Young Adult Book Review: The Girl Who Never Was by Skylar Dorset
Title: The Girl Who Never Was:
Series: Otherworld Book One
Author: Skylar Dorset
Website | Twitter | Goodreads
Age Group: YOUNG ADULT
Genre Type: Fantasy, Faeries
Publication Date: June 3, 2014
Source: Publisher
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
SUMMARY:
"Today is my birthday."
In Selkie's family, you don't celebrate birthdays. You don't talk about birthdays. And you never, ever reveal your birth date."
Until now.
The instant Selkie blurts out the truth to Ben in the middle of Boston Common, her whole world shatters.
Because her life has been nothing but a lie—an elaborate enchantment meant to conceal the truth: Selkie is a half-faerie princess.
And her mother wants her dead.
Reading The Girl Who Never Was at first, felt like I was sitting at the Mad Tea Party, trying to keep up with the fast pace and follow the somewhat dizzying dialogue. Yet, it remained fun and entertaining throughout in a madcap sort of way.
Selkie Stewart finds out on the day of her seventeenth birthday that she is not only a faerie princess, but also half ogre. With the help of Ben, her secret crush and a faerie who has cast a protective enchantment over her to keep her safe, she goes in search of her parentage. What she ends up finding is prophecy that Selkie is going to destroy the Seelie Court, which just happens to be her mother's realm in the faerie. Needless to say, her mother is not very agreeable to this prophecy and has her own agenda for Selkie. With Ogre Aunties, Wizards, Fae Magic, the Queen of the Faeries -aka MOM, and a crush-worthy sidekick-the adventure is on!
From the heart of Boston to the dark and often cruel world of the Seelie Court, Selkie goes from being sheltered and ignorant of her changeling heritage to a daring and confident young heroine. Although her narration is crisp, I would have liked more emotional depth, making it easier to feel connected to her. Still, Selkie is completely likeable and I found myself easily sympathizing with her as she converses with an uppity rat, fights with some dangerous tulips, avoids being seduced by a mysterious goblin-all before she even meets her mysterious mother in Seelie Court!
This story takes an eclectic mix of Faerie lore and Wonderland feel and weaves in some surprisingly complex threads catching the reader by surprise. The magic of the Seelie Court is dangerous, and the author kept me intrigued with its unique characters and vivid descriptions.
The Girl Who Never Was ended up being a unique, dizzying and fast read that kept me entertained with just the right amount of open-ending to keep me curious and wanting to find out more.
My Rating: 3.5-4.0 Stars. I liked it!
PLEASE NOTE: A finished copy of this book was provided by Sourcebooks Fire in exchange for my fair and honest review. Thank you Sourcebooks Fire for the review opportunity!
