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I was excited and nervous to jump into this book. I'm autistic and had no idea (other than knowing I was different than others) until I was a young adult. I'm also a mother raising an autistic son. When I first read about this book being written by an autistic author about an autistic main character in my very favorite genre, fantasy, I worried. I worried it would be a stereotype in a lot of ways. You'd have an overly brilliant main character with an inability to understand situations, zero empathy, or a complete inability to be understood. It's what you see in almost all representations and its not only insulting, but disheartening. This author did NOT go the stereotypical route with Seelie and I'm thankful. I'm even more thankful NetGalley gave me the opportunity to read this book before it came out into the world and gave someone like me a chance to review it honestly.

Was this the perfect book? Nope. Were the characters perfect? Another nope. Was this everything I could ever hope for in terms of representation and understanding for autistic individuals? Heck no. No book is perfect, no characters are written exactly the way you dream, and there isn't a single book, movie, etc. that will ever fully represent what it means to be autistic in a world which isn't built for you... not even a fantasy world.

Did I devour this book in 24 hours? Yes, Yes I did. Did I enjoy it? Definitely. Did I see myself in Seelie? Most certainly. Did I die a little when I got to the end and wished for another 300 pages? Heck yes. This book was slow to start and the pacing is never "fast", but it enfolds in an unhurried, natural kind of way I don't read a lot. I found myself hooked to this story and desperate to find out all the little secrets and backstories of the characters. I really enjoyed this book and sadly, I don't always enjoy the books I fall into. I have been known to rage at characters, to nit pick every plot hole until it ruins the book, and usually end the book disappointed because I never felt a moment of surprise... but this book wasn't any of those. It was a peaceful, exciting, reprieve from reality and I loved it.

Now, to talk about the actual plot of the book without giving anything away. We have a typical four person main cast of characters:
Seelie - our main character, who is autistic in a world without a diagnosis for being "different". She's right on the cusp of adulthood, but still about naïve (not ever in a way that feels like the author is condescending, but just in a naturally sheltered sort of way). Seelie is also a changeling with a strong ability for magic. Where and how she has this magic isn't really delved into, but it's because Seelie has tried to ignore her magic for as long as she's lived. You are in her head throughout the story, so you know what she knows and it isn't very much about her world, magic, or the past of the faeries of either court. She picks up information from the people she ends up around, but it is still just a tiny snippet and I'm desperate for more and I feel like by the end of the book, so is Seelie. As far as autistic representation, I am very similar to Seelie. I struggle with eye contact, I struggle with being overstimulated, I lose my ability to form words, I constantly fidget, and I crave routine and constants in my life. So, while she is far and away from a representation of all autistic lives, she was an amazing one for my own and I not only cared about her, I related to her on a soul deep level. Seelie isn't perfect, but neither am I and I enjoyed her so much more for all her imperfect bits than her magic and power.
Isolde (Sol) - the other half of Seelie and her sister. Seelie and Sol are beyond different, even though they are identical. Sol is strong and fierce and craves adventure and excitement. She can fight, handle a blade, a natural pickpocket, and an all around badass. We only get to see her through the eyes of her sister and half way through the book you can see this is a very tiny window to see someone through. We don't really every get to know what her life was like with a sister like Seelie, but we do see she's never resented Seelie for being herself. Sol, does however, want more from life than Seelie wants for her. We also find out Sol might not be exactly who she believes herself to be by the end of the novel and I can't wait to find out how she reacts to it all and who she allows herself to become in the future.
Olani - This girl is still a bit of a mystery to me. We do get a big hunk of backstory for Olani around the mid point of the book, or even a bit before, but I still feel like we barely scratched the surface. Olani is an enchanter with healing power. Her parents are healers, her brothers are healers, and she's been basically a mercenary for awhile even though her family thinks she's also a healer. Olani is funny and kind and a bit rough around the edges, but she's also fiercely loyal and seems to genuinely care about others... unless they threaten someone she cares for and then they're dead she's moving on. I wasn't as interested in Olani as I think I was supposed to be, but she felt like a side character for the entire book to me and no matter how big a role she played I just never connected with her. Hopefully, in a next book I can get a better understanding of her as a character and her reasoning beyond just wanted to have an adventure.
Raze - I liked Raze from the moment we meet him. He's an adorable red head (the odds of red heads being in so many fantasy books just doesn't seem feasible, but here is yet another handsome ginger to swoon over) with a charismatic personality and desperate desire to be loved. He has a bit of a tragic backstory. He was abused at a young age. He's a shapeshifter and his power has never been seen as enough by those who were meant to care for him and its left some deep scars. Raze is also funny which I adored. The book is a bit heavy emotionally, so it was wonderful to have him to lighten everything up. His jokes and snark also felt more natural than most characters in fantasy and he never felt like just another plot device. Raze is also the only character I even debated yelling at during my reading.... (JUST KISS HER)! I look forward to reading more about him. He reminded me of my partner in a lot of ways. He understood Seelie on a very profound level without having to constantly question her and I not only appreciated it, but I loved it.
(Honorable Mention) Birch - this little kitty was hilarious and I was so glad he was added to the book. A mischievous little brownie in the shape of a small kitten was just the cutest. I needed to know where he was at the end of the book and it made me crazy that no one seemed to be worried about him. I am worried.

Overall, I think this is an awesome book. I would recommended it to anyone who enjoys YA Fantasy, books with faeries good and bad, books with interesting female characters with powers, and anyone who wants to experience a little bit of what it is like for an autistic person in their daily life. Please, don't go into this book expecting a lot of romance (there is just a touch of romance) or even a huge heist plot because honestly the heist they originally botch is over in the first few pages, but this is a book about four characters on an adventure to find treasure, find themselves, and make a found family.

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I'm usually such a big fan of fantasy and this story felt fresh and new. I was just not able to keep myself in the story. The bits that did hold me were beautiful and I'd be interested in reading others from this author! Also, the cover art is gorgeous!

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I’ll be completely honest and admit that it was the gorgeous cover that caught my eye. And then when I found out it was about two sisters, one a changeling who’s written as autistic? I couldn’t request a copy fast enough. And it definitely met all of my expectations! While I didn’t realize it when I started it, this is the first book in a series. While several plot lines are wrapped up well, there’s many that aren’t, up to a mild cliffhanger.

Seelie is a changeling, raised along with her human twin sister Isolde in a small village until her magic caused an accident. Now they travel from town to town in an enchanted wagon, picking pockets to get by and leaving town as soon as anyone suspects Seelie’s a changeling. But on the night when the fae still walk among mortals, a burglary gone wrong lands the sisters in more trouble than they could’ve imagined.

I’m always up for a heist novel and this is an absolute gem of one. From the beginning, the sisters and the mysterious pair of Olani and Raze are completely outmatched and they’re not foolish enough to think otherwise. Rather than relying on gee-whiz powers (though we do see some of that) they’re hoping their speed and stealth will get them to the prize first. Their journey is paced well, with little tidbits about each of the characters’ pasts and motivations dropped along the way. It does have a lot of common YA fantasy tropes – Seelie and Unseelie courts, power-hungry ruling families, only the main character can save the world!! – that sort of thing, but nothing feels stale. I thought Birch, the brownie who lives in the sisters’ wagon, was an especially charming and hilarious touch.

I liked Olani and Raze and the relationship that form between them and the sisters. There’s a light romantic element between Raze and Seelie (though Seelie would deny it til the cows come home), and tantalizing hints of one between Olani and Isolde. Other than that, the relationships are explored are either as friends or as family. When Seelie thinks of family, she mainly thinks of her sister Isolde. She’s impetuous and a bit fearless and she loves her sister dearly. Isolde understands her in a way that no one else does, but she’s not Seelie’s caretaker. Seelie’s perfectly capable of managing on her own and frankly is sometimes the one cleaning up Isolde’s messes. Such a close and deep relationship doesn’t come without disagreements of course but there’s no doubt that they’d do anything for each other.

“I don’t want to be the changeling enchanter who summons storms and flings fireballs. I just want to make my parents proud, to feel the comfort of family and home. I want to make cakes somewhere cozy, where no one has any expectations of me, and be left alone.”


But what I truly loved about this book is that it’s told from the POV of an autistic heroine written by an autistic author. It never comes out and uses the descriptions we’d use today – sensory meltdowns, stimming, discomfort with eye contact, difficulty reading emotions – but we’re shown what life is like in Seelie’s head in a very matter-of-fact way. It was so refreshing to have a character just be neurodivergent without all the hand-wringing and filtering through a neurotypical perspective.

In some ways Seelie’s relationship with magic is a stand-in for her neurodivergence. She’s struggled all her life to blend in, to push down her magic, and now it keeps exploding out of her in violent and unpredictable ways. The others are insistent she needs to learn to manage it but Seelie’s so used to thinking of her magic as wrong – as something that makes her unworthy – that none of their arguments sway her. It’s Raze who, with a moment of vulnerability and empathy, helps her understand and move towards accepting her magic.

“It’s an inconvenience to be unwanted. It’s a curse to be needed.”


Raze has a complicated connection with his family, as does Seelie, though their respective relationships are nothing alike. There’s no doubt that Seelie’s family loves her – her mother defied a fae court in order to take both of her daughters back! – but it doesn’t seem like they always understand her. Raze is equally not what his family expected or wanted, but instead of Seelie’s family’s passive reinforcement of her desire to keep her magic chained, he’s abused to try to get him to adhere to what they want. So while they start as reluctant allies, their similarities lead them to become friends.

“Maybe by the time we get there I’ll have decided whether I want to redeem my family legacy or burn it all to the ground.”


Overall, I couldn’t put this book down and finished it in one day and immediately tried to look up when the sequel would be out. Recommended for anyone looking for a delightfully fun road trip/heist novel, made even better by the autistic rep!

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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This is a really great read. I love it even more after finding out the author is autistic, just like the character. Keep this author on your radar!

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Housman's Unseelie is a new YA fantasy (heavy on the YA) that puts us following Seelie—our autistic MC who is misunderstood. A changeling since birth, she's been a misfit and cast out from the normals of society and has fled with her sister Isolde to find a way to become rich enough to move themselves and their parents away from the toxicity of their current village. They run into two others in the course of their adventure, leading them to an adventurous trek looking for a treasure.

Honestly, I'm so torn on how I feel about this book. It had so many pros and cons. The side characters were AMAZING. Olani and Isolde were definitely the shinning points, while I felt like Raze and Seelie were kind of.. bland. They both got on my nerves for 90% of the book. The plot-line was relatively familiar and lacking unique factors, yet the presentation and creativity behind the magic and fantasy-aspects was definitely there.

All in all, it was enjoyable enough, if not a little heavy on the YA. I'll definitely finish the duology, as I can see the potential for the story, and would definitely recommend it for those who are looking for a quick read without tons of world-building!

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I really wanted to love Unseelie but ultimately the story and the characters just fell short for me. The heist, the magic system, the bond between sisters and the allies all had potential but just didn't deliver in the way I wanted it to. I felt like there wasn't much world building or character development and I often found myself feeling like the story was just dragging on and on. I did love the enchanted wagon, Destiny and the brownie disguised as a cat named Birch. Overall I just didn't find the adventure I was hoping for.

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I liked this book but didn’t fall in love.

The pacing and overall feeling of the book felt like a novella, or spin off from a separate book series instead of a book all on its own. It was a nice size book so I can’t really describe why It felt like a novella, but I felt that way for most of the book.

I did enjoy the depiction of an autistic character in a YA fantasy book though. I’ve only read contemporary books with an autistic main character before, and it was great having the chance to see a character like Seelie in this setting.

Overall, I would still recommend this book to YA fantasy fans. I think fans of Six of Crows may enjoy it.

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I absolutely loved this story! I’m going to be very honest, many times when authors say they want to write an autistic MC, the execution turns out terribly and sometimes ableist but I didn’t feel that come through at all!

As someone who is neurotypical, I took the time to read through some other reviews to make sure I didn’t miss any problematic pieces to this book and it seems like many people agree with me.

What I loved about this book:
-Likeable characters with distinct personalities
-Fast pacing and good world building
-interesting magic system

What could have been better:
-I didn’t feel “sucked in” at the beginning like I probably should’ve. It was just a slow build.
-I felt a little lost at parts but was able to fill in the gaps eventually.

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The premise was wonderful and definitely a promising enticement, but I missed any sort of character development outside of Seelie herself, and the plot seemed to drag listlessly until a jarring late sprint to the finish line. The potential love interest, as well as the villain, felt very one-dimensional, and it was hard to muster caring about them.

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This is a YA fantasy adventure about 2 sisters escaping a past. They are thrust into an epic adventure by two strangers, which tests their trust in one another as well as themselves.

I truly enjoyed this book. The writing is so clever, fantastically sarcastic, and the story is exciting. There’s magic, and fairies, and an evil Aunt, unlikely allies, and so many twists and turns. There’s even dragons. And a magic, sentient caravan named Destiny.

I really appreciate the parallels the author draws between Seelie’s ‘otherness’ as a fae changeling, and her own feelings of her autism. If you like fantasy - adventure, this book is truly singular and a must - read!!

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The love of sisters knows no bounds, and for these two, it means running away together and building an entirely new life. Isolde and Iselia are twins who love fiercely and will allow nothing to come between them. Iselia is an autistic changeling who often finds herself reviled by those around her. She doesn't mind, as long as she has Isolde. But what happens when others are pushed into Seelie's bubble?
The fight scenes were perfection and I loved the banter that was thrown around, even when a character had a knife at their throat. It's a contrast of humor and magic throughout the story as Seelie's magic grows and she struggles to manage the power. Raze is the kind of character that you might hate at first but slowly grow to like. He's hotheaded and he and Seelie clash more often than I can count, and I lived for those moments.
Overall, a lovely book. Seelie's autism is present in realistic ways that really resonate and Isolde's patience mixed with Raze and Olani's always-be-moving-forward drive kept the story going.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

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A lovely YA fantasy that mixes the fairy world with the magical world inhabited by the narrator who is on the autism spectrum (like the author themselves). A beautiful relationship between two sisters is the center piece of this fun adventure story.

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Thank you to NetGalley, the author Ivelisse Housman, & the publisher for letting me read this arc.

This book has sisters, one human & one changeling who is also autistic. Isolde & Iselia (Seelie) who have run from their parents so her identity of being a changeling doesn’t come out. They have to steal, lie & hide to survive. They finally steal from the wrong person who chases the sisters down for the item that was stolen. They team up with others throughout the book.

This book is perfect for young readers. I feel like some will really connect with the main character.

This book is too young for myself at the age I am now. It is a book I definitely would have loved back in middle school.

It was pretty slow for myself but I know people did like this book. I hope that if you read this you love it. Something just fell short for me & I’m giving a 3 star rating.

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Thank you Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. I really enjoyed the writing, great characters, attention to detail, and interesting world-building. Am cautiously optimistic for a sequel as there are still many unanswered questions by the end of the book. Highly recommend this fun read to any fantasy lovers out there.

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I wasn't able to finish this one. I wanted to like it so much but I just couldn't push past the infodump in the beginning.

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Oof.. this was a disappointment. Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for an arc of this book; I appreciate having the opportunity to both support an autistic author and review as an autistic reviewer. However... this was rough.

First off, I think if you liked The Drowned Woods, you may like this as well. I don't know why, but they gave me similar vibes. I didn't like either.

Let's start with what I liked--the main character! Our autistic changeling was a great character to follow. I've seen her annoy some neurotypical reviewers, but I thought she was great and relatable. Her traits of autism were interesting to see on the page and I thought she carried this book on her freaking back, despite the cheesy name.

I also liked some moments where the group slips in and out of fairyland. The first time in particular was a masterful scene. Everything else surrounding it needed work though.

Other than Seelie, the characters had nothing really to their personality nor anything that made me root for them. Especially the love interest. He was so freaking mean to Seelie and her sister at first that it was just hard to root for him after that, and he immediately fetishizes Seelie (which is dealt with later... poorly). I could not get on board with their relationship, partially because this guy had nothing to him, partially because of their behavior towards each other, and partially because of the poor development later.

I also had problems with the way the other characters treated Seelie... I understand she was whiny or selfish at times (even though it pains me to even say that because I feel there was a lot more going on with Seelie than that), but everyone else was so awful to her. Seelie would think things like "you all just want me to be what you want me to be, not who I am" and sometimes say them to be mean--but the thing is, she was absolutely right. And it felt like the author wanted us to see these thoughts as misinterpretations of what's going on, and maybe Seelie and I just have too much of the same symptoms, but in my opinion Seelie was right on--they did want her to be who they wanted her to be, someone who could use her magic well and who was willing to dive right into learning and someone who was willing to forgive easily and someone who loved adventure. There were moments where the love interest sort of got this and tried to let Seelie be Seelie, but everyone else did not. And it honestly just grated on me to see her be talked over and looked down upon.

I also thought that the plot was a mess. In small ways in the beginning, things seemed to be missing--it almost felt like sentences or facts were missing and the author would talk to you like you knew them, and then you'd finally get the information much later. This kept happening throughout. But then, it got worse--it turned into like, whole scenes by the end. Basically this author tried really hard to wrap up two different plots in a way that you can still have a sequel, but a satisfying ending, and failed miserably, in my opinion. Neither plot ended in a satisfying way and the romance plot was a mess. The climax was almost completely missing from the book, to the point where I'd thought I missed something and I was super confused. I also couldn't find any reviews that talked about this either... which deeply confuses me.

Honestly, I thought this book was okay but not great for most of it, but with the ending, it was such a mess it left me mad I read it. Which was sad.

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Unseelie has an incredible plot in a richly developed world and that alone would make it a 5 star read, however for me, its true strength is in the representation of the autistic experience that could only be written by an own-voices author. I related so much to Seelie feeling like everyone but her has social situations figured out and how exhausting being around people all day can be.

I will be adding more thoughts after the book is published, because I do not want to give any spoilers, but I have much more to say.

This book meant a lot to me personally, and I cannot wait to read the next installment. I need to see what is next for Seelie and her friends. It ended leaving me so excited for more!

Thank you so much to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for this ARC. All opinions are my own.

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4.5 stars, rounded up

This is a really fun story! I enjoyed the adventure and the quest, and all the trickster faeries. UNSEELIE is also one of those worlds that I can't help but low-key wish I was in, but tbh I'd die to some dumb faerie bargain faster than I could agree to one.

I am very interested in Gossamer and how his plotline is going to play out. And the "treasure" Seelie finds at the end! (Sorry, I don't want to spoil the surprise. It's really cool!) I think this is very clearly going to be a series. And I am here for book 2. Want to know why? Here are some of my favorite quotes from Seelie:

"We can go as fast as we want without fear of crashing into some poor farmer's mule-drawn cart and destroying his crop of cabbages."

"The perfect start to any morning. Who needs coffee when you have the icy shock of mortal terror?"

"We make an incredibly generic-tasting stew that is mostly cabbage and potatoes, with a bit of leftover bacon fat to keep it from being so sad we have to season it with our tears."

And there's so many more. Seelie is so snarky I just loved her as the narrator.

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This is a fantastic fantasy debut. I love the dynamic between Seelie and Raze so much. The banter and bickering is so natural and they have so much chemistry. Also, I love strong sibling relationships so this is really really great, and absolutely spot on. Sisters fight but we are absolutely each others best friend at the end.

Representation is so so so important, and Seelie being neurodivergent and strong and relatable is amazing. I hope that this representation is really meaningful for so many people. I know seeing myself in characters has always been amazing.

I like the magic a lot, and there’s a lot of adventure between the relationship building. Overall, I’d definitely recommend this to my friends!

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Seelie has a very different life than the family who has raised her. That is because as a changeling she has magic, unlike her human twin sister, Isolde, and parents. An odd existence, every reader will think when they open the book Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman, a book that will be released January 3, to help ring in the New Year. And, it is a book every book lover needs on their shelf.

The two sisters are now petty thieves, pickpockets, Seelie taking the memory of their presence from their parents, for their own protection, when the two set out to change their bad fortune. Problems begin when the twins set out to heighten their criminal status, during Revelnox, when they sneak into a party for the wealthy, a party they were definitely not invited to. Leira Wildfall, a shapeshifter, is the host of the party and comes from a long line of influential, mortal enchanters that can change their form into whatever they want it to be. And, the family does not take kindly to being victimized, will seek and punish anyone who does this to them. What will they do to the twins if they are caught during their crime, or, after?

At the Wildfall mansion, where the party is held, Isolde takes her sister to a room that can only be opened with four hands, that is, after picking the locked door. Inside they find something that could possibly change their fortune but definitely change their lives, forever. And, when this object becomes a part of Seelie, seemingly, because of her magic, the twins have to flee all they have known since leaving their parents house years before and set out to, once again, find a change of fortune. While they hope their theft will be able to bring them home, with money to save their parents, where Seelie can restore their bottle memories of the daughter's they no longer know, what the pair must endure because of what they have done, may forever keep them from attaining their goal and they may now never be able to return home.

A chance meeting during the theft introduces Raze and Olani, a mysterious pair who seem to have had the same idea as Isolde and Seelie. They too wanted to abscond with something, during the party, from the Wildfall's. The twins beat them to it, only to be caught by them later. What are their true motivations for wanting to be with the twins? In the end, will they be the ones to stand in the way of the girls getting what they desire? And, what will the ramifications be, if any, for Seelie sharing her secret with Raze?

In their flight from all they know, the object begins to talk to Seelie. He begins to ask her about her magic and, as she tries to shut the voice out, it continues to come, more and more, guiding the pair. But, where? Will it really be a treasure like they all believe? Or, does the compass want something more? If so, what could it be? And, could this voice be a person guiding them to commit dangerous acts that could have major repercussions for everyone, mortal and magical alike?

Of everything in the book though, a flashback to when the girls were younger, when they meet Cassius Redbrook, was my favorite and most emotive part of the book. It is when we learn of why the girls parents were going through hard times, all due to discrimination for them having raised a changeling as their child. For when their friends, neighbors and community found out, the family's struggles began. Readers find out how Seelie stood up to a "snake oil salesman" (how I perceived the character), a charlatan who only created more problems in his pursuit of the almighty coin.

Ivelisse Housman, in Unseelie, teaches readers that even in a dystopian society motivations remain the same, as does discriminatory actions of those who are scared of anything different or unknown. And, while these were not the actions of the girl's parents, those who they lived amongst, seemed shameful as they did not support raising a changeling as a child, that it was undesirable, unwanted. All issues that readers can relate to, just like so many others that are present here, in this enlightened tale.

Another issue dealt with in the book, on top of many others, is one we don't see many writers focus on when choosing a mental illness for a character in a story. Usually when a psychological problem is chosen, inflicted on the character, all the negativity is instilled with it. Readers rarely, if ever, find a writer pointing out the positive aspects, or, better said, the strengths that can be found in having a diagnosable mental health issue.

Seelie is autistic, as well as having all her characteristics, and the way in which she deals with the aspects of her diagnosis in the story, gives all those with this problem hope. If Seelie can overcome her many hurdles and battles, so can others, with the same affliction. And, you don't have to be autistic to learn something from the book. Anyone overcoming something burdensome in their life can learn something here, in a timeless story you can't miss out on.

Happy Reading!

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