Wonderful Fantasy with Autistic Main Character!
Do you ever read a book and feel like you’ve just gone on an epic, life-changing adventure? Well, that’s how I felt about Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman!
The novel follows Seelie, a changeling who ran away from home with her twin sister, but desperately wants to find a way back. The two find themselves in a precarious situation after they steal an enchanted compass from the powerful Leira Wildfall. Unbeknownst to them, the mysterious Raze and Olani were also trying to steal the artifact. Now that Seelie’s magic accidentally caused the item to be imbedded in her hand, her and her sister are somewhat unwilling participants on the journey to find the treasure.
My favorite aspect of this novel is that Seelie is autistic, which is shown through her being a changeling. We really don’t see autistic characters enough in literature, and it was refreshing to see myself in a character. Housman mentioned that her own life likely would have been different if she had seen autistic characters in the novels she read, and she is making that happen for autistic people everywhere.
So many of Seelie’s mannerisms were relatable. As someone who was only recently diagnosed as neurodiverse, it is comforting to read about Seelie’s journey, and know that I’m not alone. That I’m not the only one who doesn’t feel comfortable opening up to strangers, who needs a while to process how I’m feeling, who can’t always verbalize what I mean, and who is sometimes okay with a hug or a pat on the back, but sometimes not.
On top of that, the way the other characters loved Seelie, not despite her autism, but because of it, gave me chills. So often we see diagnoses as something that others must get past to love someone, but in reality they can make us love someone even more. We can find joy in the ways we are different, and maybe some day, see autism as a neutral or positive attribute about someone, instead of as a diagnosis.
Additionally, the adventure in this novel was fantastic! There’s everything from faeries to shapeshifters to changelings to dragons, and the plot is robust, yet not too overwhelming. I thought the plot complemented the relationships that develop throughout the novel well, and I appreciated how the suspense built all the way to the end of the book.
Overall, there are not many books where I feel the need to message the author immediately after finishing the novel, but this was one of those rarities! I had to use all of my self-control to wait until an appropriate time to send messages, but I am very happy to report that there will be a sequel, and I will certainly be anxiously awaiting its publication!
The novel follows Seelie, a changeling who ran away from home with her twin sister, but desperately wants to find a way back. The two find themselves in a precarious situation after they steal an enchanted compass from the powerful Leira Wildfall. Unbeknownst to them, the mysterious Raze and Olani were also trying to steal the artifact. Now that Seelie’s magic accidentally caused the item to be imbedded in her hand, her and her sister are somewhat unwilling participants on the journey to find the treasure.
My favorite aspect of this novel is that Seelie is autistic, which is shown through her being a changeling. We really don’t see autistic characters enough in literature, and it was refreshing to see myself in a character. Housman mentioned that her own life likely would have been different if she had seen autistic characters in the novels she read, and she is making that happen for autistic people everywhere.
So many of Seelie’s mannerisms were relatable. As someone who was only recently diagnosed as neurodiverse, it is comforting to read about Seelie’s journey, and know that I’m not alone. That I’m not the only one who doesn’t feel comfortable opening up to strangers, who needs a while to process how I’m feeling, who can’t always verbalize what I mean, and who is sometimes okay with a hug or a pat on the back, but sometimes not.
On top of that, the way the other characters loved Seelie, not despite her autism, but because of it, gave me chills. So often we see diagnoses as something that others must get past to love someone, but in reality they can make us love someone even more. We can find joy in the ways we are different, and maybe some day, see autism as a neutral or positive attribute about someone, instead of as a diagnosis.
Additionally, the adventure in this novel was fantastic! There’s everything from faeries to shapeshifters to changelings to dragons, and the plot is robust, yet not too overwhelming. I thought the plot complemented the relationships that develop throughout the novel well, and I appreciated how the suspense built all the way to the end of the book.
Overall, there are not many books where I feel the need to message the author immediately after finishing the novel, but this was one of those rarities! I had to use all of my self-control to wait until an appropriate time to send messages, but I am very happy to report that there will be a sequel, and I will certainly be anxiously awaiting its publication!