Kirsty-Marie Jones's Reviews > The Unquiet

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?


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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.