a murder. Their lives intertwine and now they must discover how Link died in this fantasy book. I really enjoyed this book and thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

So I didn’t really like this sadly.

The beginning started off well but it kind of lost me in the middle and couldn’t make up for it in the end. The writing was fine but the plot was almost non-existent in that it was much more of a character driven book WHICH IS FINE I love character driven books. However, the characters here were somewhat unlikeable and I could not find myself to connect with them.

Like I said, beginning picked off and it sort of faded away as the story progressed. But very interested to see more books from this author because of the writing itself!

This would have been so much more powerful had this been told from one or maybe two POV, not all the ones we get here. I particularly liked Jonas' voice, his lost feeling as he tries to fit into the world his father has created and the house he's now living in. Noemi just didn't feel as real, to be honest, and I would have loved more about her photography. The mysterious lake and what happened to Link was resolved, but the very end didn't work for me (no spoilers). It all tied up in what felt like a falsely tidy manner, where a little chaos could have worked better.

eARC provided by publisher via Netgalley.

This book feels good on paper: an emotional premise, eerie writing, representation, and an excellent ending that ties into thematic ideas. I only wanted more ensemble cast, and maybe a bit less of whatever was going on with the romance.

We Were Restless Things follows the mysterious death of Link Miller by drowning… in the middle of the woods. In various ways, they all hurt from this: Noemi as she grieves for the boy she had feelings for, Amberlyn as she grieves her brother, Gaetan as he grieves his best friend, Lyle her friend, and new kid Jonah as he tries to find a place in their group.

The indisputable best part of this book is the amazing imagery. This book was eerie and the more fantastical chapters are wonderfully written. They rem

Noemi is asexual. This arc was by far my favorite in the book; she processes her sexuality in both healthy and unhealthy ways, depending on the time. The way her feelings about herself and more specifically, how people would perceive her, impacted her relationships hit me hard. When this came up between her and Jonah, it originally struck me as a romantic arc, but it’s really not; the focus remains on her development. I wanted a bit more out of her ending, if anything.

Some very solid positives over here. Unfortunately, this was not a perfect reading experience for me.

First of all, it’s a book that in structure does not pick up until around 50%. Until then, these characters are essentially just getting to know each other. This isn’t technically a problem. On its own.

But besides Noemi, none of these characters feel as if they have a significant or resonant character arc. Who are these characters? I don’t feel as if I quite know. But We Were Restless Things left me craving… more from its ensemble cast.

As we’re talking about the characters, I want to bring up romance. The dynamic between side characters Amberlyn and Lyle (yes, this is sapphic content) is solid and sweet. The other romantic dynamics… were another area. Noemi is, over the course of this book, technically lusted after by three different guys, one dead. Both of her romantic arcs are… frustrating.

Jonah and Noemi are a well-written couple, except when the premise of their relationship is so fundamentally unromantic. Yes, I understand that two stepsiblings who know each other from childhood are very different from two people who meet for the first time at seventeen. I get that. But as someone who has a stepbrother, one, this entire trope is just nasty, and two, this book uncomfortably leans into that element of siblinghood.

On a more positive note, it’s interesting that this book that was comped to The Raven Cycle also contains two main characters whose relationship is not based on kissing, though for very different reasons. It’s one of those accidents that would still make a wonderful essay about parallels.

To be completely fair to this book in criticizing it, I think I partially have shifted in what genres I prefer over the past couple of years. Had I read this at seventeen, high off my Raven Cycle phase, I’m fairly sure I would have enjoyed my experience far more. So if that’s you… this might very well be worth a try. It’s well-written, and though I wanted more from four of the five leads, they’re all likable.

This had some good parts. I just do not think I was the target audience.

“Whether the lake was rainwater or just difficult to find—whether it was a cursed ocean that only existed when certain people were around to perceive it, like the crack of the proverbial tree falling in a forest—the truth of it wouldn’t bring him back.”

Have you ever felt uneasy in a waiting room or a motorway rest area or a wide expanse of wilderness? Have you ever heard about liminal spaces? They are places of transit, places in-between other places and even in-between time. Now that you can get a grasp of the feeling we are talking about, you will understand the essence of this book. We Were Restless Things by Cole Nagamatsu feels exactly like a liminal space, like the very mysterious “lakeless” forest that drowned the protagonist’s friend, Link, and it is deliciously eerie.

Before this novel, Nagamatsu’s short stories had been featured in a great variety of print and online publications. All of her works are, in some way or another, linked to nature and the power and influence it has and will always have over people who dare to immerse themselves in it. We Were Restless Things is Cole Nagamatsu’s first full-length work and it is definitely a novel full of potential. Despite the book presenting the typical minor slips of a debut work, it has the strongest and most wonderfully gripping atmosphere in the YA sphere of the last couple of months. Cole Nagamatsu creates a sense of eeriness that becomes deeply unsettling in the best kind of way, and that is one awfully complex task to fulfil.

The dreamlike, oneiric contemporary fantasy, based in the strength of wilderness is very reminiscent of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, both relying on the power of nature and the unsettling aura that great expanses of forest give off. Nature is personified to the point where it becomes a character in its own right within the narration, something that is brilliantly disturbing and beautiful. In terms of the writing style, again, Cole Nagamatsu is a very promising author. While there is a somewhat overuse of similes, they do fit beautifully within the style of certain scenes where the fantasy she creates reaches its full capacity. This is especially the case in the fragments of Noemi’s dream journal, where Nagamatsu makes the most of her lyrically descriptive style and creates a whimsical ambience that truly takes your breath away.

In terms of plot and characters, however, the novel does fall a bit flat. The narration does not seem to follow a clear timeline, set of events, or a personal development of the characters, so their actions seem rather pointless and it is hard to know where the narration is going. Even though getting to the bottom of Link’s mysterious drowning is the driving force of the story, the characters do not appear to be excessively worried about it most of the time and so both the rhythm and pace of the narration also slip away. Consequently, the most compelling sections of the novel are those that focus on unravelling the mysteries of the forest and its disappearing lake, but they are spaced out in the narration enough to lose their breathtaking shine. However, the author does makes the most of the narration and dialogue to deal with extraordinarily relevant topics, such as the stages of grieving and accepting someone’s passing, coming to terms with one’s sexuality and the effect abuse can have on people and how they treat others.

Finally, in terms of the characters, the three focalising characters—Noemi, Jonas, and Amberlyn—are, paradoxically, the less rounded. It is quite difficult to establish a connection with either of the three, as their personalities are not developed to their full potential and their flaws, even if realistic, overpower them. At the same time, there is also no real feeling of connection between the characters themselves. Even though they all have varying levels of friendship, their interactions feel stiff and lacking a mutual respect for emotional and personal boundaries. This is especially upsetting in the case of Noemi and Jonas whose relationship is quite difficult to read, since neither Jonas nor Noemi herself seem to respect her sexuality—she is asexual (most likely sex-repulsed). In the case of Amberlyn, who could have been a truly wonderful character, which we can see in the blooming relationship she has with Lyle (Noemi’s best friend), she just feels like a ghost of what she could become. Her chapters do not seem to be connected at all to Noemi’s and Jonas’ and barely add any relevancy to the plot development. However, Link and Gaetan, who take more of a secondary role, steal the spotlight for the most part of the novel. These two characters are beautifully nuanced and mysterious at the same time, which makes the reader want to continue discovering more about their personalities and their past.

All in all, We Were Restless Things is a rather solid debut, despite having its flaws. Cole Nagamatsu is more than well versed in the art of establishing a convincing atmosphere and a setting where the most outstanding events can happen. There is no doubt that there is a bright future ahead of this emerging author, and we cannot wait to read her future works, where we hope nature will have as big of a role as it has in We Were Restless Things. We definitely recommend you answering the calling of the forest and diving into the mysterious lake of Shivery…if you are able to find it, that is, because its eeriness is mind-blowing.

Such an intense and emotionally provocative book. And the cover is super beautiful too--reminiscent of the book's writing.

After falling in love with this cover and recognizing the author as one of the mentors I'd requested a few years back for Pitchwars, I was so excited to receive this arc. I didn't even care what the book was about, I was IN.

I have found myself giving up on books fairly quickly. My TBR is way too big and I don't have much time to waste on books that I do not enjoy. That being said, I had to DNF this at around 45%. I did not feel connected to the characters or the story and I did not feel my time was well spent.

The first thing that struck me was the slow beginning. I pushed through that only to find myself still bored. The structure of the novel did not make sense to me and I was baffled as to what was going on and why. I thought I was getting into something atmospheric and creepy, but I wasn't feeling that at all.

I am so sorry, but I could not continue. Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review this title.

Okay, so!

Hello, bonjour, g'day.

I went into this book blindly, without doing research and going of only what I heard in the bookstagram world.

I heard great things like, it's a great thriller, you'll be holding on to the edge of your seat, it's as good as Karen McManus etc etc.

What I found was entirely the opposite. It was a lot of clunky dialogue between highschool students and about highschool and a death which had been ruled a suicide, but the guy was still sending text messages because he actually drowned in a mysterious vanishing lake....... I just couldn't with this.

For me, the characters were all so similar in their brooding, I could hardly tell them apart.

I'm sorry, I just didn't get it, maybe I wasn't in the right mindset for the book, because I was REALLY looking forward to it.

Oh well, as I always say, not every book is for every reader.

We Were Restless Things first captured my attention with the beautifully crafted cover. The tale itself was mediocre, inviting us into the mysterious death of Link Miller, who had supposedly drowned in a puddle.

I was really excited to be provided this arc that was part mystery and part fantasy. It's a true contemporary fantasy, in that it had mild fantasy elements but reads like a contemporary for 95% of the time. The writing is pretty, if odd at times. Toward the start of the book there's a description of kissing so long "her mouth tasted like raw chicken looked" and I just have no idea what that means. But in other parts of the novel, especially sections discussing dreams, the writing is very pretty.

This book has an ace main character who is in a romantic relationship and there's a lot of discussion about what that means for them and their partner. I am not ace and so I cannot speak to the representation but I loved the on-page representation and discussion. There's also an f/f relationship with POV characters that I can appreciate. A lot of the discussions that take place are important, aka toxic masculinity, male insecurity over body image, sexuality, loss, grief, unrequited feelings, betrayal, guilt, etc. All of these are dealt with in ways that I found to be thoughtful but again these are not things I've lived through so take that with a grain of salt.

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.

Unfortunately I am unable to offer a review for this book, I managed to read a few chapters of it before I realised that this book is not for me. It would not be fair for me to review it if it is not targeted at my tastes.

Noemi Amato lives at the Lamplight Inn with her mother, Matt Lake, and his son, Jonas in the small town of Shivery, Minnesota. The past year has been difficult; Noemi’s boyfriend, Link Miller is dead. He somehow drowned on dry land and his death is a mystery to his family and Noemi’s circle of friends. The odd circumstances of Link’s death are highlighted by a series of mysterious texts that Noemi receives from “unknown”, who sounds suspiciously like Link. Unknown is familiar with the details of her life and Link’s death.
In many ways, this is a novel about a year in the life of a group of friends. Many of the topics addressed will be familiar to today’s teens. Gaetan Kelly, one of Link’s friends experiences physical abuse at home and sleeps at his friend’s homes to avoid his father. Amberlyn, Link’s sister, is dealing with romantic feelings with Lyle (a female friend). Jonas continually grapples with feelings of not fitting in and being attracted to his almost- stepsister, Noemi.

“We Were Restless Things” seems awkward. That may be because it is difficult for a novel to do so many things well. It is an excellent contemporary novel but it also tries to be an atmospheric dark fantasy/ mystery. There are many beautiful passages that clash with the more mundane aspects of being an American high school student. The novel also takes a very long time to get to the heart of its mystery. How did Link Miller die??

There is one final consideration for school librarians who are considering adding this book to their collection: there is a fair amount of sexual content (none of it very explicit) in the novel. Library Media Specialists should consider their community mores when adding this book to their collection.

We Were Restless Things is a slower, more thoughtfully-paced book than I usually enjoy, but enjoy it I did. The writing was lush and evocative, and the characters were complex and well drawn. I particularly liked the character relationship dynamics in the story, and I think that is where this book really shines. The author is clearly very talented, and I'm excited to see what they write next.

Thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We Were Restless Things first captured my attention with the beautifully crafted cover. The tale itself was mediocre, inviting us into the mysterious death of Link Miller, who had supposedly drowned in a puddle.

What I loved about the book: Nagamatsu writes beautifully, creating images that make you feel you are in the setting and soaking up the surroundings. A broad representation of characters are represented and Nagamatsu creates a suspenseful fantasy that leaves me wondering what is beyond and ahead of the protagonist Noemi's, adventures.

What I didn't enjoy as much: Although I did find many parts of the novel suspenseful, I felt there was a lack of plot. Sometimes characters appeared sidetracked and dialogue didn't sound relevant or believable in parts. Most of the romance was focused on Noemi. All of the boys introduced had crushes on her, which again didn't feel believable or add to her character as a whole.

Overall, this was an interesting and entertaining read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for sharing this ARC in exchange my honest review.