Read of the Week: Some Quiet Place by Kelsey Sutton

I can’t feel sadness, anger, or fear. I can’t feel anything. I’ve grown talented at pretending.

Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them in human form. Longing hovers around the shy, adoring boy at school. Courage materializes beside her dying friend. Fury and Resentment visit her abusive home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, except beautiful Fear, who sometimes torments her and other times plays her compassionate savior. He’s obsessed with finding the answer to one question: What happened to Elizabeth to make her this way?

They both sense that the key to Elizabeth’s condition is somehow connected to the paintings of her dreams, which show visions of death and grief that raise more questions than answers. But as a shadowy menace begins to stalk her, Elizabeth’s very survival depends on discovering the truth about herself. When it matters most, she may not be able to rely on Fear to save her.

We all thought 2013 was over, and technically, by the time that I publish this itsy bitsy review of mine, it will be… but for me, right now, it’s 5:12PM on New Years Eve, and while I can be drinking champagne with the family, or preparing for all the exciting New Years festivities, I’m writing a review of the single-handedly most enjoyable book of 2013. You’d say it might be a bit too late to say that, but I say that there’s approximately six hours and forty-eight minutes left of 2013 and I am not one to take defeat so easily. On that note, Some Quiet Place also wins the award for being the most surprising book of the year. Much like the few I can name before its kind(Doon, Control), SQP did a wondrous job of alluding me into thinking I’d end up writing another drab review, only to find that not all of 2013’s haul is absolute crap. Excuse my language. Or don’t. I don’t know.

Now, where can I start? Well, first and foremost, I don’t think I’ve ever actually been so torn between love interests in my life. Usually I come across a set of characters, pick a side, and stick it through till the end. Team Switzerland I have never been, until, of course, this baby came along. Though, I did feel it ended the way it should have regarding romantic elements. Our pair of boo bears were both wonderful in their own ways, but I will admit that one seemed to have some sort of heightened inclination about him, tehe. As for our brokenhearted boy, I lovingly hope that Sutton decides to go on and pursue the rest of his story because a boy as perfect as that is yet to be through in the dating world. Also, I feel the need to add that I was continuously picturing Jack Frost from Rise of The Guardians as Fear and regret nothing. Is that sad? Only a little, right? I mean, look at that face and tell me you don’t feel something.

if you look close enough  there are even little snowflakes in his eyes, I mean, come on.

Drama? For someone who doesn’t feel a thing, I’ve never seen so much of it, and have absolutely indulged in the torture.  Kelsey has such a great way of developing plot, and characters. Mystery was ever present and probably my favorite thing about the novel as a whole. It was really fun having to constantly set the book down and think about where it’s going for once. The story was  extremely refreshing and I hope in 2014 we start seeing a lot more of this sort of individuality.

The character relationships in Some Quiet Place were all so fragile and experiencing things in the perspective of someone who has the inability to feel any sort of emotions was unsurprisingly introspective. Seeing Elizabeth’s reactions to family life and and small-town living issues was somewhat relatable and not so much, in different standpoints. Elizabeth’s relationship with Maggie tore my heart apart and at the same time enlightened me knowing that Elizabeth had such a great companion. Elizabeth’s connection to both Fear and Joshua was heartwarming and I totally admire the fact that Sutton took the time to develop friendships before anything turned romantic.

The way things left off was realistic enough with just a pinch of fairytale-isticness that has left me with double happiness. Kelsey Sutton has won unconditional immunity from me; after Some Quiet Place I’ll be sure to read anything she writes.

And as it should, 2013’s last Read of the Week goes out with a bang.

Rating: 10/10