Marlena Frank

The Seeking was another perfect pick to read just before Halloween – there are things inside this book that I would never wish to encounter. I won’t lie – the creatures Marlena Frank brought to life are downright terrifying, and if you’re sensitive to things like that, I don’t recommend reading it before bed. In my mind’s eye, the Gray People look like a terrifying version of a spriggan. I can imagine the town of Carra surrounded by haunting swaths of forested areas. The humans terrified of being near the boundary line, not fully understanding what their protection costs or what they are being protected from – until it’s too late.

I loved the diversity of the characters, their very human actions towards each other (good or bad), and how they grew throughout the story. I thoroughly enjoyed Dahlia’s character. She’s very down-to-earth, and she truly cares about not only her family but the others residing in Carra. There were several twists within that I was not expecting – the history (albeit brief) of Carra, humans, and the Gray People.

I would partially label The Seeking as a dystopia – the history behind the Priest family and the uncommon (but exceedingly common today) item given to Dahlia by her brother. It would be interesting to know what happened to form the reality that Dahlia resides in – it isn’t covered much, and, while it isn’t essential to the story, I’m beyond curious. If The Seeking were to become a series, I would 100% read any sequels. Marlena Frank successfully sucked me into Dahlia’s world, and I would love to read more. I would highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy young adult, LGBTQ+ relationships (PG), supernatural, horror, and fantasy. A BIG thank you to The Parliament House Press and Marlena Frank for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this heart-pounding, more than slightly terrifying book – all opinions are my own.… (más)

DNF at 12%

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Short version: I couldn't connect with the characters or the story.

The blurb promised minotaurs, faeries, and reincarnation, but I didn't get that far. I stopped reading before the kidnapping occurred, because I didn't want to force myself to read something I wasn't enjoying. The dialogue didn't feel natural, and I had a hard time believing that's how people would interact with each other.

And then there's all the stuff with her dad... Someone, likely and adult, should have stepped in and intervened on Shaleigh's behalf. The man believed his wife was alive and coming home, and even pretended like she'd never left when interacting with his peers. He refused to go to therapy or take medication, and would often sit in the dark and cry for hours or even days. His condition was known, yet no one did or said anything to help him or his daughter. Shaleigh knew how bad things would get, but she didn't push the issue either.

Even though I only read a small portion of this book, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that I think something magical and unexplainable happened to one or both of her parents, and now she's dealing with the aftermath. However, no one knows magic is a possibility, so someone should have done more to help Shaleigh and her father.


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