Review – The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton (5/5 stars)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Poetry/Magical Realism
Length: 240 pages
Publisher: Philomel Books
Release Date: April 26, 2016
ISBN-13: 978-0399172892
Stand Alone or Series: Stand Alone
Source: Swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Rating: 5/5 stars
“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.”
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book that I swapped through Paperbackswap.com
Story (5/5): This whole book is written in free verse. Fain spends her nights on adventures with the monsters that have adopted her into her family, yet her days are not as thrilling. Her days are spent with parents who ignore her and peers who either ridicule of ignore her as well. This is the story of Fain as she finds her way back to the real world; healing things with her family and finding friendship in unlikely places.
Characters (5/5): I loved Fain and I think she is a character a lot of people can relate to. She is awkward and doesn’t fit in, she is also plagued indirectly by the problems her parents have. She finds her escape in the beautiful adventures that she creates. Fain is one of those quietly powerful characters and I loved reading about how she grew and changed throughout the book.
Setting (5/5): This book alternates between modern day setting and the magical worlds that Fain journeys to in her adventures. A lot of the book is set in Fain’s high school as well. I loved the description of the world Fain goes on adventures in; they were absolutely magical and really came alive for me.
Writing Style (5/5): As mentioned above this whole book is written in free verse. I absolutely loved this and loved how it gave you glimpses into Fain’s live but still provided you with a very cohesive story. The description here is amazing and completely masterful. I loved how this unique story form provided such a magical and engaging story. I had a lot of trouble putting this down and zipped right through it. I loved every minute of reading this.
Summary (5/5): Overall I had a lot of trouble putting this down and loved the way such an intricate story was told in verse. I was a bit skeptical that I would enjoy this at first, but it’s so well written that it just sucks the reader in. I am a big fan of Kelsey Sutton in general and this ranks right up at the top as one of my favorite books by her. Even if you aren’t a fan of free verse I would recommend this if you enjoy magical realism and contemporary YA fiction.
