Book Review: The Lonely Ones by Kelsey Sutton
When your only friend is your own endless imagination, how do you escape your mind and connect to the world around you?
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.
I feel it only fair to start with the fact that I absolutely adore Kelsey Sutton’s writing. She has this uncanny ability to write emotions in a way that make them characters themeselves. Her writing is lyrical, haunting, and utterly addictive. It’s no surprise that when this book was offered for review, I snatched it up.
The Lonely Ones is a bit different, because it’s written in prose. I want sure how that would translate to a whole story, but I soon found myself immersed inside Fain’s beautiful and creative brain. There’s this deep pull when reading Fain’s story. It blurs that line between Fantasy and reality, leaving you in therror leftover space. Somewhere where families aren’t perfect, and being a teen is hard, but magic might just exist.
I’m so impressed. This story could have been infinitely longer, and I would have happily kept reading. Sutton’s ability to draw me in hasn’t faltered one bit. I’m thrilled! Know that I highly recommend this book.
FTC Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. I was not monetarily compensated for my opinion.
