Thank you to YaReads Blog Tours for allowing me to hose a stop on this tour! The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton is an oddly unique book that I don't think you'll want to miss.
Before I get too into my thoughts on it, please take a look at some of details of this fabulous middle grade fantasy novel.
The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton
Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy
Published by Philomel
Published on April 26th, 2016
With parents too busy to pay her attention, an older brother and sister who would rather spend their time with friends, and peers who oscillate between picking on her and simply ignoring her, it’s no wonder that Fain spends most of her time in a world of her own making. During the day, Fain takes solace in crafting her own fantastical adventures in writing, but in the darkness of night, these adventures come to life as Fain lives and breathes alongside a legion of imaginary creatures. Whether floating through space or under the sea, climbing mountains or traipsing through forests, Fain becomes queen beyond – and in spite of – the walls of her bedroom. In time, Fain begins to see possibilities and friendships emerge in her day-to-day reality. . . yet when she is let down by the one relationship she thought she could trust, Fain must decide: remain queen of the imaginary creatures, or risk the pain that comes with opening herself up to the fragile connections that exist only in the real world? Told in breathless and visual verse, THE LONELY ONES takes readers through the intricate inner workings of a girl who struggles to navigate isolation and finds friendship where she least expects it.
About The Author
Kelsey Sutton is the author of teen novels SOME QUIET PLACE and GARDENIA. She is also the author of two novels for middle grade readers, THE LONELY ONES and BENJAMIN. She lives in Minnesota, where she received a dual bachelor’s degree in English and Creative Writing from Bemidji State University. She is currently working on a master’s degree from Hamline University. Her work has received an Independent Publisher Book Award, an IndieFab Award, and was selected as a Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Book of 2013. When not writing, Kelsey can be found watching too much Netflix, ordering a mocha at the nearest coffee shop, or browsing a bookstore. You can follow her website and like her on Facebook, Goodreads, and follow her on Twitter @KelseyJSutton.
Rating: 4 Stars
I'm not usually a big fan of verse books because I feel that most of them can't pull me in adequately enough to enjoy the story, so what's the point really?
I'm glad that I decided to give The Lonely Ones a chance in spite of my misgivings. It is not only lyrical, but it is relateable. I understood how Fain felt through out the story. The words pulled me in, but it was what I saw of myself in the main character that made me want to stay and see where this was all going.
The thing that impressed me the most about the way the book was written, besides the verse being very good and very interesting, was that it did not lag much. I would have expected a book like this to at least have some parts where the flow just didn't work, but there were next to none. I found myself gobbling this book down like there was no tomorrow. Maybe it was because I was loving the story so much or because the book is so short, but it was gone in a day, a fact which made me quite sad.
Luckily for you, as someone who hasn't read it yet, I can share below an exerpt from the novel so that you can get just a taste of the excellence that awaits you.
Read below for an excerpt from The Lonely Ones
THE CALL
Claws scrape
against my window sill.
Then, a voice,
raspy, childlike, familiar.
It calls my name
and becomes a symphony.
“Fain, are you coming?”
“Come with us, Fain!”
“Wake up!”
“Open your eyes, Fain!”
I try to be firm,
I try to say no.
There’s a voice in my head
that whispers I’m getting too old
for these games and adventures.
The ground is so thick with mud
that someone could notice
my tracks.
But my little friends persist
again and again.
Their pleas batter
against my resolve,
until debris crashes down
and I am too weak to resist.
The unbearable truth is
no one will notice my tracks
because no one notices anything.
I take one of their scaly hands,
a feather tickles against my cheek.
Then I climb outside
and disappear into the night.
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Great review, Heather! Thanks so much for joining the Lonely Ones review tour!
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Thank you for having me. This was such a cool read!
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