I really enjoyed this book. I hope the author continues to write more books in the future. I can't wait to see what this author releases in the future.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* I feel like i have been waiting to read this book for forever!! At least for like 6 months i think? I honestly thought this book came out like last fall so i was super pumped when i double checked and noticed the publish date was the REAL publish date not just the date for a new edition or the audiobook lol I didn't know how much i was going to like the book granted the autism thing since i have read several books butcher it, but i'm glad to say i really loved this book!

This was such a great magical read! super pumped to find out this was going to have a sequel! I really connected with the characters especially "seelie"! I will reread this for sure when the next book comes out for sure! I'd also recommend to anyone who likes fantasy/YA books. Will certainly buy!! Really love the cover artwork as well!

Overall it was a decent and fun read. The beginning definitely dragged for me though and the story didn’t pick up until the last 25%. Not sure if I was invested enough in the characters to continue on, but it’s only a duology so I might still pick it up.

I had a hard time connecting with this story and the characters, which is a shame because this was an anticipated release. It felt a little formulaic - they'd get themselves into a situation, bad guys turn up, Seelie would get them out of it, ending up in a new situation and repeat.

I related to Seelie, who is written as an autistic character but I did still find her a little annoying at times, wanting her sister to be just like her and want the same things she did. I also didn't really buy into the kind of romance between Seelie and Raze, I'm not into the "he's so annoying let me think about how hot he is" brand of romance that appears in Young Adult books so often.

I think for the next book I would be interested in a POV switch to Isolde, who I felt was the stronger character, having to erase their parents memories and support her sister when a disaster forces her out of town. Her ambitions to leave home and make something of herself made a much more interesting character, for me.

I truly thought I was going to love this book but I was so wrong.

It's slow, the characters are flat, and it is overall just written very amateurly. Our character is mean and makes weirdly ridiculous decisions all for the sake of plot and its so transparent that it makes reading this book hard. We go from situation to situation because we are told so, we don't get to see it, to experience it. Everyone is written so one-dimensionally that I was left not caring about absolutely nothing in this book. I imagine that the author attempted to write Seelie (our protagonist) in a way that she felt was autistic representation but it is not well done. I say this with an understanding that people have different experiences with the world through the lens of autism but Housman truly misses the mark.

A very disappointing start to a series that I will not be continuing.

CW: fantasy eugenics & ableism, violence, blood & gore, death, fire, drowning, mind control, parental loss, injury detail, dead bodies, death

Seelie and her twin, Isolde, have been on the road for years now. Seelie has struggled to fit in which only was made more difficult when her magic started to appear. As a changeling, this only leaves people afraid of her and her family, so now her and her sister are trying to find a way that they can all be reunited. Though, when they end up on the run and forced to work with two strangers, their plans get more difficult.

I truly adored this book. It’s been a long time since I’ve been so sucked into a book and didn’t want to stop reading. I needed to know what was going to happen to Seelie and Isolde. I needed to see more about how Seelie saw the world around her. This was such an easy read that I’m already looking forward to revisiting one day.

The relationships here were so strong. Seelie and Isolde were close with one another. They have this bond where they trust one another and know that they can count on each other, but there are times when they have fights that are also real and relatable. I loved watching them interact with one another and get past some of the bumps in the road that they had.

Unseelie starts off strong and doesn’t really ever change. There is a bit in the middle when I felt that it slowed that, but I was still so engrossed in this story that I didn’t ever want to put it down. The plot is captivating just as the characters are.

I would have liked to see a little more worldbuilding. There was a bit, but I’m just greedy and would have loved to see a little more. I hope that’s something that happens in a possible sequel.

Overall, this was an excellent read. While a fantasy, this is so much more than a fantasy. It’s a fun adventure with wonderful characters and a beautiful autistic MC. I truly hope for future installments in this series.

It took me months to finish Unseelie. I never got hooked on the story, I didn't care for the characters and I had to force myself to read it. It's not a bad book but it wasn't for me.

The most beautiful thing in the book is the autistic representation, the author gives a very important place to this representation with its protagonist Seelie.

If you like fantasy books with adventures, magical creatures, faerie realms, lots of plot twists and the found family trope give it a try! I think it is ideal for the younger audience of Young Adult

I’d been hearing a lot of hype about a new fantasy book with an autistic main character, and I knew I had to check out what everyone was talking about. Ivelisse Housman’s debut young adult fantasy novel Unseelie is filled with adventure, a strong sense of family, and great worldbuilding.

Iselia Graygrove, or ‘Seelie’ is a young changeling who has been traveling with her human ‘twin’ sister Isolde for years. Seelie’s family loves her, but her ‘differentness’ has always made her an outcast in every village they traveled to. Once Seelie’s magic starts to become wild and out of control after a heist gone wrong, the sisters are thrust into the middle of a mystery with the potential to affect both fae and humans alike.

It was interesting to read the author’s note explaining that the stories of changelings were thought to be an early explanation for autistic children. That really helped me relate specifically to Seelie’s character as a reader. Readers got to experience how Seelie reacted to the world differently than the other characters in the story. She has tried so hard to fit into what society considers normal, and her challenges are only compounded by her faerie heritage and her autistic mannerisms (I don’t believe the word autistim was explicitly used in the story). The others do their best, but there are multiple instances where they struggle to understand her neurodivergent experiences from their neurotypical perspectives. As a result, she’s never really fit into either world, and that weighs heavily on her over the course of the book.

Having a sister of my own, I really connected to Isolde and Seelie’s relationship. They are incredibly close, and Isolde is fiercely protective of her sister against those who would ostracize her for being a changeling. Despite their closeness, there are the inevitable moments where they clash and get into arguments. Said moments only made me relate to them even more (what sibling relationship doesn’t have a few fights now and then?)

The world-building is well developed. The author takes some of the most famous pieces of faerie lore, and builds that into the story to create the different realms. There’s an obvious nod to the classic fairy tales, but the world is built such that it feels fresh for both die-hard fantasy readers and those new to the genre. I appreciated the vivid and immersive imagery, and how the world was brought to life as the characters went on their travels. The pace was such that the characters kept moving fairly frequently, and that helped introduce the readers to new places and people.

The only drawback of the book, and why I was unable to give it a full five stars, was how disjointed the plot seemed to be. I could tell you so much about the world, the characters and individual moments but things were so hectic and confusing I can’t actually tell you how those moments connect. The author completely lost me with the transitional moments of the book. The progression of the story is confusing at best, and as a reader it can be overwhelming to have so many moments where you’re not really sure whats going on. The best way I could describe it is a tangled knot of string - you never really know where pulling on one end is going to lead you.

Overall, this was a very entertaining and insightful novel. There were some minor issues, but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of thhe book. Elena Rey does an excellent job bringing the story to life with her performance in the audiobook narration. From what I can tell, the book is set to be part of a duology and I’m excited to (hopefully) get to see more in this world. Readers who enjoy magical fantasy tales full of fun, stellar neurodivergent rep, and unique characters should definitely give the book a chance.

Thank you to the author, the publisher Inkyard Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review Unseelie immensely. Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

This was an interesting twist on other fae, fairy inspired tales. I enjoyed this more than I expected. I think this has a place in a middle school library for avid fantasy readers.

I do not personally have autism but I have worked with many students who do have autism and I felt that this was a good representation of the some autistic traits. the world building felt like our own but with a magical twist and reminded me a bit of Stardust by Neil Gaiman. I highly recommend this book for teen libraries.

Great worldbuilding, nicely written characters with believable qualities and characteristics, diverse representation, and a fun and well paced plot. Excited for book two!

I have never related to a character as much as I do Seelie and I wish there had been characters like her in my childhood. I love how this author chooses to reclaim the connection between autism and changlings to explore the struggle of adventures, family, and friends when on the spectrum.

Thank you to Inkyard Press, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was released on January 3, 2023.

Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove is a changeling on the run with her human twin Isolde. While Isolde is on the hunt for adventure and riches, Seelie is trying to repress her magic and keep them out of trouble. When they run into two others attempting to break into a magical family’s manor in order to steal the key to the Wild legacy, the twins are thrust into a quest that is, for Seelie, more about coming to terms with her identity and the changes she can’t stop than seeking treasure.

Easily my favorite thing about Unseelie is its premise—that the folkloric concept of changelings, or fae children left behind in cradles while the human child was spirited away—may have been an attempt at an early description of autistic children. The author does such a wonderful job of tying aspects of Seelie’s autism into her magical responses to her environment; for instance, when she’s experiencing sensory overload, it’s more difficult for her to keep her magic from sparking and quickly spiraling out of her control. I appreciated the way this portrayal was done, and on my second reading I noticed it much more because those mannerisms and behaviors were somehow more recognizable and natural to me than the first time through.

There were also many little world building details I loved, but two really stuck with me. The first was the inclusion of traditional aspects of faerie lore, such as a mask of rowan that gave Seelie a mild allergic reaction, as faeries are vulnerable to the tree; the second was the fact that faeries and changelings are identifiable by their luminescent, reflective eyes. This is just a cool little touch that I’m obsessed with (personally, I’ve always thought that vampires should have eyes like this). And of course, I’m always down for a heist and a quest!

The fierce connection between Seelie and Isolde is really what pushed me through this book, although I did come to like Raze and Olani quite a bit (even though I was so determined to not like Raze at all after a certain point). Watching Seelie and her sister fight was honestly brutal, and almost filled me with as much tension as some of the more harrowing fights. In general, it’s a pretty cool fantasy that’s just as much about sisterhood and personal power as it is an adventure, and I’m intrigued to see where the characters go from here.

This is an incredibly solid YA Fantasy debut. Ivelisse Housman has created a story and world with many recognisable elements from traditional faerie fantasy, that also feels as if she's made them her own. Like many others, I was initially incredibly interested by the concept of the retelling/reclamation of the changeling myth and autistic people. And in that, this book definitely doesn't disappoint. While UNSEELIE is fantasy, the characters and their relationships felt as if they could be real in a contemporary setting. All in all, well worth the read.

As far as the overall story goes, Housman does a good job of crafting a plot that has an arc that was easy to follow and also shocked me at the twists and turns. It leaves space for the characters to grow and develop without seeming like an afterthought.

While I wasn't personally a huge fan of the romance (just out of personal preference), it was well-written to avoid the cliche of insta-love, and to not completely take over the plot. Sometimes it didn't even feel like a romance, in a good way. Overall, I feel like the characters and their relationships have a sense of timelessness, while also being firmly rooted in the world of UNSEELIE. It felt like the kind of world where everyone does exist, and like that was a natural facet, even with some of the bigotry that Seelie faces.

As a whole, I enjoyed UNSEELIE and the way it told the changeling myth along with other common fantasy tropes. While there is room for improvement, it honestly just makes me more excited for the second book/conclusion to this duology.

I was so excited for this one!!! And it let me down so much. There was so many descriptions in this that it just over powered the story. It made it so slow and I was just overwhelmed with it all. The characters were flat and it seemed that Seelie was the only one that had any kind of personality. I didn't make it far in this because of all the descriptions. It was just so over powering for the rest of the story.

I read this book weeks ago and am excited to finally be able to give feedback now that the strike has ended, I loved Unseelie. It is one of the best YA debuts I have read in a good while—on par with Daughter of the Moon Goddess last year, which I also loved. This story turns negative stereotypes about autistic characters on their heads with Seelie and has a rollicking high fantasy plot that would not be out of place next to The Name of the Wind. If you like fairies, shapeshifting, mischievous brownies, magical houses, and YA fantasy, I highly recommend Unseelie. I can’t wait for book 2!

The one quote I wrote down when reading this was ‘I never understood why people just become friends’ and if that’s not the most relatable sentence I’ve ever read, I don’t know what is.

Seelie is the representation I needed when I was younger and had just been diagnosed with autism. We are in desperate need of more genuine autistic characters, who aren’t seen as burdens. Seelie being autistic wasn’t a plot point to overcome, it just was a fact of her character, as much as the fact that she is a changeling.

The other of this book was the magic! This book is just so magical, it felt like a fairytale. There’s shape-shifting, there’s elemental magic, there’s healing magic. The characters have an enchanted wagon, and there’s even dragons! Though I do feel like the world building itself was in need of more explanation and detail than was given.

The other issue I had was the general lack of plot. For a solid part in the middle of the book, it felt like very little was happening. It was mostly just the characters arguing with no real movement of the plot. Seelie is also a frustrating character at times. She often gets angry with the other characters for no valid reason, and seemed to not think of anyone but herself.

The synopsis of this says it a ‘heist’ and that definitely isn’t accurate. The characters more go on road trip than anything else. Enjoyable, but not as exciting as a heist.

Iselda and Isolde are twins, but one is a changeling. They've had to run from their hometown, from their family and have been living on their own for years, since they were 14 or so. And then, with a case of wrong place wrong time, they end up on the run in a whole new way and have to figure things out with new partners... Basically, things are not going well.

I liked this. It was a pretty different kind of fae story and I really enjoyed that. But, to be honest, it took me more time to get through it than it should have. I had trouble focusing and keeping interest. That might be because of external reasons but I usually don't let those interfere with my reading.
I still found the plot pretty interesting and the characters too, especially the main one but I was all that into the romance... Part of it felt a bit like déjà-vu?
I'll still probably try and reread this and read the sequel. Maybe. But I'll definitely be on the lookout for more books by this author.

This book has a lot of my literary buzz words: sibling relationships, faerie lore, romance, fantasy. It also features an autistic main character, and though I can't speak to the authenticity of the rep, it did seem well done to me.

I thought this was a really fun YA fantasy. I liked the way faerie lore was explored, and I enjoyed the sister relationship portrayed in the story. There is a cliffhanger at the end, which I was not expecting, but I will certainly be picking up the sequel to see how the story ends! I would recommend this book to lovers of YA fantasy, anyone who enjoys faerie lore, or readers looking for autistic representation.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for granting me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a solid 3.0 star read for me. While there were definitely elements I liked, the story overall was a bit confusing especially as I got toward the end.

I really liked Seelie and Isolde’s relationship as sisters. Their fights felt believable and their love for one another was definitely shown throughout the book.

I thought the representation of an autistic female character was really well written. Seelie’s personality and her reactions were definitely indicative of someone on the spectrum, while not being an over generalization.

As someone who loves fantasy, but could definitely not make it in a fantasy novel I enjoyed Seelie’s honest reactions to adversity and her desire to just give up some times. I very much related to her desire to just go home and give up the adventure.

The other characters in this novel were a bit forgettable. I love enemies to friends to lovers and I felt that the relationship between Seelie and Raze was a bit rushed. I think that in the second book their relationship may feel a little more natural as they get to know one another better.

I also felt that we didn’t get a good sense of why the villain was villainous. I understood that how she treated her nephew and others who were loyal to her wasn’t good, but I didn’t really understand her motivations other than just surface level being ~evil~.

The end of the book is where I really got lost, after Seelie goes to the fairy realm and opens the portal back I basically had to reread those chapters twice and was still confused…?

All in all, I thought this was a slightly average fantasy but with a really vital example of representation in novels especially aimed at young adults. I will definitely read the next book in the series, but I will have higher hopes that the plot line gets a little more streamlined.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced reader copy of this book.