Review Detail

Lirael was taken as a child to be trained to eventually kill and replace her duplicate on a different Earth. The Sleepers are intent on being the ones not to disappear from the Earths, and she is one of the soldiers in their plan. But when Lira arrives at her new home, she will discover that not everything is what it seems, and sometimes being the perfect solider doesn’t equate to real happiness.

THE UNQUIET has one of the most unique premises and protagonists that I’ve ever read. I love how the author creates the idea of two parallel Earths and the consequences that might happen when you have two of everything. Lira is one of my favorite protagonists, and she has phenomenal development. She’s a dark character, often cold, and there’s a seriousness to her that shows a quiet ferocity. She doesn’t know how to connect with people well because of the environment she was trained in, yet even she can’t help a few people carving a place for themselves in her heart.

Though the romance is a minor part of the story, I couldn’t help falling head over heels for it. It’s slow, sometimes sad, but very powerful and sincere. I hoped for the best for them every step of the way. Their relationship, even before it becomes romantic, is kind of about choosing your own family when you have none of your own or when your family isn’t really a family.

The action can be a little slow at times, but it’s well worth it. Every plot point is intricately built up, laying all the necessary steps before the next big action. By the time readers get to the end, they are sure to have a book hangover they won’t forget.

Mikaela Everett tells a magnificent story of emotion, strength, and internal battles in THE UNQUIET. This is a story to sink into slowly and to leave with a new but not uncomfortable heaviness of having read a really good and deep novel.