DNF at 34%

I don’t normally do books about faeries unless they have Holly Black’s name on them, but that cover and synopsis really sucked me in. And I’m not sure how to review this book.

This story was a struggle from the beginning. I had heard poor reviews from friends, but wanted to give it a try. Pretty much from the start, I could tell there was something off about the relationship about Ksenia and Josh...and yeah it’s absolutely what you’re thinking.

Plot wise, nothing made sense. I mean, I understood the general idea of what was happening, but it constantly felt like 50 words were being used when 5 would have worked. For me, things that should have been given a bit more clarity were the parts that were ignored. If that’s a specific choice for a reveal or something down the road, I didn’t get to it.

From the part that I did read, I didn’t see much of the faeries, which seems a bit odd. Perhaps things would have changed for me if I would have continued. Sadly, it just didn’t hold my interest. I didn’t care for these characters or their journey and the overuse of the words “baby” and “chubby” really annoyed me.

FYI: lots of talk of incest and a few mentions of rape

**Huge thanks to Tor Teen for providing the arc free of charge**

Well this book had a great premise and some really cool dark under tones. This book also had some real unhealthy relationships and no characters that I liked. While I liked the LGBTQ aspects I just cannot recommend this book because it was mostly boring and just not enjoyable. It was well written just not my cup of tea.

*** Thank you to Tor Teen for providing me with a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review! ***

*** Trigger Warnings: Sexual Assault (Mentioned), Violence, Suicide (Mentioned), & a Potentially Triggering Relationship (incest; though the characters “technically” are not blood related) ***

Wow. Where do I even start with this book? It was beyond bizarre and not in the way where you think “Oh, this book is so unique and interesting. It’s quirky/weird, yet fun!”. No. It was just straight up weird, confusing, and left me thinking “what the hell did I just read?”. I tried, I really did but I just could not get myself to enjoy this book which is really disappointing because creepy, evil fae! This was supposed to be awesome! However, that is not what I felt I got with this book.

Plot

First of all, this book is more about Ksenia and Josh’s relationship than it is about fae so for those of you that, like myself, were looking for a good fae time. This isn’t it. The fae didn’t even really show up until around the 25% mark and even then they were scarce. However, I will say that from what little we did see of the fae they were definitely creepy, manipulative, and downright twisted. And honestly that, to me, is fae at their best because I love the creepy, twisted ones!

Normally I could still enjoy a book that focuses more on the characters and their relationships than what I expected, but Ksenia and Josh were a huge no-no for me. This is where I’d like to discuss one of the trigger warnings I left above: incest. Ksenia and Josh are foster siblings and not blood related, however, I believe it’s the thought that counts here. Their relationship just felt icky to me while reading and I did NOT get this impression from the synopsis, but maybe that’s just me. I was expecting a brother/sister relationship….not whatever this was. Ksenia states repeatedly that she thinks of Josh as a brother and tries to keep their relationship this way but Josh is persistent (and honestly a bit obsessed) until she gives in. Which was also very disturbing and not to mention extremely unhealthy.

On top of that the story felt very convoluted and confusing, there were magic bits here and fae there trying to be weaved in but overall failing. Everything felt so messy. When the magical elements first started popping up in the book I was excited, finally something was happening! But then it felt like it was just strange for the sake of being strange, nothing is ever explained or expanded on. No world building or anything, which is always disappointing when fantastical elements are introduced into a book.

I also thought the pacing was a bit off and leaned more towards the slower side and there wasn’t any action or twists to speak of. Overall it’s more of a character study which can still propel a book forward when done right but for me left something to be desired.

I will say that I did like the writing and it was really good, anything that can get me to read through this mess of a plot definitely deserves credit that’s for sure. I will give Sarah Porter’s other book “Vassa in the Night” a try and hopefully will have better luck there.

Characters

The characters are the main focus of the book and we get POVs from all three of the main characters: Ksenia, Josh, and Lexi. Ksenia and Josh are foster siblings and Lexi is one of their best friends but she doesn’t really come into play until later in the story. I will say that the characters definitely have a lot of complexity and are very flawed which made them all the more interesting and relatable.

Ksenia came from a broken family and suffered at the hands of people in previous foster homes, she found solace in her foster brother, Josh, at her new foster home. However, a lot of people do not like her because she comes off as “cold and aloof” but really it’s more of a defense mechanism. She’s described as being androgynous and also having acne, I thought I’d mention that because it’s really refreshing to have a heroine/main character who isn’t perfect and is realistic. Trust me, acne is something I can relate to! I didn’t really care for Ksenia right away but as the story continued she really grew on me and I could definitely sympathize with her character.

Josh on the other hand I didn’t really care for but he had a way of making you not outright hate him either. He’s described as being chubby and pansexual, he also dresses very flamboyantly with colored hair and plenty of glitter eyeliner, which I loved! However, Josh comes off a little strong. He has plenty of friends and quite literally everyone loves him and he’s very kind, BUT, he’s obsessed with Ksenia. He would do anything to have her and keep her, which you find out while reading. This is why I didn’t end up liking him a whole lot: he basically pushes Ksenia out of her comfort zone and I was not comfortable with that. Yes, he’s got a lot going but I don’t think it excuses pushing the boundaries that Ksenia chose to put up.

Then last but not least we have Lexi who was probably my favorite character. She’s a POC and is described as being non-white and is bisexual/pansexual (it’s not stated which she specifically identifies as). I was pleasantly surprised by her since I originally thought her to just be a background character, but she proved to be much more than that! Lexi is such a strong character and I loved how she stood up not only for herself and her choices but for others and theirs as well. There are a few scenes that really resonated with me; Lexi at one point is walking away from an argument with her boyfriend and he grabs her arm to prevent her from doing so and tells him to let go to which they both respond with:

“Will you listen to me, if I let go? Just for a minute?”
“My freedom is not something you can bargain with.”

I thought this was just such a powerful scene and I loved and respected Lexi for being strong and standing up for herself like this. There’s also another scene where she defends Ksenia when some high schoolers are making rude comments and gossiping about her. Lexi doesn’t care about Ksenia and Josh’s backgrounds or the fact that they are foster kids, she sees them as equals and treats them as such.

Overall I did enjoy the characters and how they developed throughout the story BUT it just wasn’t enough to make up for the strange, convoluted plot line.

Romance

I’ve already mentioned it a few times but I did not like the overall romance in this book. It focuses mainly on the relationship between Ksenia and Josh and it’s border line incest, in my opinion. Ksenia has put up boundaries and tells Josh she sees him as a brother and he should treat their relationship accordingly. However, Josh is constantly trying to push these boundaries and enter a romantic relationship with Ksenia to which she eventually relents. I didn’t care for that at all, if Ksenia says she wants their relationship to remain un-romantic then Josh should have respected her wishes if he truly loved and cared about her. However, the relationship was consensual. I just didn’t like how they went about getting there.

I found their relationship to overall be very unhealthy not only because of their foster situation as “siblings” under the same roof but because of how Josh pursued Ksenia. He wanted to keep her all to himself and goes to great lengths to do so, I won’t mention exactly because I want to keep the review spoiler free. Just know it definitely is not a healthy, normal relationship.

There is an F/F relationship that blossoms towards the end of the story that I liked MUCH better and it was also much healthier. I won’t mention specifics because, again, I’d like to avoid spoilers!

In Conclusion

What I Loved:

Creepy, twisted Fae (though I didn’t get enough of them)
Good writing
Complex, developed characters (mostly Lexi, who was a total badass)
Diversity (Including POC and LGTBQ+ characters)
F/F romance, later in the story

What I Didn’t Love:

Bizarre, convoluted, confusing story
Not enough Fae
Not any world building, not enough magical/fantastical elements
Slow paced
Unhealthy, border line incestuous relationship

Recommend?

I can’t say I really recommend this but for the right reader it could be an enjoyable story, especially if you like strange, dark character studies with a little Fae mixed in. However, if you’re looking for a story strictly for the Fae there really isn’t much here. I personally could not get past the relationship the book chose to focus on.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of Never-Contented Things in exchange for an honest review!

DNF @ 20%

Did I just awaken from a fever dream? Never-Contented Things was so off the wall that I still have no idea what I just read.

The cover was really what drew me into this book, but that definitely wasn't enough to keep me in. I really wanted to love this book; I wanted to be in the minority of people who reviewed this. But, alas, Never-Contented Things definitely wasn't for me.

I'm not going to stress too much on the writing-style, because after awhile I adjusted to it; but it was very iffy in the beginning. The characters really weren't that great -- I didn't care for Ksenia at all. & her foster-brother, Josh, was fine in the beginning. I loved that he was glamorous & extravagant, but after awhile I just ended up annoyed by his neediness & obsession with Ksenia.

The main thing that I couldn't deal with was the incestuous vibes. Granted, Ksenia & Josh are not blood-related, but it was written in a way that made me so extremely uncomfortable. It probably didn't help how often it was mentioned that it was practically incest & that Ksenia acknowledged it as such.

The last chapter that I read -- the chapter that really made me set this book down -- had me so disturbed, and not in the way that I typically enjoy (when I watch or read something in the horror genre). It felt very rape-y & I just.. I couldn't do it, friends.

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

The two words to most accurately describe this book? Creepily Strange.
While this book never names them, the antagonists in this book are fae, and this book is them what I would consider their most natural. These are most the shining elves or the misunderstood that can change from love. These fae may have human shape, but they are most definitely not human. And yet, this book is not about the fae.

This is a book about Ksenia, Josh, and Lexi. All three have their own parts-- sections of the book told from their point of view. One fae does get a chapter, but while it lead to the gritty atmosphere, I'm not sure if it did anything for the book. All three main characters are changed in someway and they grow, for the most part. Understanding why they had to change, is the basis for this book, I feel.

So, let me talk about the characters.
I adore Lexi. She isn't propped up as a main character until her section comes about. Until then, I just thought she'd be another background character. Lexi is a champion for consent in all things and everyone being allowed choices. She is presented as not-white, because of she father's lifestory, she understands her middle-class privilege, and she's not down with mean-spirited gossip. Lexi is one of the most woke characters I've ever read and honestly she even opened my eyes. The below lines are just one of the few moments that feel seared into my mind.
<i><b>“Will you listen to me, if I let go? Just for a minute?”
“My freedom is not something you can bargain with.”</b></i>

Ksenia took a while to grow on me, but wow did I feel for this girl. She's a foster kid with lots of baggage who doesn't open up completely to anyone, not even herself. There is so much I wish to say about Ksenia, but I can't without spoiling things. Her growth though, or how it comes about, is heartbreaking.

Josh out of all three is the one I don't really like, but at the same time I can't NOT like him. His kindness, warmth, and radiance truly shine through the pages. He is the light by which Ksenia's character is somewhat defined by, and therein lies some of the problems that come about. I can't blame him for anything that happens, you can only hope that he'll get therapy to help. What comes about because of his decisions, what happens to Ksenia and him is what almost brought me to tears. Because truly, I was able to connect to these characters and even though I wasn't enthralled with his section, he is a character you just want to see happy.

There are some LGBTQA themes here and while this most definitely isn't a romance novel, there is a slight romantic edge to this book. tFYI, there is no straight up sex in this novel, but it is mentioned and there is kissing.
See, this book is about looking deeply at yourself and also about love in it's different forms-- good and bad.

This book has a creepy feel to it with the bizarre things that happen. It is darkly atmospheric and while I wasn't always 100% hooked, the writing is really well done; I always wanted to know how it would end.
I'd recommend this to people who like darker books and are looking for something a little strange.

If I was giving out awards for beautiful book covers, you can bet that Never-Contented Things would be getting one. The cover is absolutely striking, and immediately gave me an impression of the sort of story that it would have.
Never-Contented Things was written by Sarah Porter, and it’s an interesting shift on the whole fae/changeling/human dynamic. That’s not to say that the typical hierarchy isn’t there, because it absolutely is. More that the perspective is different. Everything is from the human side, and it really makes you realize just how hard it could be to identify fae actions.
Warnings: Two of the main characters in this novel are foster children. One of them had a pretty horrible life before she ended up where she did. Her backstory starts out as hinting, but will eventually outright state the fact that she was raped. There are no details, but it does come up from time to time. And it results in a few uncomfortable scenes. Also, like any true fae story, there are some kidnappings that occur throughout. That’s probably more expected though.
Never-Contented Things was such a different experience to read. It had fae, and I believe changelings as well, and of course there were plenty of humans. Together it was and always is a recipe for disaster. Yet Sarah Porter managed to make her telling unique, despite the rules she based it on.
The whole story is set in this perspective you don’t really get when it comes to fae stories, and I love that. I spent half the novel trying to convince myself that I wasn’t imagining things, and the other half worrying about how they would get out of their situation.
I loved the different perspective on this tale. If I could get more stories like this, I would be thrilled. There are big bad fae as well, and not the type that appears to be bad, but are truly nice on the inside. I mean they are truly horrible creatures, through and through. It’s refreshing that Porter stuck to her guns there.
I’ll admit that at times the novel did drag on more than was needed. The subtlety was appreciated at first – it was refreshing not just seeing the fae jump out and go ‘boo!’ to the main characters. But after a while I found myself wondering if they would ever actually see them - which might make for an interesting book, but it’d have to be done carefully.
There was a lot of raw human nature in this book, both the good and the bad. I actually loved the juxtaposition between all the human emotions and reactions and the fae just doing their thing. It added a complexity to the world that I hadn’t expected.
It took me a while to become attached to the main perspectives in this novel, but it did happen. Once I was invested in what was happening to them, I couldn’t stop myself from worrying and theorizing about what was going to happen next.
The ending came as a bit of a relief to me. I was happy to see how everything played out – especially since not everyone got what they wanted. Likewise, not everyone got what they deserved…but that’s to be expected. Life is hardly ever that clean, especially when the fae have become involved.

Never-Contented Things is a book that is dark and has horror vibes and I loved it. I am always in the mood for a book on the fae and because NCT is by Sarah Porter I knew that I was in for a dark, wild and whimsical ride and I was not disappointed.

I was surprised my this book. I knew the story had fae and I thought that the story would be centered on them more than it actually was. NCT is character centered, not the infamous magical creatures that are dangerous and deadly. Don't get me wrong they are still dangerous and deadly, actually frighteningly so but the story doesn't revolve around them and their magic. The story centers on primarily on Ksenia her foster-brother, Joshua but on others and their relationships as well.

The story is very character driven and takes a deep look at different types of relationships and teaches how one relationship can be viewed in many different ways. How people can see the world in different ways. The book does have some darker themes, the emotional damage that can be traumatic for a child, the foster-care system, how one actually sees themselves, how dark the world can be for some and not others and so on.

Don't get me wrong the fae are very much in the story and they are just as dangerous as you can imagine and the things that happen... at one point shit just gets crazy and it's a little bit of a horror show. They have their magic and create fantastical things all the while being evil incarnate. And while they may not be the fae that I am use too they are still at their very core fae and I love it.

Sarah has written such a wonderful book and I don't think I am doing it justice in this review. It's so different, a little weird and marvelous. I loved reading the story and I felt so invested in Ksenia, what would happen to her and the others, what would her life be like if she can change things around. The story kept my interest all the way through and there was no way I could predict to were the story was headed or how it was going to end. I admit the ending left me a little sad but that is okay sometimes because not everything is meant for a perfect ending and this story is a great teacher of that.

Overall 3.75 stars

Knesia and Josh. I initially thought this was going to be their love story, I realized too late that it wasn't. This book is set in a normal town, with normal high school kids issues. Knesia is the outcast, she has lived a hard life and is the foster kid in town. Josh is her foster brother he is a little different, a bit of an outcast, but is generally liked. Unfortunately he loves Knesia and this love borders on obsessive. However it passes obsession very quickly, and it is scary to see how Knesia can't seem to see what is happening to her.

The author can write, very well. The pages are beautifully written, I could read her writing all day long. However this one just isn't for me. The story it self bounced around a little too much for me, and at some points I didn't know who was talking or who's POV the chapter was from. That could just be the ebook copy.

I was given this book in exchange for my honest review.

First off, I have to say - I love a good faerie story. Not like a fairy tale or children's story (although I do like those too), but a real, dark, gritty story about the realm of the faerie and how twisted they can be. I was already expecting to like this book. Part of it reminded me of Tithe by Holly Black, and I think fans of that book would enjoy this one as well.

Plus look at how gruesomely beautiful that cover is!

The best part of Porter's storytelling is how well she juggles the different voices of these characters. There are three point-of-view characters: Ksenia, Josh, and their friend Lexi, who is trying to help save them. Each time the point-of-view changes, the writing is decidedly different. Lexi is more practical, Josh is more irrational under the faerie's spell, Ksenia is more conflicted. It was very well done and very well written.

I also like that this is a bit different. Ksenia and Josh get taken to the faerie realm, but in a different way than what I had seen before. Instead of crossing over a barrier and going to a different place, the fae world looks exactly the same, just . . . off. Different. Odd. It is a really creepy way to distort reality in this way, which is perfect for dealing with fae creatures. Porter has a very good way of describing things that is very poetic and beautiful, but also very unnerving. It all just works so well!

Speaking of, let's talk about the fae. We don't actually see them much, only a few brief times in the whole first half of the book, but their absence actually makes them a bit scarier. We know they are in charge of this strange new world, but we can't see them. They are just there, watching. The other creatures that we see are fae creatures that are also . . . sort of part of Ksenia and Josh? Pieces of them that break away? Not to give anything away too much, but Ksenia especially has to face her own inner demons almost as much as she has to deal with the fae holding her captive, and the combining of those two things made the story even more compelling.

This isn't for everyone, but if you like a creepy story about the fae and how they like to play with their chosen "pets," you would probably really enjoy this.

First off, the one thing this book did right was horror - I have come across dark fae stories often enough, but this one truly makes them terrifying, in a sense that it barely skims on their beauty and dives headfirst into a terrific imagery of manipulations, hallucinations and dread. There are certain scenes in this book that project an image of a horror movie so clearly in your mind, and I have to give kudos to the writing for being exactly what this book intended to be.

On a leafy street, in a drowsy yellow house, I stumbled onto something monstrous. My spirit had to swell, and it had to change its contours, to meet the enormity on its own terms.


Moving on, this story's blurb may suggest that it is just about two siblings trapped by the faeries (though they aren't really called that in this book) but it is about much more. It has themes of obsessive love trapping you in place, toxic relationships, self-realization and misanthropy. Being told by Ksenia, Josh, Lexi (their friend), and Unselle (one of the faeries), the story winds up being about the importance of truth in a land of lies. Speaking of lies, I liked that it went by the approach of not fae-telling-twisted-truths-as-they-can't-lie, but by they-are-outright-manipulating. Josh gets dragged into their schemes when he tries to get them both (he and Ksenia) refuge into their realm, as he doesn't want to be separated (he's 16, she's almost 18) from his foster sister when she ages out of the system. Her love is familial, borne out of a shared misery from the world and the adults who disappointed her, but his leans towards romantic, and she doesn't realize it is healthy. Meanwhile, Lexi, who is Josh's best friend but who has always admired Ksenia and wanted to be her friend, sees this and tries to get Ksenia out of it, thus being dragged into the faerie games.

The story is different now; that’s how it goes. You think you have a good hold on the thread, you think you can follow it, but then it twists and winds and knots in your hands and suddenly you’re on a path you never even knew existed.



The first half of the book was entertaining and kept at a good pace to keep me engaged, but the second half languished a bit, deciding where it wanted to go; it manages to get back on track by the end, delivering a good bittersweet conclusion to the story. A big thing I liked about the story is how it presented the complex nature of Ksenia's character arc in a physical manifestation, the resolution of which was mirrored by the way out of their predicament. Also the concept of the self, as the way you present it, as well as the way you hide it, was played around well in this. The dialogues could have been better, because sometimes they actually spoke in teen-speak but then other times they are unnecessarily archaic sounding.

And finally, because this feels necessary to add because this has often been something that bothers me - while the story does suggest incest between the foster siblings, it isn't condoned or romanticized, and instead presented as abuse.

Overall, this is a well-written horror urban fantasy, satisfactorily self-contained in its lore and story.

Warmth is usually a performance, a way of covering up for something deeper. Something frozen. Inside us it’s like the ocean: the temperature drops as you go down.

DNF at 20%.

This was a promising premise, but after giving the story a fair chance, it wasn't for me.

This is a very dark fantasy told in a contemporary setting. It has codependency and often was disturbing to read. I skimmed around, after reading consistently for 20%, just to see if the story picks up or if I connect to it a bit better.

While I admire the message that was trying to be relayed, I did not connect to the characters and essentially the story. Others would say that it compares to TCP, but I also don't think that's fair.

Trigger warning for unhealthy and codependent relationships, in all sense of those terms.

*Thank you to the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.*

This book was a wild ride of confusion. It's well written, but to what end? Maybe I'm just biased against it because I'm just really not into incest at all, not even from people who are technically not related. If you have to add the "technically" to justify it, then the relationship is probably creepy. But maybe that was the point? I really disliked Josh's character, but I think I was supposed to. He was annoying, emotionally abusive, and kind of coercive. I tolerated Ksenia, but I don't see why anyone would be so obsessed with her. The only two characters I liked were Lexi (in her first POV chapter) and Kay.

The author can clearly write, and the different POVs were distinct enough that I wasn't confused. However, the plot just kind of gave me anxiety, and it dragged on a bit. The book description on NetGalley doesn't really prepare you for what it is, which is a clusterf**k of cruel fairies with little background or world building explained. The entire first paragraph of the description talks about Prince, even though he's probably only in the book like 5% of the time. When do we even see that he and his courtiers are "exhausted by the tedium of the centuries"? When do we even learn about Faery? I think this book disappointed me and confused me largely because from the description I expected something a bit more like The Cruel Prince, which is not at all what I got.

A note about representation: Both MCs seem to be nonbinary or gender fluid (at the very least, androgynous), and there is plenty of lgbt rep. The author touches on how their identities make them feel isolated, but it's in a very obvious and dramatic way, as a warning.

Trigger warnings: sexual assault, incest, abuse

DNF'd @ 25%

I thought this sounded fantastic, but unfortunately I just couldn't get into the story or the characters in the least. It just wasn't for me. Thanks anyway, NetGalley.

I was the one who said the magic words, and now we're all living under a spell.

This is one of those ratings where I'm being objective, because though it's not an easy, or entirely enjoyable read for me, I was still very much in awe of some of the writing here, and the subjects tackled.

In a small town near Buffalo, beautiful and untamed Josh goes missing after partying with a group of beautiful strangers. His foster-sister, Ksenia, was there but even she can't find him - until one day when a domino falls and kicks off a bigger chain reaction than anyone could have predicted.

Firstly, the good points - the writing here is lush and poetic, and will absolutely resonate with it's audience. The book wraps some ugly and weighty subjects up in those pretty words, but they're things teenagers have to think about, and for the right reader this book is going to feel like a revelation and validation all in one. Add to that faeries done right - full of teeth and torments - and you've got yourself a dark opera of a book, emotions always front and centre and everything tinged with pain, but lifted by the ever-present promise of escape.

For me, being a few years past the teenage/twenties emotional minefield, it was always on the verge of edging into too much. But I'm not yet far enough away that I've forgotten how it felt back then, and for a teenager going through a hard time, this book might just be that everything to escape into that some of our characters so desperately needed.

Overall a very good book, even if I'm no longer it's target.

My Review: First off this is NOT ANYTHING like the Cruel Prince!!
When I started this one I thought I was going to DNF it. It was weird and felt kind of choppy to me. But I held out and I am so glad that I did because this is by far Porter's best book yet!!

If you are looking for an old tale about the Fey then look no further. This one kind of reminded me of Vip Ran Winkle where he was enthralled by the Fey. I have to say that this was nothing like The Cruel Prince and it was something totally new. As the Fey are not the main theme of this title.

This is one dark and messed up title about two kids in foster care. Where one is getting ready to age out the other one is stuck with their foster family for another two years.

I have to say that this title had a great message of hope. That no matter what has happened to you, you can always have hope.

The relationship Josh and Ksenia was both heartbreaking and very messy. Although they are not blood related for Ksenia, Josh is her brother not her lover etc. But Josh doesn't see her that way. He wants them to be together forever. It was a twist that I didn't know what to do with when I read it. It was like at every turn these two chose the wrong thing to stay together.

I have to say that in the end this was so worth the read and I am totally glad that I did read it. It had some very hard parts to get through about roles within relationships and at times it was very very dark. But it had a few great messages about hope and getting out of poison relationships and learning to choose the right thing.

Go Into This One Knowing: LGBT, Dark, Fey, Bad Relationships

Oh, Never Contented Things, I had such high hopes for you, with your dreadfully wonderful cover and summary that whispered of dark faeries. And yet, I was let down. I actually almost DNF this, but I pushed through because of said high hopes.
The best, but also most disappointing, thing about this book was the Holly Black Tithe and Marissa Marr Wicked Lovely vibes I got from it. Like those two series, Never Contented Things seeks to capture the malevolent nature of Faerie. Unlike those two series, Never Contented Things takes it in a slightly different direction. Instead of being dark and serious, it has a strange childlike feel to the story. Especially the faeries. They don’t really do much, besides watch the main characters and occasionally taunt them.
However, Porter does manage to use a lot of typical faerie elements in her stories, like that fact that you shouldn’t eat or drink in the faerie realm unless you want to be trapped there, the idea of changelings, the power of names, and the strange passing of time between the human and faerie worlds, to name a few. It’s rare these days to find faerie stories that still talk of the old ways of dealing with the fae, so it’s nice to see in Never Contented Things.
As I said before, the faeries aren’t really active characters in the story. You have two main ones: Prince, who seems so dark and dangerous in the summary, and Unselle, whose name must be a tribute to the Unseelie fae. While Prince is set up to be a wonderful villain, and he certainly acts and responds to the humans like I would expect a faerie to do, he falls really flat. There is not nearly enough of him in the book, and the scenes we do have him in just have him be amused by Ksenia. Unselle, on the other hand, we see a lot of. She’s certainly twisted, but she also contributes to the childish vibes I get from this story. She acts like Victoria from Bravely Default, and I really don’t like that in a main villain (because who else would be the main villain?).
If I’m talking about characters, I should probably mention Josh, Ksenia, and Lexi too. Bluntly: I don’t like Josh because of the way he acts, Ksenia is weird (and she’s supposed to be), but Lexi is pretty cool. The biggest part of my reaction to them is Ksenia and Josh’s relationship, which is WAY too close to incest and a bit too rapey for me. That’s gonna be a no from me. After all, they are foster siblings who grew up in the system together. Ksenia doesn’t even want to be with Josh, until she reluctantly gives in. And he keeps calling her “baby” and “Kezzers” (a nickname I hate for her) and it makes me want to through up.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted from this book’s ending. After all, the build-up to this point just teetered on the edge of good and bad, so I knew the ending would determine how I really felt about the book. And honestly? I still don’t know whether it was good or bad. I liked a lot of the elements of this story, I just really don’t like the characters and the way they interact. I’m not sure who the target audience of this book would be, but I don’t think it is me.

Unfortunately, this did not work at all for me.

My biggest issue with this book was the writing and how odd it was. I'm not easily put off by a weird story, but this....just didn't work. When I thought things couldn't get any weirder or more disturbing I was so very wrong. 99.9% of the time I was uncomfortable reading this because of the toxic co-dependent / foster sibling incest discussions this story contained. I also found that the writing did not make me care about any of the characters as well. The world-building was just not there, everything was just bland in the human world and confusing in the faerie realm. There was little magic, lots of confusion, and that's basically it.

This book was pitched to make it seem like the faeries would be a huge part of the plot and it just didn't seem that way at all.

3 stars

*Thank you to the author and NetGalley for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

This book...makes me feel soconflicted. The premise is something that I am always drawn to - seductive and dangerous fae who like to play games. *cough* Cardan *cough*

And that's what I got. To some extent.

The book starts off strong, and I thought "This is great! I don't want to stop reading!" But somewhere along the line, everything became kind of...weak.

This book was staged as following Prince and his posse of bored faeries, seeking to play and manipulate the lives of humans for their own pleasure and entertainment. They've discovered their next target, and won't desist from their games until they are under their complete possession.

However, this all seems to be taking place behind closed doors, because we hardly get a glimpse of the fairies in action. I could count on one hand how many interactions they actually have with the main characters, so don't be expecting a lot of page-time with them. I was left really dissatisfied with the lack of scenes and interplay they had in this book. If I pick up a book about fairies I want fairies on every page, dammit!

The other thing is that the book felt very rushed, yet so painfully slow at times. I don't know how that works...

This book really missed the mark with me. I was so excited to read this, and don't get me wrong, it was really enjoyable at times. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was left unfulfilled at the end of it.
4 likes

I believe the synopsis to NEVER-CONTENTED THINGS was kinda misleading. I can handle the relationship between the two primary characters as they are foster siblings who have romantic feelings for each other. I can also handle the other dark content within the book. I think it is important to expose teenaged readers to such topics. However, for the book to be marketed as a "fae" book, there weren't a lot of "fae" in it, which was very disappointing. Sarah Porter's prose is hard-hitting and engrossing, but the actual plot and frequency of "fae" doesn't come until much later in the book. If you're patient enough and have a strong stomach for heavy topics then give it a-go.

2.8/5 stars, but I'll round it up to a 3.

I think what I loved most about this book was that the teenagers were not perfect angels. They were messed up with a lot of co-dependency and unhealthy relationships. Just like the real world. The cover is what immedietly drew me to this book. Followed by the synopsis since I am in a bit of a fairy kick. However there isn't really to much of a mention of fae in this.
I will warn you that this is a very dark book, there is a lot of material that is explicit and it is not for someone looking for a light sunny read. Some of the subject can be triggering.