Shannon Messenger tortures her protagonist like no other in Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities Book 4)
In Neverseen Shannon Messenger continues to torture young Sophie Foster like I've never seen.
Sophie Foster is a very confused teen and some sort of Elven genetic experiment to create a Messiah gone-marginally awry, but maybe she is still the Messiah! Everything bad that can happy to Sophie does. The Elves who claim to be her family and biggest supporters are total sociopaths. Living lives of lies within lies, I am constantly entertained to see what horrible thing the author will do next.
Book Four does not disappoint!
Twice Sophie almost tells a boy she has romantic feelings for them inappropriate of a 12-year-old, and in both instances the boy nearly dies. Imagine having just stopped short of telling your big crush you like him, then watching a giant beetle pierce his heart with a horn?
That is Sophie's life.
Sophie copes with it while also stretching her rebellious wings and only sort of gets permission for some of her pre-teen schemes to save all life on Earth.
While coping with constant lies, deception, and betrayal Sophie does meet one person who both loves her and tells her the truth. That person is removed from her life by the end of the book.
I am already well into Book 5 and HOLY SMOKES does it start off with some baffling stuff!