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The Unquiet
For most of her life, Lirael has been training to kill—and replace—a duplicate version of herself on a parallel Earth. She is the perfect sleeper-soldier. But she's beginning to suspect she is not a good person. Fans of eerily futuristic and beautifully crafted stories such as Never Let Me Go, Orphan Black, and Fringe will find themselves haunted by this unsettling debut.
The two Earths are identical in almost every way. Two copies of every city, every building, even every person. But the people from the second Earth know something their duplicates do not—two versions of the same thing cannot exist. They—and their whole planet—are slowly disappearing. Lira has been trained mercilessly since childhood to learn everything she can about her duplicate, to be a ruthless sleeper-assassin who kills that other Lirael and steps seamlessly into her life.
An intricate, literary stand-alone from an astonishing new voice, The Unquiet takes us deep inside the psyche of a strong teenage heroine struggling with what she has been raised to be and who she really is.
The two Earths are identical in almost every way. Two copies of every city, every building, even every person. But the people from the second Earth know something their duplicates do not—two versions of the same thing cannot exist. They—and their whole planet—are slowly disappearing. Lira has been trained mercilessly since childhood to learn everything she can about her duplicate, to be a ruthless sleeper-assassin who kills that other Lirael and steps seamlessly into her life.
An intricate, literary stand-alone from an astonishing new voice, The Unquiet takes us deep inside the psyche of a strong teenage heroine struggling with what she has been raised to be and who she really is.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 22, 2015
About the author
Mikaela Everett
1 book88 followersMikaela Everett is the author of THE UNQUIET, published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins in fall 2015. She is currently working on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
February 15, 2021
Actual rating : 1.5 stars (DNF at 46%)
Despite a promising premise, The Unquiet failed in its execution and left me literally unable to finish it. Trust me, that is not for a lack of trying.
► Am I bloody stupid?! That's what I asked myself countless times. There's only one thing I can say : YAY FOR THE BLURB! What? It did save me from understanding nothing during a long, long period of time. Indeed the elements of science fiction are barely explained at first, and each time I started to wrap my head around this world something else would throw me off, including :
✘ Weird jumps in time. Sometimes I ask my students to do this little exercise : put back the paragraphs of a text in order. Remember? Well. The book felt like that sometimes, except nobody's gonna give me a good mark because I did it well.
✘ Nonsensical passages where the characters dynamic sounds pretty fake to me (her baby sister of 6 talks like she's at least 12, her 'friendship' with Edith...)
As far as I'm concerned, it needs a good polish and a great deal of editing.
► Nothing happens. I swear, most of the book looks like filler to me. They arrive at the cottage. Filler filler filler. FLASHBACKS! They pass their exam. Filler. Filler. FLASHBACKS! They are sleepers. Fillers. Fillers. Fillers. FLASHBACKS! That's so boring! The plot is.... streeeeeeeeeched for so long on
► First but not least : except from the very beginning (which was surprisingly good) the story is related in a all tell not show fashion that as usual makes me cringe. Every freaking action seems emotionless and disconnected because crafted like a mission report - Not only it prevents me from caring for the characters, but it is so DULL. Even if I must admit that some parts are beautifully written, it's not free from purple prose and sentences that made me roll my eyes.
► The MC is both flat and thoroughly unlikeable, which is far from a good mix in my opinion : to put it simply, I was either indifferent or angry at her during the 46 percents I read.
✘ First we have the detached way the killings (of innocent people) are handled : I swear, she could have baked a cake for all I know.
✘ Then the fakeness of every relationship, if somehow explainable by her upbringing in the cottages, still annoyed me a great deal. I mean, I get it, they're all going to be killers but why not be a little nice to each other? For example, her hate toward her fellow sleepers in the cottage felt unnecessary and really didn't make any sense to me.
✘ Moreover, the way Lira keeps repeating that she is a BAD person and that she doesn't love ANYONE grew old pretty fast : I get it, you're baaaad. Stop shoving your inner thoughts down my throat, ugh. This being said, I might have forgiven her if she wasn't so one-dimensional : trust me, I'm all for unlikeable characters, but you have to give me SOMETHING to work with for me to care. I didn't.
► WHAT WORLD-BUILDING? There's nearly nothing. You would think that a book dealing with parallel universes would contain at least a few fun additions, but nah. The only descriptions we get are so random and uninteresting because everything is every bit as normal as it would in a contemporary novel. Oh, and please tell me in which area of time we're in, because there are new technologies mixed with last century ways of life and I can't wrap my head around this O_o.
► Why choose to set a story in France if the world building is so generic that it could be everywhere?
✘ First, except one or two exceptions, the names aren't French : Cecily, Philip, Imogen, GRAY (really?!)...
✘ Secondly, the settings : so we are 1 hour far from Paris by train. Where?
The fuck if I know. Maybe that's just me, but describing the city as 'the town' screams lazy writing to me. There are vines so I guess in Bourgogne maybe? Frankly, it's as if the author ticked little cases in a "How To Live In France" fantasy list :
French grow vines ✔
Paris must be mentioned at least once ✔
A character must be named Madame ✔
... Oh, okay. That was a short list. Frankly? Why fucking bother? It may come as a shock, but French towns, landscapes and vinegars aren't the same in the whole country : we need details please.
Now, as I said, I 'only' read 200 pages, so perhaps it gets better after... I just won't be there to see it, sadly.
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September 29, 2015
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
“There may be two versions of everything, but only one can stay. Only one reflection is real.”
This was an interesting of a YA sci-fi story, with a bit of a sad ending.
Lirael had a rough life in this story, not only was she thrust into a life that she didn’t want, but she was forced to kill, and forced to act like it didn’t bother her. Even having friends put her in a difficult position, to the point where being alone was her only defence.
“By the time they realise that our sleeper program is in effect, that we are coming to take over their world, it will be too late.”
The storyline in this was split into three; Lirael’s time at the cottage, her time as a sleeper, and the time when things changed. The story really was quite different between these three sections, and showed three very different times in Lirael’s life.
There was a little bit of romance in this, but only a very little bit.
“Close your eyes and pretend you’re somewhere else, okay?”
The ending to this was really sad, and I actually found myself crying. I found the pace of the story to be quite slow, but the emotional ending made up for it a bit, although I really wish things could have been different for Lirael.
7 out of 10.
“There may be two versions of everything, but only one can stay. Only one reflection is real.”
This was an interesting of a YA sci-fi story, with a bit of a sad ending.
Lirael had a rough life in this story, not only was she thrust into a life that she didn’t want, but she was forced to kill, and forced to act like it didn’t bother her. Even having friends put her in a difficult position, to the point where being alone was her only defence.
“By the time they realise that our sleeper program is in effect, that we are coming to take over their world, it will be too late.”
The storyline in this was split into three; Lirael’s time at the cottage, her time as a sleeper, and the time when things changed. The story really was quite different between these three sections, and showed three very different times in Lirael’s life.
There was a little bit of romance in this, but only a very little bit.
“Close your eyes and pretend you’re somewhere else, okay?”
The ending to this was really sad, and I actually found myself crying. I found the pace of the story to be quite slow, but the emotional ending made up for it a bit, although I really wish things could have been different for Lirael.
7 out of 10.
September 2, 2015
THE UNQUIET is a truly gorgeous, unsettling, (depressing in a good way) book. With lyrical writing and characters so deep and so well fleshed-out, their inner emotions spread across the pages---this is a killer debut. Different, for sure, but in the best way. so good.
September 23, 2015
I'm actually sad this is not a series, although, coudn't see where it would go after that ending, BUT I WANT MORE, OKAY?
--
IS IT BAD I’M ONLY NOW NOTICING THE COTTAGE ON THE COVER? Probably. The comparison to Never Let Me Go-which I haven’t read-so guess who’s out of her depth? Yes, Me-but now I do want to read it because The Unquiet was bloody brilliant.
The thing is though, you have got to like what the story is underneath, and the way the story is told, and by that I mean, The Unquiet is subtle. It’s not overly dramatic, it’s not in your face gorgeous writing, and it doesn’t have badass characters you want to route for, but despite all that, I loved it. Because while it’s not overly dramatic, it’s intense and dramatic in its own way, and the subtle and strength in the writing it what makes it beautiful and melancholy.
The Unquiet also doesn’t have a lot going on, it’s not action packed, there’s hardly any action at all, in fact, plot wise, there’s not a lot going on either. When I first read the synopsis for The Unquiet, It reminded me a little of Dualed by Elsie Chapman, though I haven’t read that one, so I don’t know how true it is to it. But there’s a second earth, there’s alternates, and things used to be good between two earths, on the surface, but there’s underlying animosity, and then they cut off communication. One earth is now dying, they raise children, abuse them both physically and mentally, although the physically is mainly the children fighting against one another as training. And when they’re ready, there comes the test, and if you pass, you get to go to earth. And kill your alternate, and wait, wait, wait, as a sleeper, until the war begins. There are sparks of rebellion and revolution. The plot is slow, and most of what happens, is towards the end, but I didn’t think the plot was the goa of the story.
The Unquiet is very character driven, it delves into the psyches of what it is to be human, and what it takes to not be, and if you really can shut that off. The characters have so much growth, or should I say de-growth of what Madame and the cottages have done to them. Lirael, our MC, especially goes through the ringer, and she sees what she is and doesn’t like it, but still does it, doesn’t question, does what she’s supposed to be. A good little sleeper. Until some twists and turns happen that makes her see the truth.
The Unquiet, is slow and subtle but melancholy and beautiful at the same time, it really depends on you like the characters of not on if you’re going to like it or not because it is character driven, but it’s different, and the ending’s suited to the story.
--
IS IT BAD I’M ONLY NOW NOTICING THE COTTAGE ON THE COVER? Probably. The comparison to Never Let Me Go-which I haven’t read-so guess who’s out of her depth? Yes, Me-but now I do want to read it because The Unquiet was bloody brilliant.
The thing is though, you have got to like what the story is underneath, and the way the story is told, and by that I mean, The Unquiet is subtle. It’s not overly dramatic, it’s not in your face gorgeous writing, and it doesn’t have badass characters you want to route for, but despite all that, I loved it. Because while it’s not overly dramatic, it’s intense and dramatic in its own way, and the subtle and strength in the writing it what makes it beautiful and melancholy.
The Unquiet also doesn’t have a lot going on, it’s not action packed, there’s hardly any action at all, in fact, plot wise, there’s not a lot going on either. When I first read the synopsis for The Unquiet, It reminded me a little of Dualed by Elsie Chapman, though I haven’t read that one, so I don’t know how true it is to it. But there’s a second earth, there’s alternates, and things used to be good between two earths, on the surface, but there’s underlying animosity, and then they cut off communication. One earth is now dying, they raise children, abuse them both physically and mentally, although the physically is mainly the children fighting against one another as training. And when they’re ready, there comes the test, and if you pass, you get to go to earth. And kill your alternate, and wait, wait, wait, as a sleeper, until the war begins. There are sparks of rebellion and revolution. The plot is slow, and most of what happens, is towards the end, but I didn’t think the plot was the goa of the story.
The Unquiet is very character driven, it delves into the psyches of what it is to be human, and what it takes to not be, and if you really can shut that off. The characters have so much growth, or should I say de-growth of what Madame and the cottages have done to them. Lirael, our MC, especially goes through the ringer, and she sees what she is and doesn’t like it, but still does it, doesn’t question, does what she’s supposed to be. A good little sleeper. Until some twists and turns happen that makes her see the truth.
The Unquiet, is slow and subtle but melancholy and beautiful at the same time, it really depends on you like the characters of not on if you’re going to like it or not because it is character driven, but it’s different, and the ending’s suited to the story.
September 24, 2024
There are two Earths, parallel worlds, but one is collapsing and everything is beginning to disappear. Instead of waiting to disappear, the people of the unstable world come up with a plan to infiltrate the stable Earth with sleeper agents: children trained from a young age as soldiers to kill and live as their doubles on the stable Earth in secret until the war begins.
This is the story of one such little Nikita who struggles against the tattered remains of her humanity while she simultaneously longs to hold on to it. Lirael is alone, but she is not; she has cloaked herself in the life of a dead girl, and finds that she can't keep the bonds of family from sinking into her.
This was a surprisingly well told tale, particularly for a first novel. I would say Everett is an author to watch.
This is the story of one such little Nikita who struggles against the tattered remains of her humanity while she simultaneously longs to hold on to it. Lirael is alone, but she is not; she has cloaked herself in the life of a dead girl, and finds that she can't keep the bonds of family from sinking into her.
This was a surprisingly well told tale, particularly for a first novel. I would say Everett is an author to watch.
May 9, 2015
This one's for the weird ones, the teens whose brains sometimes tilt off-kilter, the people who occasionally wonder if we're not all characters in some sleeping giant's dream.
That's not what's happening in this book though. And I guess that's all I'll say, because for sure one of the creepy pleasures of this book is the gradual reveal of the truly unsettling reason Lirael, at the beginning of the book, lives in a barracks-like cottage with other teenagers, being trained to be ruthless, self-sufficient, and detached.
And you will hear that premise all the time - 'she's trained to be a killer, but she finds herself falling for some boy' bleah, no, and FALSE - but in this book, Lirael's personality is believably destroyed by her training and supervisors, and her responses to human contact therefore believably conflicted.
Dreadful, trippy, and magnificently sad. It's going to make a really cool movie.
That's not what's happening in this book though. And I guess that's all I'll say, because for sure one of the creepy pleasures of this book is the gradual reveal of the truly unsettling reason Lirael, at the beginning of the book, lives in a barracks-like cottage with other teenagers, being trained to be ruthless, self-sufficient, and detached.
And you will hear that premise all the time - 'she's trained to be a killer, but she finds herself falling for some boy' bleah, no, and FALSE - but in this book, Lirael's personality is believably destroyed by her training and supervisors, and her responses to human contact therefore believably conflicted.
Dreadful, trippy, and magnificently sad. It's going to make a really cool movie.
September 21, 2015
3.5 stars
The Unquiet is an eerie and bold sci-fi/pseudo-dystopia that is a lot more concerned with introspection and the emotional impact of an invasion and war than with the action, romance and fast-paced adventure that becomes the priority in YA novels about alternative universes and the training of soliders/assassins. This novel is surprisingly poignant and touching, told in a very haunting and sensitive way that resonated strongly with me. In all honesty, I don't think I've ever read a YA novel quite like this one within the sci-fi/dystopian genre and I don't think I ever will again.
Unlike any other book within the same genre, The Unquiet takes its time to develop, slowing the pace almost to a crawl in order to painstakingly detail the psychological and emotional weigh these characters must carry because of the mission they had been raised to fulfill that contrasts starkly with what they have seen with their own eyes. This novel is an examination of morality, loyalty and love, and how all of those can be twisted depending on the perspective one takes and how it can all change from a second to the other. It's fascinating to see in action the clever techniques Everett employed as an author to highlight just how important the repercussions rather than the actions were to her characters on a very emotional level. For example, it's common throughout the novel for scenes of death and violence to be brushed over, not even detailed in real time, but recalled by the character so that she could spend the narration going through the aftermath on such an event, so that we could witness the development the characters derived from such an action. I thought all this absolutely riveting.
That undeniably means that the novel is extremely slow, almost to the point of being boring. Personally, I was never bored, but that was because I was so hooked in the way this character saw the world and dealt in a very psychological level with her two different realities (what she had been taught and what she experienced). If you cannot connect with this kind of introspective storytelling, with this sensitive a story and these emotionally complex characters, then it is pretty likely you'll be bored out of your mind. This novel is not concerned with being entertaining and action-packed or even fun. This novel turns the whole YA dystopia/action/sci-fi theme and magnifies into it, focusing on the development of the characters, how they learn to cope, to live and understand the brutal reality they live in, how they handle becoming their own person with their own thoughts and ideas and morality when they have been trained to follow orders and not ask questions.
I was so intrigued by how we usually see our heroines and heroes doing brutal things for the sake of "the good side" and our minds brush over the fact that those things could be considered bad from a whole other perspective, something other heroes and heroines never seem to be bothered by. Here we have characters who struggle with the moral complications of everything they've been thought and everything they do. We witness how they battle with themselves, their own thoughts and try to find themselves amidst it all. We see how there can be a duality of good and bad in who you are and how that may not entirely define you. This novel never actually passed moral judgement over its characters and allow them to showcase their moral and emotional complexity, a very profound and sensitive touch that speaks greatly of Everett's skills as an author.
This is a very emotionally mature novel, especially within this genre in YA fiction. I certainly never expected it to be this way. Truth be told, I wasn't even aware that I had liked and enjoyed this novel so much until well after I had finished it. For most of my reading experience with this novel, I thought I was just mildly invested in it. It wasn't until the last few pages came around that I realized how much of an impact this melancholic novel had on me. This is not a happy novel nor a fun reading experience, and it's not interested in being either of those. A haunting experience, The Unquiet might just be one of the most original and touching novels I've read this year, one that took me entirely by surprise and still refuses to let me go.
The Unquiet is an eerie and bold sci-fi/pseudo-dystopia that is a lot more concerned with introspection and the emotional impact of an invasion and war than with the action, romance and fast-paced adventure that becomes the priority in YA novels about alternative universes and the training of soliders/assassins. This novel is surprisingly poignant and touching, told in a very haunting and sensitive way that resonated strongly with me. In all honesty, I don't think I've ever read a YA novel quite like this one within the sci-fi/dystopian genre and I don't think I ever will again.
Unlike any other book within the same genre, The Unquiet takes its time to develop, slowing the pace almost to a crawl in order to painstakingly detail the psychological and emotional weigh these characters must carry because of the mission they had been raised to fulfill that contrasts starkly with what they have seen with their own eyes. This novel is an examination of morality, loyalty and love, and how all of those can be twisted depending on the perspective one takes and how it can all change from a second to the other. It's fascinating to see in action the clever techniques Everett employed as an author to highlight just how important the repercussions rather than the actions were to her characters on a very emotional level. For example, it's common throughout the novel for scenes of death and violence to be brushed over, not even detailed in real time, but recalled by the character so that she could spend the narration going through the aftermath on such an event, so that we could witness the development the characters derived from such an action. I thought all this absolutely riveting.
That undeniably means that the novel is extremely slow, almost to the point of being boring. Personally, I was never bored, but that was because I was so hooked in the way this character saw the world and dealt in a very psychological level with her two different realities (what she had been taught and what she experienced). If you cannot connect with this kind of introspective storytelling, with this sensitive a story and these emotionally complex characters, then it is pretty likely you'll be bored out of your mind. This novel is not concerned with being entertaining and action-packed or even fun. This novel turns the whole YA dystopia/action/sci-fi theme and magnifies into it, focusing on the development of the characters, how they learn to cope, to live and understand the brutal reality they live in, how they handle becoming their own person with their own thoughts and ideas and morality when they have been trained to follow orders and not ask questions.
I was so intrigued by how we usually see our heroines and heroes doing brutal things for the sake of "the good side" and our minds brush over the fact that those things could be considered bad from a whole other perspective, something other heroes and heroines never seem to be bothered by. Here we have characters who struggle with the moral complications of everything they've been thought and everything they do. We witness how they battle with themselves, their own thoughts and try to find themselves amidst it all. We see how there can be a duality of good and bad in who you are and how that may not entirely define you. This novel never actually passed moral judgement over its characters and allow them to showcase their moral and emotional complexity, a very profound and sensitive touch that speaks greatly of Everett's skills as an author.
This is a very emotionally mature novel, especially within this genre in YA fiction. I certainly never expected it to be this way. Truth be told, I wasn't even aware that I had liked and enjoyed this novel so much until well after I had finished it. For most of my reading experience with this novel, I thought I was just mildly invested in it. It wasn't until the last few pages came around that I realized how much of an impact this melancholic novel had on me. This is not a happy novel nor a fun reading experience, and it's not interested in being either of those. A haunting experience, The Unquiet might just be one of the most original and touching novels I've read this year, one that took me entirely by surprise and still refuses to let me go.
April 12, 2015
In a world where two Earths exist side-by-side but only one can survive, teenaged orphans are being trained to infiltrate the lives of their doppelgangers and lay in wait to take over the Earth that’s surviving. Disturbing in the best way, teen readers will devour this creepy sci-fi world and the story of the girl who tries to survive within it.
May 6, 2017
The river is not the same thing as a tree. You cannot blame a river for your fear because a river never lies to you. Already, even before you approach it, it is dark. It has no bottom. If you want it to, it will even do you the very worst favor of your life.
Just like that river, my thoughts on this book are murky. I had such a difficult time reading the book, the characters(specifically the main character) seemed so distant and many of the transitions between chapters felt disjointed. There were some great moments in the story, but they were wedged among a great abyss of nothing really happening. Quite disappointing!
Just like that river, my thoughts on this book are murky. I had such a difficult time reading the book, the characters(specifically the main character) seemed so distant and many of the transitions between chapters felt disjointed. There were some great moments in the story, but they were wedged among a great abyss of nothing really happening. Quite disappointing!
June 6, 2015
Reminiscent of Never Let Me Go, but with more action and bad-assery. Stellar writing, and wonderful insights into the human condition. Disturbing in the best kind of way.
December 29, 2015
What a brutal and unflinching story that captivated me from the first page, almost lost me in the middle-ish but then really hit a home run to have me standing up and slow clapping for how everything played out. It’s not for the faint of heart with a character who gets blood on her hands and a mission that is basically slaughtering of people but I loved how we see her struggle with whether she wants to be who THEY have ordered to be or who she really is. I raced through this book to find out ultimately what she would decide.
Read my full review on my blog
Read my full review on my blog
May 4, 2015
I managed to snag an advanced readers copy of this book at the Alberta Library Conference and read it on the 9 1/2 hour drive home. I really enjoyed the premise of the book, and I think it's a very interesting plot with interesting characters. I would definitely recommend this for people who like dystopian teen fiction.
July 7, 2015
Mweh. I was never sucked into the story and I didn't care for the characters, but I did like the idea and I was interested enough to finish it.
September 12, 2015
I received an ARC copy from HarperCollins in exchange for an honest review.
Actual rating: 4.25
The Unquiet is a book that is like no other. Back when I can only count the fantasy/sci-fi books that I chose to read per year in one hand, the words "parallel universes" or "time travel" made me want to immediately read a book. Because of that, most of the fantasy/sci-fi books I've read are of those topics. And among those many books, I can say that this one is the most unique.
The Unquiet proves that only one of the same thing can exist. Therefore, having two Earths, it is inevitable that one of those Earths must die. And it happens to be our main character Lirael's Earth. Because of this, a number of children have been trained since birth to take over the other Lirael from the second Earth. But as time passed, Lirael started to question what is right and what is wrong, if they are the good guys or the bad guys, and if their killing their alternates is justifiable or not.
The Unquiet's story is very captivating and deeply imaginative. The world was vibrant in my head, and I had no trouble whatsoever in imaging the world. Contrary to other reviewers, I found the pacing of this book just about right. And despite it having more than 400 pages, I found that it was easy to get hooked and that it was a quick read.
It's kind of hard to recommend this one because I feel like this book is not for everyone, but in my case, it really suited my taste well. If you think that the synopsis interests you, then definitely give this a shot. Fair warning though, this book is kind of violent.
Actual rating: 4.25
The Unquiet is a book that is like no other. Back when I can only count the fantasy/sci-fi books that I chose to read per year in one hand, the words "parallel universes" or "time travel" made me want to immediately read a book. Because of that, most of the fantasy/sci-fi books I've read are of those topics. And among those many books, I can say that this one is the most unique.
The Unquiet proves that only one of the same thing can exist. Therefore, having two Earths, it is inevitable that one of those Earths must die. And it happens to be our main character Lirael's Earth. Because of this, a number of children have been trained since birth to take over the other Lirael from the second Earth. But as time passed, Lirael started to question what is right and what is wrong, if they are the good guys or the bad guys, and if their killing their alternates is justifiable or not.
The Unquiet's story is very captivating and deeply imaginative. The world was vibrant in my head, and I had no trouble whatsoever in imaging the world. Contrary to other reviewers, I found the pacing of this book just about right. And despite it having more than 400 pages, I found that it was easy to get hooked and that it was a quick read.
It's kind of hard to recommend this one because I feel like this book is not for everyone, but in my case, it really suited my taste well. If you think that the synopsis interests you, then definitely give this a shot. Fair warning though, this book is kind of violent.
August 21, 2015
SO SO GREAT.
A chilling and moving sci-fi thriller and one of the best novels, teen or adult, that I've read concerning parallel worlds. More raw and complex than any of the easy comparisons like Hunger Games or The Host.
Some light romance (just enough to be a little heart-breaking and add to the narrative, but not enough to annoy me), heart-stopping action, and the right kind of "world-building" for the parallel-Earth setting. The simple yet beautiful writing, emotion, and deep characterization lean me towards a general comparison to Archivist Wasp, one of my favorite reads this year, and also, of course ORPHAN BLACK.
Absolutely wonderful. I will be looking forward to more from Everett.
A chilling and moving sci-fi thriller and one of the best novels, teen or adult, that I've read concerning parallel worlds. More raw and complex than any of the easy comparisons like Hunger Games or The Host.
Some light romance (just enough to be a little heart-breaking and add to the narrative, but not enough to annoy me), heart-stopping action, and the right kind of "world-building" for the parallel-Earth setting. The simple yet beautiful writing, emotion, and deep characterization lean me towards a general comparison to Archivist Wasp, one of my favorite reads this year, and also, of course ORPHAN BLACK.
Absolutely wonderful. I will be looking forward to more from Everett.
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September 22, 2015Lirael is a sleeper agent trained to kill an alternate version of herself on a parallel Earth. The people on her Earth know something the duplicate Earth does not - that two versions of the same universe cannot exist at the same time. It's causing Lirael's wolrd to slowly disappear. But Lirael is beginning to have second thoughts about being a killer, and her decision will throw her future into jeopardy. For fans of Orphan Black and Fringe, this is a very Never Let Me Go-type story that is a great starting point for teens looking to get into science fiction.
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April 21, 2015
This was one great read. "Unsettling" is the best word I can think of to describe it -- everything from the tone to the characters to the plot. The author does an amazing job of exploring what it means to love and be loved. The main character is not entirely likable, but she isn't meant to be. Seeing her wrestle with her identity makes for a truly engaging read. I loved the sparse writing style, which is reminiscent of Veronica Roth, and is especially appropriate for this story. Just a really, really good book!
December 2, 2015
This was slow, and sad, and beautiful. I really liked it.
April 24, 2016
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in short
I'd forgotten about The Unquiet when it arrived in my mailbox. I won't forget again. It's a rare and sure to be divisive book. The plot is somewhat nonlinear. Much of the past is couched in memory, rather than experienced. Many scenes are viewed from a distance. But its power comes from its starkly beautiful writing and the rawness of its characters. The world of The Unquiet is brutal and absurd, a world where there are two Earths, each with a copy of the same people. But one Earth is dying. Lira is a Sleeper, trained from toddlerhood to kill and replace her alternate--and eventually overthrow the second Earth and save her people from their dying planet. She wants so badly to be the perfect psychopath, but she never counted on family or friendship. She never counted on love. It's a flawed book, to be sure, somewhat jerky in the pacing and melodramatic. Yet, it captured my spirit in a way few books do, and left me with a lingering thoughtfulness and melancholy. Flaws aside, it's a biting indictment of humanity that bares all the joys and scars alike. Dystopia has rarely been so powerful.
in depth
in this lyrical science fiction,
The writing in The Unquiet is perhaps its greatest strength. It reminded me quite quickly of The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke, a lush science-fiction written for an older audience. Everett has a flair for the dramatic, in the way of drama and not melodrama. Her writing has a grave and dreamlike quality to it. There's something languid, something profound in the simplest of phrases. It's not flowery. The language is relatively simple, the dialogue sharp. There is little in the way of slang. The plot jumps back and forth between the present and flashbacks, told in a storyteller way that distances you from the past. The result is something old-fashioned and futuristic, timeless and placeless. It sets up an atmosphere of ending and tension that carries through the dark plot.
children are trained to kill, spy, and invade.
Couched in this writing, the tale becomes something beautiful and tragic rather than fodder for an action-adventure movie. It begins with Lira, introducing us to the cottages. Her cottage, at least. It's a small commune of children and young teenagers watched over by Madame, a brutal and harsh mistress. These children were brought here, to the second Earth, from a dying first Earth. They spend their days watching their second Earth alternates on camera. They train to fight and slay. They are honed into weapons, as sharp and pitiless. Friendships are purposefully dismantled. Weakness is stamped out. It's from this cold and brutish beginning that Lira now awaits her final test. If she passes, she'll go out into the world, kill her alternate, and take on her alternate's life. She'll become a Sleeper.
but given freedom, even the perfect soldiers
It's the perfect plan, seemingly, but it begins roughly. Lira is sent into the world to replace her double, who lives with grandparents and sister in an orchard. She's a dead girl, now, haunted by the memories of her cottage life. Slipping into the other-Lira's life isn't as easy as it should be. Lira can't fit into her double's spaces. She feels wrong. She struggles against attachment to this new family. Struggles to remain a soldier, pitiless and married to protocol. She finds comfort in another group of sleepers who meet secretly at an old cabin and live out the teenage fantasies they were never allowed. It's a bit of a slow beginning, but I enjoyed watching Lira attempt to fit herself into this world. There's something heart-wrenching about it.
may find their humanity painfully revived,
So much of the first half of the book involves putting the pieces into place. Many will find it slow and dull, I'm sure, but I took great pleasure in observing Lira's transformation. It becomes quickly clear that she's increasingly uncertain of herself. She tries to hard to be callous and cold. To be forged steel without a heart. Everett sets up this moral dilemma on a grand scope. Does Lira obey the commands of the first Earth, killing and starting an invasion, a war? Or does she protect the second Earth, whose inhabitants did nothing more than survive? The increasing tension of the beginning gives way to the chaos of the later plot, an eruptive sort of thriller that certainly makes up for a slow start. But always there's this philosophical question hanging in the midst. Everett doesn't give into the temptation to make this a gory war drama.
and the cost of victory too great.
Instead, it's so much about relationships. About Lira's relationship with the first Earth commanders, who want her loyalty. Her relationship with Da and Gigi, her new grandparents, whom she finds herself caring for. With her new sister, Cecily, whose brightness and freely given love startles Lira into becoming something more than a soldier. With Jack, the dying writer who challenges her blind loyalty. With Gray, the dark and quiet boy who awakens some of her most hidden emotions. Each character is expertly crafted and believable. You could almost imagine this into a Ray Bradbury tale, a drama of humanity that just happens to take place in another world. It's an affecting story that left me feeling bittersweet and pensive. It's a story that lingers.
in a sentence
The Unquiet is a tense, atmospheric drama couched in a futuristic setting. It's about the price of stripping away a person's humanity, and the survival of the soul in the most brutish times. It's an affecting, character-driven story for readers who want to think.
in short
I'd forgotten about The Unquiet when it arrived in my mailbox. I won't forget again. It's a rare and sure to be divisive book. The plot is somewhat nonlinear. Much of the past is couched in memory, rather than experienced. Many scenes are viewed from a distance. But its power comes from its starkly beautiful writing and the rawness of its characters. The world of The Unquiet is brutal and absurd, a world where there are two Earths, each with a copy of the same people. But one Earth is dying. Lira is a Sleeper, trained from toddlerhood to kill and replace her alternate--and eventually overthrow the second Earth and save her people from their dying planet. She wants so badly to be the perfect psychopath, but she never counted on family or friendship. She never counted on love. It's a flawed book, to be sure, somewhat jerky in the pacing and melodramatic. Yet, it captured my spirit in a way few books do, and left me with a lingering thoughtfulness and melancholy. Flaws aside, it's a biting indictment of humanity that bares all the joys and scars alike. Dystopia has rarely been so powerful.
in depth
in this lyrical science fiction,
The writing in The Unquiet is perhaps its greatest strength. It reminded me quite quickly of The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke, a lush science-fiction written for an older audience. Everett has a flair for the dramatic, in the way of drama and not melodrama. Her writing has a grave and dreamlike quality to it. There's something languid, something profound in the simplest of phrases. It's not flowery. The language is relatively simple, the dialogue sharp. There is little in the way of slang. The plot jumps back and forth between the present and flashbacks, told in a storyteller way that distances you from the past. The result is something old-fashioned and futuristic, timeless and placeless. It sets up an atmosphere of ending and tension that carries through the dark plot.
children are trained to kill, spy, and invade.
Couched in this writing, the tale becomes something beautiful and tragic rather than fodder for an action-adventure movie. It begins with Lira, introducing us to the cottages. Her cottage, at least. It's a small commune of children and young teenagers watched over by Madame, a brutal and harsh mistress. These children were brought here, to the second Earth, from a dying first Earth. They spend their days watching their second Earth alternates on camera. They train to fight and slay. They are honed into weapons, as sharp and pitiless. Friendships are purposefully dismantled. Weakness is stamped out. It's from this cold and brutish beginning that Lira now awaits her final test. If she passes, she'll go out into the world, kill her alternate, and take on her alternate's life. She'll become a Sleeper.
but given freedom, even the perfect soldiers
It's the perfect plan, seemingly, but it begins roughly. Lira is sent into the world to replace her double, who lives with grandparents and sister in an orchard. She's a dead girl, now, haunted by the memories of her cottage life. Slipping into the other-Lira's life isn't as easy as it should be. Lira can't fit into her double's spaces. She feels wrong. She struggles against attachment to this new family. Struggles to remain a soldier, pitiless and married to protocol. She finds comfort in another group of sleepers who meet secretly at an old cabin and live out the teenage fantasies they were never allowed. It's a bit of a slow beginning, but I enjoyed watching Lira attempt to fit herself into this world. There's something heart-wrenching about it.
may find their humanity painfully revived,
So much of the first half of the book involves putting the pieces into place. Many will find it slow and dull, I'm sure, but I took great pleasure in observing Lira's transformation. It becomes quickly clear that she's increasingly uncertain of herself. She tries to hard to be callous and cold. To be forged steel without a heart. Everett sets up this moral dilemma on a grand scope. Does Lira obey the commands of the first Earth, killing and starting an invasion, a war? Or does she protect the second Earth, whose inhabitants did nothing more than survive? The increasing tension of the beginning gives way to the chaos of the later plot, an eruptive sort of thriller that certainly makes up for a slow start. But always there's this philosophical question hanging in the midst. Everett doesn't give into the temptation to make this a gory war drama.
and the cost of victory too great.
Instead, it's so much about relationships. About Lira's relationship with the first Earth commanders, who want her loyalty. Her relationship with Da and Gigi, her new grandparents, whom she finds herself caring for. With her new sister, Cecily, whose brightness and freely given love startles Lira into becoming something more than a soldier. With Jack, the dying writer who challenges her blind loyalty. With Gray, the dark and quiet boy who awakens some of her most hidden emotions. Each character is expertly crafted and believable. You could almost imagine this into a Ray Bradbury tale, a drama of humanity that just happens to take place in another world. It's an affecting story that left me feeling bittersweet and pensive. It's a story that lingers.
in a sentence
The Unquiet is a tense, atmospheric drama couched in a futuristic setting. It's about the price of stripping away a person's humanity, and the survival of the soul in the most brutish times. It's an affecting, character-driven story for readers who want to think.
November 18, 2015
Review courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales
Quick & Dirty: A haunting, provocative debut that shocked me in the best ways.
Opening Sentence: I have been a cottage girl for eight years now.
The Review:
There are two earths. They have always communicated; people talk with their alternates regularly. Until blood and smoke stain the sky. Until people start disappearing into thin air. Until the Silence begins and communications end. Only one earth is surviving while the other deprecates and dies. Lira’s world is not winning, which is why she is taken. She, along with other children that have been sold to the cause, are dropped through portals into the other world. There, they are taught the brutal reality of what it means to be a sleeper.
They kill their alternates and take their places, and they wait for the war to truly begin. They hide in plain sight, doing simple tasks like helping to supply other sleepers with weapons and assistance. Lira is convinced of her inadequacy. She never can seem to see black and white, and the gray area is where she gets lost – traitorous thoughts of innocence and rebellion slip into her mind. No matter how she tries to convince herself otherwise, she’s not emotionless, and over the course of many years, her story is told.
Lira was one of those characters whom is absolutely depressing to read from. She is caught up in something that has forced her out of innocence too early. She is traumatized by the things she does to survive in the harsh reality she was born into. She follows her world’s orders, to the best of her ability, but it is costing her more than she knows. And yet, she is not the perfect sleeper: she thinks of things like love and rebellion, topics that are unthinkable, topics that could get her killed by her own people. I was swept away in her emotions and caught up in the tangle of her thoughts. The writing style is beautiful, and often flows like a stream of consciousness. It was completely unique.
“I have to believe that somehow, somewhere, there are worst monsters in the world than me.”
The love story snuck up on the reader, but when it came, it did not eclipse Lira’s story. I liked that it played a major role without overcoming other, more important facets – the plotline, Lira’s introspection. So many themes were at play in this book and they clashed in a way that somehow turned out beautiful. I won’t lie, the science fiction aspect was brushed off of, and the world building was slippery, but that was layered over by more valuable aspects. I love how this story did not stick to a typical good vs. evil archetype: Lira is not a hero. She is, at many points, the antagonist rather than protagonist of the story. It gave such an interesting, thought provoking perspective.
“In the end I don’t know which lies are worse: the lies we tell ourselves in the dark or the ones we pretend to agree to.”
This book was haunting. It absolutely broke me. It’s a book that focused on such a gritty, harsh reality, and the emotions of the characters are raw. It was left open-ended, in the best way, and readers are left with only their imagination. The endings of the characters that we had invested ourselves in so much are left unsure. Somehow, that works for this book, don’t ask me how. I think that this novel is not for someone looking for a quick paced, action packed science fiction. It is more character-based, but its thought provoking quotes and gorgeous writing made it a winner to me.
Notable Scene:
They won’t pass the testing. It is the most excruciating examination any of us will go through, designed to weed out our mistakes and to eliminate those who are not up to par. They do not have even the slightest hope of passing it.
Margot and I refocus our eyes on the books, both of us shaking our heads in disgust, both of us silent.
Love is what they have. The people of this Earth. Not us. Look how weak it has made them.
FTC Advisory: Greenwillow Books/HarperTeen provided me with a copy of The Unquiet. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
Quick & Dirty: A haunting, provocative debut that shocked me in the best ways.
Opening Sentence: I have been a cottage girl for eight years now.
The Review:
There are two earths. They have always communicated; people talk with their alternates regularly. Until blood and smoke stain the sky. Until people start disappearing into thin air. Until the Silence begins and communications end. Only one earth is surviving while the other deprecates and dies. Lira’s world is not winning, which is why she is taken. She, along with other children that have been sold to the cause, are dropped through portals into the other world. There, they are taught the brutal reality of what it means to be a sleeper.
They kill their alternates and take their places, and they wait for the war to truly begin. They hide in plain sight, doing simple tasks like helping to supply other sleepers with weapons and assistance. Lira is convinced of her inadequacy. She never can seem to see black and white, and the gray area is where she gets lost – traitorous thoughts of innocence and rebellion slip into her mind. No matter how she tries to convince herself otherwise, she’s not emotionless, and over the course of many years, her story is told.
Lira was one of those characters whom is absolutely depressing to read from. She is caught up in something that has forced her out of innocence too early. She is traumatized by the things she does to survive in the harsh reality she was born into. She follows her world’s orders, to the best of her ability, but it is costing her more than she knows. And yet, she is not the perfect sleeper: she thinks of things like love and rebellion, topics that are unthinkable, topics that could get her killed by her own people. I was swept away in her emotions and caught up in the tangle of her thoughts. The writing style is beautiful, and often flows like a stream of consciousness. It was completely unique.
“I have to believe that somehow, somewhere, there are worst monsters in the world than me.”
The love story snuck up on the reader, but when it came, it did not eclipse Lira’s story. I liked that it played a major role without overcoming other, more important facets – the plotline, Lira’s introspection. So many themes were at play in this book and they clashed in a way that somehow turned out beautiful. I won’t lie, the science fiction aspect was brushed off of, and the world building was slippery, but that was layered over by more valuable aspects. I love how this story did not stick to a typical good vs. evil archetype: Lira is not a hero. She is, at many points, the antagonist rather than protagonist of the story. It gave such an interesting, thought provoking perspective.
“In the end I don’t know which lies are worse: the lies we tell ourselves in the dark or the ones we pretend to agree to.”
This book was haunting. It absolutely broke me. It’s a book that focused on such a gritty, harsh reality, and the emotions of the characters are raw. It was left open-ended, in the best way, and readers are left with only their imagination. The endings of the characters that we had invested ourselves in so much are left unsure. Somehow, that works for this book, don’t ask me how. I think that this novel is not for someone looking for a quick paced, action packed science fiction. It is more character-based, but its thought provoking quotes and gorgeous writing made it a winner to me.
Notable Scene:
They won’t pass the testing. It is the most excruciating examination any of us will go through, designed to weed out our mistakes and to eliminate those who are not up to par. They do not have even the slightest hope of passing it.
Margot and I refocus our eyes on the books, both of us shaking our heads in disgust, both of us silent.
Love is what they have. The people of this Earth. Not us. Look how weak it has made them.
FTC Advisory: Greenwillow Books/HarperTeen provided me with a copy of The Unquiet. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.
December 24, 2015
((4.5 stars))
UPDATE: I posted a review on EW?? Apparently?? A full one? But I can't find it anywhere else. Weird.
UPDATE #2: My blog search was just being shitty and wouldn't find it. Thanks, Blogspot, now I have 2 reviews.
#1:
I liked this book from more or less the first page. It starts with a creepy child-assassin thriller that reminded me so much of Nikita, one of my favourite shows of all time. Kids from one earth are being trained to kill and replace their Alternates (from the other earth) from a very young age, kept captive in cottages in the countryside, and the weak ones either don't survive training or are killed by their masters. It's so so original.
And then it transitions into a sleeper spy novel, when the MC is sent to take over the life of her Alternate. I loved that this book was set in France, not the typical American setting. And there were so many elements of the story that it felt fast paced, yet drawn out and suspenseful all the same.
I didn't love the characters but I didn't dislike them either. It was interesting to see Lira growing from the killer the cottages trained her to be into her own person, with her own wants and fears despite having them trained out of her.
This book was just really cool and rare and a total surprise. If you like awesome thrillers and sci fi that feels real, add this to your to-buy list.
---
#2:
I thought I'd posted my review of this when I finished it 4 MONTHS AGO. But apparently I didn't and all the notes I left for myself were:
-Nikita parallels
- Unique, cool concept
- Rare setting
- Great plot
(and the 100% helpful:)
-Thriller
All those points are true though. It is seriously thrilling and exciting, and being set in France is something I'd not read before, not to mention kids trained to take over the lives of their alternates was hella new. But my best point was about the Nikita comparison, because that is one of my favourite shows, and I love how this book reminded me of it - the house these kids are raised and trained in would be Division. What I remember of this book is that it was an epic spy-style thriller and I loved all the espionage and the replacement and the suspense of waiting for THE THING to happen. It was awesome - I just wish I could say more about it.
UPDATE: I posted a review on EW?? Apparently?? A full one? But I can't find it anywhere else. Weird.
UPDATE #2: My blog search was just being shitty and wouldn't find it. Thanks, Blogspot, now I have 2 reviews.
#1:
I liked this book from more or less the first page. It starts with a creepy child-assassin thriller that reminded me so much of Nikita, one of my favourite shows of all time. Kids from one earth are being trained to kill and replace their Alternates (from the other earth) from a very young age, kept captive in cottages in the countryside, and the weak ones either don't survive training or are killed by their masters. It's so so original.
And then it transitions into a sleeper spy novel, when the MC is sent to take over the life of her Alternate. I loved that this book was set in France, not the typical American setting. And there were so many elements of the story that it felt fast paced, yet drawn out and suspenseful all the same.
I didn't love the characters but I didn't dislike them either. It was interesting to see Lira growing from the killer the cottages trained her to be into her own person, with her own wants and fears despite having them trained out of her.
This book was just really cool and rare and a total surprise. If you like awesome thrillers and sci fi that feels real, add this to your to-buy list.
---
#2:
I thought I'd posted my review of this when I finished it 4 MONTHS AGO. But apparently I didn't and all the notes I left for myself were:
-Nikita parallels
- Unique, cool concept
- Rare setting
- Great plot
(and the 100% helpful:)
-Thriller
All those points are true though. It is seriously thrilling and exciting, and being set in France is something I'd not read before, not to mention kids trained to take over the lives of their alternates was hella new. But my best point was about the Nikita comparison, because that is one of my favourite shows, and I love how this book reminded me of it - the house these kids are raised and trained in would be Division. What I remember of this book is that it was an epic spy-style thriller and I loved all the espionage and the replacement and the suspense of waiting for THE THING to happen. It was awesome - I just wish I could say more about it.
April 8, 2015
Amazingly complicated. Reminded me a fair amount of "Never Let Me Go". A few hiccups with characterizations (Sis acted years older than a 6-year-old should act) but otherwise, I highly recommend.
TERRIBLE cover, by the way. Can I cover it up with brown wrapping paper when I start recommending it?
TERRIBLE cover, by the way. Can I cover it up with brown wrapping paper when I start recommending it?
December 22, 2015
Review of an eGalley courtesy of Edelweiss and the publisher.
A viscerally felt sci-fi novel similar in tone to Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and Rosoff's How I Live Now. Aching, emotional conflict and a terribly dealt lot in life.
A viscerally felt sci-fi novel similar in tone to Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go and Rosoff's How I Live Now. Aching, emotional conflict and a terribly dealt lot in life.
November 19, 2015
The Unquiet makes me thoroughly uncomfortable. Not the story itself, even though the things the main character goes through are terrible, but the ethic implications the book makes. In a covert way, The Unquiet condones genocide, and I cannot accept that.
But first, the story itself.
Lira grows up in the cottages. She is from Earth II, the version of earth that is slowly disappearing. She and other children are being trained as sleepers on a special mission on Earth I. Slowly, it becomes clear what their mission truly encompasses.
Mythology-wise, The Unquiet leans heavily on the parallel-universe concept which was central to the TV show Fringe. Everything from the alternates, to one earth falling apart while the other lived on, reminded me of Fringe. Probably because I love that show so much and have watched it too many times, but still. Obviously the version in The Unquiet isn't a carbon copy, but sometimes I wished it distinguished itself more from its source material, especially because the book provides very little world building in itself. It's never explained why there are two parallel universes, or why the portals between them have formed. Or even more importantly, how can alternates talk to each other on the phone? Lira is not a scientist, but I would have liked some more insights into this.
The strongest point of The Unquiet is probably its atmosphere. The lyrical writing-style evokes a sort of dream-like state, and little pieces of the story are unveiled in a sequence that is not necessarily chronological. Lira's thoughts are incredibly dark, and the result is a bleak story with only a few pin-pricks of happiness to carry us through. Unlike the deluge of dystopians we've had the last few years, there is no focus on romance. There isn't even a romantic subplot until very late in the book (think last quarter), and even then, it fits naturally in the story. Overall, the story is pervaded with this gritty sense of realness, and the plight of Lira's tough life.
Having discussed the story itself, which is actually pretty good, I'll now turn towards what I think is highly problematic. If you want to be completely surprised about what the main part of the book is about, it might be a good idea to stop reading. The following doesn't contain any spoilers for specific events, but it does say about about the direction the book takes after Lira leaves the cottages.
The main question, so to speak, of The Unquiet is whether someone who does bad things can still be a good person. And with bad things, I mean kill innocent people. With bad things, I mean knowingly participate in the systematic extermination of people. See where I'm going with this? The question is, can someone who participates in a genocide be a good person?
And this book says yes. This book says, if you're trained to do this, if you're broken beyond repair, if you rebel in the tiniest way possible and save a handful of people while you kill dozens of others, you are a good person.
The only thing I could think of in my head was that this book would say that people in the SS are good people.
I don't care what you're trained to do. I don't care that you want to survive. I don't care that you're part of this system. Honestly, if you participate in the genocide because of all the pressure exerted on you, I can to a certain extent even understand. BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A GOOD PERSON. YOU ARE NOT A GOOD PERSON. It means you have decided that the life of yourself, and maybe the lives of some people you love, are worth more than the dozens, maybe even hundreds of lives you take with your own hands.
There are always other options, and I hated the characters in The Unquiet for not considering them. I hated that they were passive, that they did what was asked of them, and that they didn't try to change the system in a meaningful way. I didn't care whether they'd succeed or not, I just wanted them to try.
Because in the end, I simply cannot accept them being "good people". They're not. And I don't like the author for making that connection.
But first, the story itself.
Lira grows up in the cottages. She is from Earth II, the version of earth that is slowly disappearing. She and other children are being trained as sleepers on a special mission on Earth I. Slowly, it becomes clear what their mission truly encompasses.
Mythology-wise, The Unquiet leans heavily on the parallel-universe concept which was central to the TV show Fringe. Everything from the alternates, to one earth falling apart while the other lived on, reminded me of Fringe. Probably because I love that show so much and have watched it too many times, but still. Obviously the version in The Unquiet isn't a carbon copy, but sometimes I wished it distinguished itself more from its source material, especially because the book provides very little world building in itself. It's never explained why there are two parallel universes, or why the portals between them have formed. Or even more importantly, how can alternates talk to each other on the phone? Lira is not a scientist, but I would have liked some more insights into this.
The strongest point of The Unquiet is probably its atmosphere. The lyrical writing-style evokes a sort of dream-like state, and little pieces of the story are unveiled in a sequence that is not necessarily chronological. Lira's thoughts are incredibly dark, and the result is a bleak story with only a few pin-pricks of happiness to carry us through. Unlike the deluge of dystopians we've had the last few years, there is no focus on romance. There isn't even a romantic subplot until very late in the book (think last quarter), and even then, it fits naturally in the story. Overall, the story is pervaded with this gritty sense of realness, and the plight of Lira's tough life.
Having discussed the story itself, which is actually pretty good, I'll now turn towards what I think is highly problematic. If you want to be completely surprised about what the main part of the book is about, it might be a good idea to stop reading. The following doesn't contain any spoilers for specific events, but it does say about about the direction the book takes after Lira leaves the cottages.
The main question, so to speak, of The Unquiet is whether someone who does bad things can still be a good person. And with bad things, I mean kill innocent people. With bad things, I mean knowingly participate in the systematic extermination of people. See where I'm going with this? The question is, can someone who participates in a genocide be a good person?
And this book says yes. This book says, if you're trained to do this, if you're broken beyond repair, if you rebel in the tiniest way possible and save a handful of people while you kill dozens of others, you are a good person.
The only thing I could think of in my head was that this book would say that people in the SS are good people.
I don't care what you're trained to do. I don't care that you want to survive. I don't care that you're part of this system. Honestly, if you participate in the genocide because of all the pressure exerted on you, I can to a certain extent even understand. BUT THAT DOES NOT MAKE YOU A GOOD PERSON. YOU ARE NOT A GOOD PERSON. It means you have decided that the life of yourself, and maybe the lives of some people you love, are worth more than the dozens, maybe even hundreds of lives you take with your own hands.
There are always other options, and I hated the characters in The Unquiet for not considering them. I hated that they were passive, that they did what was asked of them, and that they didn't try to change the system in a meaningful way. I didn't care whether they'd succeed or not, I just wanted them to try.
Because in the end, I simply cannot accept them being "good people". They're not. And I don't like the author for making that connection.
September 26, 2015
The blurb for this book had me at “parallel Earth.” I’m a massive fan of books that deal with parallel worlds because I think it’s so interesting to see how the choices an individual makes can lead towards different paths and opportunities. Although The Unquiet didn’t meet a few of my expectations, I enjoyed it and thought it dealt with complex and important ethical issues regarding the value of life.
The Unquiet follows the story of Lirael, a young woman who has been trained as an assassin since childhood and has to kill an alternate version of herself on a parallel Earth. At one point in time, the two Earths used to get along and people could communicate with their alternate selves. However, Lirael’s Earth, which she calls the “original Earth,” is slowly disappearing and people in that Earth have realized that no two versions of the same thing can exist. Lirael, and other children from the original Earth, are trained to kill their duplicates and function as “sleepers” until the war begins.
Lireal has had an incredibly rough and lonely life. Given that this book is incredibly character-driven, we get quite a strong sense of Lirael’s life. The Unquiet is split into three sections that detail Lirael’s childhood assassin training, the life she leads once she kills her duplicate, and the time period that her future changed for good. Lirael tries to survive in this ruthless and unforgiving world, and has to frequently sacrifice her own happiness and relationships. Lirael, and a couple of the other “sleepers” in her life, undergo a massive amount of character development as they all struggle with some deeply unsettling issues.
I will admit that the pacing of this book moved a lot more slowly than I expected it to. It’s quite a long book at 464 pages but the plot doesn’t really get going until more than halfway through. Although I appreciated the level of detail because it really allows us to have a clear emotional understanding of the world and characters that Mikaela created, I think I expected a bit more action. Given that our main characters are trained assassins, I definitely didn’t expect the book to be so introspective. The Unquiet was a thoughtful and philosophical type of book that dealt with topics related to the worth of human life and asked questions such as: is one life more valuable than another?; and, what’s the impact of people learning about how their lives could have turned out? The thoughtful nature of the book and the moral issues that it dealt with reminded me a lot of Kazou Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.
Review originally published on my blog, Across the Words.
The Unquiet is a quite a somber and dark book. I think I was expecting something with a slightly lighter feel and thought the atmosphere would be similar to the one in Claudia Grey’s parallel world book, A Thousand Pieces of You. I wish I had a better sense of the depressing and emotional nature of the book before going in just so I could adjust my expectations. If you’re not someone who enjoys a book with more of an introspective narrative and you don’t really like books that focus on character development much more so than action/world-building, than you might have a problem with connecting to this book.
This was definitely one of those books where upon finishing, I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of everything that had happened. I couldn’t bring myself to write a review until I had several days to both mentally and emotionally process everything that had taken place. It also took me a while to figure out exactly how I felt about this book and I had make sure that I wasn’t allowing my expectations to greatly impact my review. This book is a powerful one that took me by surprise — although it wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, I appreciated its philosophical and emotional nature. I’m definitely aware that this book isn’t for everyone, but if you like books such as Never Let Me Go, I recommend giving this one a shot.
The Unquiet follows the story of Lirael, a young woman who has been trained as an assassin since childhood and has to kill an alternate version of herself on a parallel Earth. At one point in time, the two Earths used to get along and people could communicate with their alternate selves. However, Lirael’s Earth, which she calls the “original Earth,” is slowly disappearing and people in that Earth have realized that no two versions of the same thing can exist. Lirael, and other children from the original Earth, are trained to kill their duplicates and function as “sleepers” until the war begins.
Lireal has had an incredibly rough and lonely life. Given that this book is incredibly character-driven, we get quite a strong sense of Lirael’s life. The Unquiet is split into three sections that detail Lirael’s childhood assassin training, the life she leads once she kills her duplicate, and the time period that her future changed for good. Lirael tries to survive in this ruthless and unforgiving world, and has to frequently sacrifice her own happiness and relationships. Lirael, and a couple of the other “sleepers” in her life, undergo a massive amount of character development as they all struggle with some deeply unsettling issues.
I will admit that the pacing of this book moved a lot more slowly than I expected it to. It’s quite a long book at 464 pages but the plot doesn’t really get going until more than halfway through. Although I appreciated the level of detail because it really allows us to have a clear emotional understanding of the world and characters that Mikaela created, I think I expected a bit more action. Given that our main characters are trained assassins, I definitely didn’t expect the book to be so introspective. The Unquiet was a thoughtful and philosophical type of book that dealt with topics related to the worth of human life and asked questions such as: is one life more valuable than another?; and, what’s the impact of people learning about how their lives could have turned out? The thoughtful nature of the book and the moral issues that it dealt with reminded me a lot of Kazou Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go.
Review originally published on my blog, Across the Words.
The Unquiet is a quite a somber and dark book. I think I was expecting something with a slightly lighter feel and thought the atmosphere would be similar to the one in Claudia Grey’s parallel world book, A Thousand Pieces of You. I wish I had a better sense of the depressing and emotional nature of the book before going in just so I could adjust my expectations. If you’re not someone who enjoys a book with more of an introspective narrative and you don’t really like books that focus on character development much more so than action/world-building, than you might have a problem with connecting to this book.
This was definitely one of those books where upon finishing, I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of everything that had happened. I couldn’t bring myself to write a review until I had several days to both mentally and emotionally process everything that had taken place. It also took me a while to figure out exactly how I felt about this book and I had make sure that I wasn’t allowing my expectations to greatly impact my review. This book is a powerful one that took me by surprise — although it wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be, I appreciated its philosophical and emotional nature. I’m definitely aware that this book isn’t for everyone, but if you like books such as Never Let Me Go, I recommend giving this one a shot.
October 20, 2015
See this review and more on my blog, Lilybloombooks
4.5 stars
There have many books that I have marked DNF (did not finish). And yet, there are many books that I wanted to not finish - but continued reading because I wanted something to be at the end of that long, dark tunnel. I wanted my gut to be right and not fail me so I held on tightly, almost suffocating, in hopes it would turn out truly amazing.
Luckily, The Unquiet is one of those books.
I hate to say that I almost quit reading - several times, in fact - but tis true. The beginning is very, very slow and very, very detailed. Looking back, it's one of those necessary things that we just don't SEE at the time while it's happening, ya know? It's a build up into the characters lives and what Lirael went through to get to the point where she was when we meet her. To understand her choices, her hesitations and to see the bigger picture.
The Unquiet turned out to be a pretty dark novel - and I am a sucker for dark stories. There are also many messages throughout the book; some subtle while some NOT so subtle. It's slow pace really brings out the beauty of it all - yet again, one of those things you just might not SEE right away.
Given that the book takes place over the course of 3 years, we get to see Lirael grow, question herself, her leaders and if what she was trained to do her whole life is right. We see her fall in love, lose loved ones she wasn't suppose to love and she questions it ALL. WHAT is right and wrong and what defines it. What makes you Human? What makes the decisions YOU make right, and others wrong? It's message(s) have put a lasting impression on me, and I am still thinking about this book.
The world is quite fascinating - but confusing. There are two Earth's that mirror each other - but one planet has the advantage of the knowledge that both cannot exist at the same time. Thus, the need to take over Earth 1 to save themselves. What was confusing is that we were never told WHY they cannot both exist. If we were - I completely missed the explanation. It's not wholly important but something I want to know.
I also thought it was interesting that in the beginning, there was contact with your duplicate. How WEIRD would that be to talk to YOU, on another Earth, and hear about the life that they live? TO hear about their struggles, their achievements, basically, to see yourself live another life? It just boggles my mind to think about.
Keeping trend with the dark undertone of the book - what happens to the sleepers, the world and the one small detail that explodes at the end just left me speechless. The ending was bittersweet and added to my inability to speak.
Dark, heartbreaking yet uplifting all in one swoop, The Unquiet turned out to be one of my favorites reads this year. I highly recommend it!
I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
4.5 stars
There have many books that I have marked DNF (did not finish). And yet, there are many books that I wanted to not finish - but continued reading because I wanted something to be at the end of that long, dark tunnel. I wanted my gut to be right and not fail me so I held on tightly, almost suffocating, in hopes it would turn out truly amazing.
Luckily, The Unquiet is one of those books.
I hate to say that I almost quit reading - several times, in fact - but tis true. The beginning is very, very slow and very, very detailed. Looking back, it's one of those necessary things that we just don't SEE at the time while it's happening, ya know? It's a build up into the characters lives and what Lirael went through to get to the point where she was when we meet her. To understand her choices, her hesitations and to see the bigger picture.
The Unquiet turned out to be a pretty dark novel - and I am a sucker for dark stories. There are also many messages throughout the book; some subtle while some NOT so subtle. It's slow pace really brings out the beauty of it all - yet again, one of those things you just might not SEE right away.
Given that the book takes place over the course of 3 years, we get to see Lirael grow, question herself, her leaders and if what she was trained to do her whole life is right. We see her fall in love, lose loved ones she wasn't suppose to love and she questions it ALL. WHAT is right and wrong and what defines it. What makes you Human? What makes the decisions YOU make right, and others wrong? It's message(s) have put a lasting impression on me, and I am still thinking about this book.
The world is quite fascinating - but confusing. There are two Earth's that mirror each other - but one planet has the advantage of the knowledge that both cannot exist at the same time. Thus, the need to take over Earth 1 to save themselves. What was confusing is that we were never told WHY they cannot both exist. If we were - I completely missed the explanation. It's not wholly important but something I want to know.
I also thought it was interesting that in the beginning, there was contact with your duplicate. How WEIRD would that be to talk to YOU, on another Earth, and hear about the life that they live? TO hear about their struggles, their achievements, basically, to see yourself live another life? It just boggles my mind to think about.
Keeping trend with the dark undertone of the book - what happens to the sleepers, the world and the one small detail that explodes at the end just left me speechless. The ending was bittersweet and added to my inability to speak.
Dark, heartbreaking yet uplifting all in one swoop, The Unquiet turned out to be one of my favorites reads this year. I highly recommend it!
I received this book for free from The Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
October 1, 2015
Lirael was taken as a child to be trained to eventually kill and replace her duplicate on a different Earth. The Sleepers are intent on being the ones not to disappear from the Earths, and she is one of the soldiers in their plan. But when Lira arrives at her new home, she will discover that not everything is what it seems, and sometimes being the perfect solider doesn’t equate to real happiness.
THE UNQUIET has one of the most unique premises and protagonists that I’ve ever read. I love how the author creates the idea of two parallel Earths and the consequences that might happen when you have two of everything. Lira is one of my favorite protagonists, and she has phenomenal development. She’s a dark character, often cold, and there’s a seriousness to her that shows a quiet ferocity. She doesn’t know how to connect with people well because of the environment she was trained in, yet even she can’t help a few people carving a place for themselves in her heart.
Though the romance is a minor part of the story, I couldn’t help falling head over heels for it. It’s slow, sometimes sad, but very powerful and sincere. I hoped for the best for them every step of the way. Their relationship, even before it becomes romantic, is kind of about choosing your own family when you have none of your own or when your family isn’t really a family.
The action can be a little slow at times, but it’s well worth it. Every plot point is intricately built up, laying all the necessary steps before the next big action. By the time readers get to the end, they are sure to have a book hangover they won’t forget.
Mikaela Everett tells a magnificent story of emotion, strength, and internal battles in THE UNQUIET. This is a story to sink into slowly and to leave with a new but not uncomfortable heaviness of having read a really good and deep novel.
Review originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaficti...
THE UNQUIET has one of the most unique premises and protagonists that I’ve ever read. I love how the author creates the idea of two parallel Earths and the consequences that might happen when you have two of everything. Lira is one of my favorite protagonists, and she has phenomenal development. She’s a dark character, often cold, and there’s a seriousness to her that shows a quiet ferocity. She doesn’t know how to connect with people well because of the environment she was trained in, yet even she can’t help a few people carving a place for themselves in her heart.
Though the romance is a minor part of the story, I couldn’t help falling head over heels for it. It’s slow, sometimes sad, but very powerful and sincere. I hoped for the best for them every step of the way. Their relationship, even before it becomes romantic, is kind of about choosing your own family when you have none of your own or when your family isn’t really a family.
The action can be a little slow at times, but it’s well worth it. Every plot point is intricately built up, laying all the necessary steps before the next big action. By the time readers get to the end, they are sure to have a book hangover they won’t forget.
Mikaela Everett tells a magnificent story of emotion, strength, and internal battles in THE UNQUIET. This is a story to sink into slowly and to leave with a new but not uncomfortable heaviness of having read a really good and deep novel.
Review originally posted at YABC: http://www.yabookscentral.com/yaficti...
April 17, 2015
I would very much like to know if the author's ever seen Another Earth(one of my all-time favorite movies). The Unquiet also shared a lot of similarities between Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go. It basically took the best parts and morphed it into a melancholic story about orphaned clones/lookalikes turned into spies, two worlds, loneliness, death and redemption.
I enjoyed the book from start till the end. I don't want to reveal any more information about the story because Another Earth and Never Let Me Go already gave you insight into the both worlds of The Unquiet.
I enjoyed the book from start till the end. I don't want to reveal any more information about the story because Another Earth and Never Let Me Go already gave you insight into the both worlds of The Unquiet.
August 21, 2015
I don't think I'm going to do a proper review for this book on my blog because there isn't a lot to say about. The reason I've DNF-ed is like everyone else's. I loved the beginning and then that's it. It's like the book didn't know where it was going anymore. The plot completely fizzled out. I also hate the main character. She was always like, "I'm emotionless and I'm a killer" but it sounded like a cat trying to be a lion. I understand trying to condition yourself to think like that but she didn't and after a while, it got tiring.
September 7, 2015
3.5 stars
I am going to have to think on this some more before I can review it. Some parts I loved, some not so much.
I am going to have to think on this some more before I can review it. Some parts I loved, some not so much.
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