Friday, July 19, 2013

Becky's View: Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton


Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton
♦publisher: Flux
♦release date: July 8th, 2013
♦paperback, 334 pages
♦intended audience: Young adult
♦stand-alone
♦source: from publisher for honest review
Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them. Longing, Shame, and Courage materialize around her classmates. Fury and Resentment appear in her dysfunctional home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one—Fear. He’s intrigued by her, as desperate to understand the accident that changed Elizabeth’s life as she is herself.

Elizabeth and Fear both sense that the key to her past is hidden in the dream paintings she hides in the family barn. But a shadowy menace has begun to stalk her, and try as she might, Elizabeth can barely avoid the brutality of her life long enough to uncover the truth about herself. When it matters most, will she be able to rely on Fear to save her?

Review: Simply put, there is nothing quite like Some Quiet Place.

How does one even begin to write a character that is so completely devoid of all emotion?  How does one begin to imagine what Fear would look like if you could literally face him?  What first drew me to this book was the incredibly unique concept and exactly how author Kelsey Sutton would pull such a thing off.  Well, pull it off she did, and beautifully.  While main character Elizabeth goes through her daily tasks with no emotion at all, I doubt any reader will read her story with the same indifference.

This story got my thoughts churning.  It had me asking myself what it would be like to really face a dramatic situation with no emotional reaction to it---how you could think something through with such incredible, harsh clarity without things getting muddled and clouded with feelings.  And would that truly be a power…or a curse?

Even though Elizabeth feels nothing, my heart broke several times over for her---in the abuse she faced at her father’s hands, in the daily torment she experiences at school, and watching the closest person she’d ever known as a friend waste away.  There’s an odd little love triangle here, but with one of the most unusual love interests I’ve ever come across.  Fear is always seeking her out, he is desperate to find out why she is the way she is, but in years of coming to her in frustration and testing her immunity in the most disturbing ways, he has also grown to care for her.  The first time he begged her to fight back against her father, my heart nearly melted right out of my chest.

The writing is fluid and lyrical, it still astounds me that this was Kelsey Sutton’s debut. The story unfolds with not even a hint of how it might end, and the explanation was something I never could have guessed.  I found myself unable to put this one down as Elizabeth finds herself facing scarier things that fear. This book had me being visited by many of the emotions it personifies: sadness, curiosity, wonder, and definitely fear.  I loved every minute of it.
  Find Kelsey Sutton online: Website  •  Twitter 

Purchase Some Quiet Place:  Amazon  •  BookDepository  •  Indiebound

13 comments :

  1. I've been seeing this one around a lot and this is the first five star review I've seen for it. It definitely gives me hope that this one will be good. I love it when debut authors can impress on their first try.

    Alise @ Readers in Wonderland

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    1. Yea, I've definitely seen the mixed reviews of this one, too! In so many ways this one just got to me, though...in a good way! It's a new favorite!

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  2. I really enjoyed this one. Much more than I thought I would and it's also really weird seeing your review of it since I just posted mine. Really good review! I didn't love it as much as you did, but I loved Fear.;)

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    1. Yup, Fear was pretty awesome and very, very creepy in parts. I just hopped over to check out your review---you did a great review as well! Thanks!

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  3. Wow this sounds amazing. I've never heard of anything like this. And that cover is so unique and different. Will definitely be reading this soon. Really glad you loved it! Thanks for the awesome review, Becky :D

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  4. Thanks, Vy! This one really seems to affect people in different ways so I can't wait to see what you think!

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  5. Oooh, five stars! You've got me all interested now. This one sounds pretty different to anything I've read recently. I'm intrigued!

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    1. I hope you try it out, Leanna! I know how you like the twisty and unique so I would love to hear your thoughts on this one!

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  6. What a wonderful review!!!!!!! And I think in the end you sold me with "This book had me being visited by many of the emotions it personifies: sadness, curiosity, wonder, and definitely fear."

    I LOVE emotions and I love a book that makes me feel! Thank you :)))

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    1. Its amazing how much you feel, especially considering you're reading about a character who doesn't! I wasn't expecting to connect so much with this story or this character because of the nature of her character, but I really loved it!

      Thanks, Danny!

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  7. Okay, I need to read this book. It sounds amazeballs! I'm curious about the strange love triangle. Thanks for the awesome review, hon!

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  8. The concept sounds excellent, and I love the sound of the writing. This one is definitely going on my TBR list!

    Fabulous review :)

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  9. The cover is really intriguing as is the summary. I love the emotion component of this story. I wonder if fear would look different to different people. Thank you for this wonderful review.


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