Review: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for allowing me to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Great start to a promising new series by Laura Howard!

Allison O'Malley is a painfully shy young woman, living with her grandparents and her mentally ill mother in a small town. She avoids most social situations, only able to come out of her shell around her cousin, Nicole. She has an all-consuming crush on Ethan, the boy she's been in love with all her life, but she is so awkward around him that she avoids him like the plague. And if that wasn't enough, her mother is practically comatose, and Allison carries the guilt of putting her mother in that state - it is well known around town that Elizabeth O'Malley was once a vibrant, social butterfly, at least, until Allison was born. So, yeah, Allison has a lot against her and I don't envy her one bit. 

The story really kicks into gear when Allison's father comes to town. Nobody knows, except Allison, that Liam has any previous involvement in her mother's life, but it doesn't take long for Allison to become embroiled in all the drama of winning back her mother's sanity. Liam introduces her to the Tuatha de Danaan, a race more commonly known as faeries. Although some of the fae can help Allison and Liam, they are also all self-absorbed, and it seems like even the "good ones" are only partially good. Allison quickly learns that none of them are to be trusted.

I've read a few books and series about fae, and this is probably my favourite, although I think a few things could be improved upon. The names of the fae are impossible to pronounce (like I'm one to talk, with a daughter named Ailis!), so the pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book would be extremely helpful. Even though I can relate to Allison and empathize with her situation, I didn't feel like she was a very dynamic or memorable character. She did show some growth throughout the novel, but as a quiet and subdued person, she was also a tad boring. I would have liked to see more humour injected throughout, even if it was just in Allison's thoughts. 

A couple of things I did notice and really liked were the cover (gorgeous!) and formatting - really liked the Celtic symbols throughout!