Oh, Chrys!

[b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] by Kelsey Sutton was one of my most anticipated debuts of 2013. Intrigued by the notion of personified emotions, I just could not wait to see how the plot unfolded. I did not go into the book with high-as-sky expectations, but I certainly had some hope in the unique premise. That was still a bad idea.My high points for [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] lie in Sutton’s writing. I could not deny how well-written [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] was in terms of powerful sentences, believable dialogue, and stunning imagery. My favorite aspect of Sutton’s writing was her atmospheric detail. The novel is chilling, even filling me with an uneasiness at times. The constant presence of Emotions and Elements, lurking around people expressing them, is very eerie, especially when the Emotion is a negative one. I enjoyed how each Emotion and Element had physical traits that fittingly represented them too. Despite this, Sutton dismissed world-building, which made the atmosphere somewhat counterproductive. Rather than intensifying a well-described world, the atmosphere worked solo, gripping me for the moment, but not investing beyond that.With such neglected world-building, I felt that [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] lacked conceptual aggressiveness. The Emotions and Elements are just there, and readers do not learn much about their kind beyond their obvious duties. Courage instills courage. Guilt instills guilt, and so on. Considering the uniqueness of such a plane, I felt that Sutton should have attacked their existence with more clarity so readers could be left in awe. They were just there with no sort of background. Certain occurrences in [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] also left me speculative of the logic behind the other plane, especially in regards to their intimacy with humans. Without clarity and rationality, the execution of personified Emotions and Elements left me confused and unimpressed. It was too muddled. This disappointed me greatly since it was what attracted me to [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811].The characterization in [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] did not strike me. Elizabeth, the female protagonist who is void of emotions, is justifiably bland. Of course, having no ability to feel will prove dull. Despite this inability, Liz pretends to be normal. For instance, she tries to comfort her cancer-stricken friend by feigning concern. Could you imagine not being able to feel – to be a living statue? Her disconnected narrative voice is chilling, but may prove difficult for those who like emotion-filled reads. She also comes from a dysfunctional home, and is shunned by her parents – even abused by her father. I can stomach such violence in fiction, but I wish that someone reached out to Elizabeth despite her condition. Her school counselor saw all of the prominent signs of domestic abuse (ie. bruises), but she did nothing but try to pry questions out of an elusive Elizabeth.Another dominant character is Fear. This spine-tickling Emotion has long been fascinated by Elizabeth’s being emotionless. He wants to let her taste his fear, but he repeatedly fails. I think his characterization was a lifeline for me in this book. I often read rushing to see when his snarky, dark self would appear. Unlike the other Emotions, readers are given much information about Fear. He is very invasive and inconsiderate at times, but he certainly entertains. Perhaps his best trait is contrasting Elizabeth’s inherent detachment, and this is very refreshing.Then there is Joshua Hayes, a farm-boy classmate of Elizabeth that introduces the seemingly obligatory YA love triangle. He overcomes his shyness, and tries his best to crack Elizabeth. Of course, without emotions, Elizabeth cannot succumb to his charms. Though she is unfeeling, I found that she was extremely selfish. When an Emotion, cryptically tells her that she will need (*rolls eyes*) Joshua in the end, she forces herself to adjust to him. Despite never succeeding in trying to connect with Elizabeth, Joshua continually attempts to do so. I really do not see how Joshua propelled the plot at all. Funny that for such an emotionless book, romance invaded.Now, what really made me aggravated about [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] was its agonizingly slow pace. Throughout most of the novel, Elizabeth has these vague dreams that feature recurring characters. They are so mind-boggling and abstract, leaving readers to pick up the puzzle pieces. They frustrated me not because of the effort required to string them, but because they were not rewarding at all. In fact, towards the end readers are given an entirely new perspective of the dream that explains everything. What really speeds up [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] though is the introduction of a mysterious stalker who is obviously a threat to Elizabeth. His inclusion creates a psychological buzz that is thrilling.All in all, [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811]is an okay read. I found that the powerful atmosphere, conducive for a mystery, demanded my attention. Had it not been so, I probably would have completely disliked it. It is a very detached book, but that is expected from having a lead who cannot feel. I was very much frustrated by the inclusion of a love triangle, and the repetition of vague dreams. I do think that [b:Some Quiet Place|15710557|Some Quiet Place|Kelsey Sutton|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353174493s/15710557.jpg|21376811] offers something completely unique for YA Paranormal that does not involve shapeshifters and the like though.