We Were Restless Things is a little bit of a fever dream. A bit of a mix between Anna-Marie McLemore and T. Kingfisher, it is both magical and dark. It is a bit of a tough read to fall into, but once things get moving, it can be terribly encompassing. The multiple point of view approach gives it a bit of extra depth, but also works very well to add to the tension and the mystery.

Nagamatsu's characters are diverse and independent, each coming through on the page with great emotional roundness. I will admit that there were certain characters who felt more realistic and believable than others (the character of Lyle honestly just drove me bonkers).

This book is not for those who are looking for a largely plot-driven novel. It is very focused on the interactions and relationships between the characters and the intricacies of their own personal experiences. It is a slow burn that dives well into the individual ways we process grief and the not-so-simple act of coming-of-age. Oddly, the character I really connected with most was Gaetan, who is really a side character along for the ride. I wanted more of him. Noemi was fine and Jonah was someone I was able to comprehend, but something about Gaetan just gripped me. He was the most emotionally vivid for me and I was here for it.

The romantic (and non-romantic, as Noemi is asexual) aspects of the plot were well explored and nicely diverse. This component added some wonderful depth to the plot and made these characters quite a bit more human and realistic. It captured the teen experience of "finding oneself" that I think was both important and unique.

While I certainly enjoyed the journeys taken by the majority of the characters, perhaps the best part of this novel for me was the atmospheric and descriptive nature of the narrative. It was haunting and vivid in a misty kind of way. (That probably makes no sense to anyone but me.) There was a lot at work and there was a lot of tension present in both the "real" and the magical worlds carved out by the plot.

This novel is not for everyone, but it certainly worked for me. I like my books odd, I like them dark, and I like them different. This delivered on all three of those aspects. It was creepy and mysterious and occasionally vague in a way that left me lost and swirling. That vagueness could admittedly be frustrating, but it also made me think harder about what was happening and why. I may not have interpreted it exactly as the author intended, but I think that is just part of the individual experience with a book like this. I enjoyed it and think a reread could only serve to make me fall deeper into the plot and come up with more ways to analyze every weird thing taking place. A challenging, but intriguing read.

* Disclaimer: I received a copy of this novel from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. *