Publishers: Flux
Published Date: July 8th 2013
From: NetGalley
My rating: 4 out of 5
Synopsis:
Elizabeth Caldwell doesn’t feel emotions . . . she sees them. Longing, Shame, and Courage materialize around her classmates. Fury and Resentment appear in her dysfunctional home. They’ve all given up on Elizabeth because she doesn’t succumb to their touch. All, that is, save one—Fear. He’s intrigued by her, as desperate to understand the accident that changed Elizabeth’s life as she is herself.
Elizabeth and Fear both sense that the key to her past is hidden in the dream paintings she hides in the family barn. But a shadowy menace has begun to stalk her, and try as she might, Elizabeth can barely avoid the brutality of her life long enough to uncover the truth about herself. When it matters most, will she be able to rely on Fear to save her?
Review:Elizabeth can see Emotions and Elements. Not in a queer colour orientated form, although that does occur, but as people. Joy, Anger, Resentment and especially Fear. Fear is the only one not intimidated by Elizabeth. She is the one that the other emotions cannot affect. For she feels no emotion, as if its been stripped from her being entirely. she only feels numb inside. When Fear comes calling he tries to entice her with images of rape, war, physical violence, but none of it effects her at all. She doesn't feel anything.
This was either a bizarrely brilliant book or barking mad but either way I really did like it and loved the concept of the story much more than I thought I would.
Elizabeth's family are as strange as they come. Her father is abusive, mostly succumbing to drink. Her mother can't stand the sight of her, and her brother Charles pretends like everything's normal But things haven't been normal since Elizabeth's car accident when she was four. And the family haven't been the same since either.
At school Elizabeth has no friends but soon starts speaking to a boy in her class because of a school assignment. She's known him since they were very young but never got to know him. She doesn't let on that she likes his company, she know he likes hers because the Emotions around him tell her.
Elizabeth has strange dreams and pretty soon the dreams get weirder and weirder to the point she can't sleep at all. Coupled with the visits from Fear and Joshua's friendliness Elizabeth has a hard time keeping her numb wall up. She doesn't want it to fall, she can't let that happen. It very nearly does when Elizabeth's only childhood friend Maggie dies from cancer. Maggie always accepted that Elizabeth was different and was never one to show her emotions, but Maggie knew that Elizabeth loved her. Also Morgan, who is autistic, is another that has broken through Elizabeth's wall in her small way. Elizabeth is the only person Morgan will talk to or interact with. I almost, at one point, had a feeling that Elizabeth herself was autistic but the story drifted into a different direction.
What really captured the story for me was the emotions. I wanted to keep reading and wait for the moment when Elizabeth's wall broke down because I was damn sure it would soon enough. The reason was simple - Joshua. A revelation happens soon after and life is never the same for Elizabeth or Joshua. And the truth is much harder to believe than anything!
Overall, I liked it but I must warn readers to keep an open mind!
You can reach Kelsey Sutton here:
This. Is. So. Weird!
ReplyDeleteShe can see emotions? Whoa. I seriously need to check this one out! I totally agree that this is either bizarrely brilliant or barking mad. :) Nicely put!