Review: The Boy With The Hidden Name by Skylar Dorset

Book Blurb: "Benedict Le Fay will betray you. And then he will die." Betrayal and death—not quite the prophecy Selkie wanted about her first love. A half-faerie princess with a price on her head, Selkie Stewart just wants a little normal in her life. Not another crazy prophecy. Besides, she and Ben are a team. They're the two most wanted individuals in the Otherworld, and fated to bring down the Seelie Fairie Court and put an end to their reign of terror. Nothing can come between them. Until Ben leaves. And the sun goes out. And the chiming bells deafen all of Boston. The Seelies are coming. And only Selkie can stop them from destroying the world. My Review: 5 Out Of 5 Stars

Genre: Supernatural, Faeries, Another-World, Royal-Court-- Selkie is back in book two of the Otherworld series, which takes place about a week after the events in the first book. Ben left Selkie to find his mother, even after Selkie asked him to stay because she loved him. She is attempting to deal with her mistrust and anger towards Ben when the Seelie’s start to invade Boston. She and her mismatched group need to band together to save the world that they know. I absolutely loved the first book, The Girl Who Never Was, with its random tangents and totally off the wall twists, so I was convinced that this sequel would not live up to my expectations. I unfortunately was completely set to be disappointed. Well, I can gladly say that against my best efforts I loved this book. I enjoyed every completely random moment and twist elsewhere that really had nothing to do with moving the plot forward. If you are looking to read a linear book, where actions only exist to progress the plot forward, then look elsewhere. This story, just like its predecessor, takes twists and turns and flips in all directions and will eventually end at the end, but it is the journey I enjoy most. I understand that that statement sounds all circuitous, but I blame the book for encouraging my brain spin off of random bits of fancy (as I am ought to do at times…) Seelie is such a fun character. She, like all Fay, does not make plans, instead charges into a situation based on her emotions and wants, hoping for the best. Her skill of collecting the most random hodge podge of things that are desperately needed later is really entertaining. I like how that applied to the collecting of people as well. I love how stubborn she was in her feelings and hunches and how she refused to give up on anyone. She instilled loyalty and faith in those around her, another great skill. I could not stop laughing when Selkie fell through the puddle on the floor and ended up in the swamps with the three lonely crazy little Urisks who refused to believe her. And after her bizarre trip into Nowhere, she just ends back up with the group as if nothing occurred. That was by far my favorite part, yet it really had nothing to do with anything. I never got tired of the absurdity of the story and all the fun, totally off the wall quirks. The side characters were all so unique and incredibly well described I felt like I knew them. I love Ben and his fear of water and lack of a straight answer about anything. ‘"My hidden name." "Why would you tell me that?" I asked, astonished "Because I trust you." "Also because someday you might need to know my whole name to save me. I do foolish things sometimes, you know."’ I feel like this exchange summed up the book and Ben and Selkie’s relationship perfectly. There was Will, who had messy break-ups with everyone (and I mean Everyone!) yet knew about everything. Kelsey, who really was the best friend that Selkie could have ever collected. The Erlking, a handsome charmer who could seduce anyone, yet would help in the face of terrible odds. The two seasonal Fay Selkie collects, one a healer and one a prophet, both lost. The anxious Troll aunts who believe that avoiding talking about something means it does not exist. There are so many more that I can’t even list them all, but each one had their own special personality to make them stand out. The book was chock full of strange plans and haphazard magic, unique creatures, odd fears and weapons, and absurd Seelie food like mashed potatoes that taste like strawberries and turkey that tastes like milk. The entire story takes place within an hour, even though days pass, yet time is relative and everyone is ok with it. Sometimes everyone is confused and then there are moments where someone in the book comes up with a crazy idea and they all jump on board as if it makes perfect sense and I eat it up. Seriously, this is a crazy book but so much fun. And sure I would love another book set in this world with these outrageous people, but I am completely satisfied by what happened here. I love this series, but I was given enough by the author to satisfy my curiosity and my hopes. Of course I would read another book, but I don’t need one per se. The author has made a fan out of me and I will gladly read anything she writes in the future. I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.