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The Unseen World by Liz Moore

I’ve never had a book stick with me like this one. Years later, I still find myself thinking back on it. 🤔💭🤩

Usually when you think back on a book it's because you saw it on a shelf, it was mentioned in conversation, or maybe you're watching a movie or show based on it. This is the only book I've ever thought back on without provocation. Every now and then it'll just creep into my mind, and I mentally awe at how subtly ambitious it is.

When I decided to write this review, I went back into the book intending to go over specific segments to refresh my memory of them... I ended up re-reading the whole book. 🤷‍♂️

Seeing what something has become is never as satisfying as seeing something become

FOR CONTEXT: At its core, this is a coming-of-age story, and I hate coming-of-age stories. 👎

BUT, this differs in a way where, at times, it feels less like a coming-of-age story and more of a coming-into-the-world story. Ada is so far beyond her years, she's more akin to an introverted adult than simply being a painfully shy 12 year old. Mentally she's already come-of-age, but she's done so completely closed off from the outside world. We get to see her discover the world and herself, we see her adapt and grow into adulthood, and all the while, witness her cerebral journey of uncovering her fathers mysterious past.

The writing style is one of the most easily digestible I've ever come across. Everything is told to you in a very straight forward fashion, while maintaining a certain elegance that simultaneously captures the intelligence and sophistication of the characters, and delivers the emotional impact of the moment.

Everybody talks about how stunning the ending is (and it is), but the part that stuck with me the most was Ada's first day of school. How awkward it was, how humiliating it was, and how much I was able to relate to it. I too had a first day of school experience that was equally horrendous, and never wanted to go back.

This is going to sound extremely corny, but this book "is like a fine wine 🍷, it gets better with age" (told you). But honestly, I feel like The Unseen World gets better the further you get from it, when its emotional power has had time to simmer in your subconscious.

It's emotionally devastating and fulfilling at the same time. 🥺
For those who love a slow burn. 🔥🔥🔥