A review by jillselwyn
Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Ok, this might be a stupid reason to give a book a five star review, but I felt seen. Elements of the autistic sister - Iselia "Seelie"were almost identical to myself and my experiences with being autistic. I really liked how the relationships arched and developed throughout, not too rushed, but almost just right and just slower than just right to be frustrated - but not with the writing, with the characters. I'm not sure if this qualifies as cozy fantasy but I feel like it should, though I don't know all that goes into a cozy fantasy. I loved the connection between the two sisters, the twist towards the end was eye opening, making me excited to go back and reread and point out certain parts that make it obvious in a way that you only piece it together when you've read it through the second time. I loved the premise and the only thing I wish was done better was the storytelling. To be honest, my experiences with characters telling stories will always be changed by The Stardust Thief (review coming soon, I promise) and so I will always wish for stories to be told in that way, but ignoring The Stardust Thief, I really feel like this book was made for me, and in a way - it was. It hit everything I could want, and I will be painfully awaiting the sequel.
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