Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Author: Aprilynne Pike
Pages: 294
Publisher: Harper Teen
Published: May 1st 2009
Age Group: Young Adult  (12-18)
Awards: RT Reviewers' Choice Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy Novel (2009)
Books Source: Library

     Laurel Sewell is off to be a Big Bad high-schooler for the first time. All her life she has been a strange girl. Beautiful, mesmerizing even. She hasn't been through the abnormalities of puberty, such as zits and normal teenage stuff. She doesn't even remember the last time she went to a real doctor.

     Soon she meets David at her new school.  They are fast to become friends and bond almost instantly.

One morning Laurel wakes up to find a bump on her back. The first "normal" sign of puberty she has ever had.

      But days after it grows abnormally large and out sprouts abnormal feather like wings. Before Laurel knows it she is catapulted into a faerie world she unknowingly knew of all her life. She must discover her own strange secrets before they control her life.

     I picked up this novel thinking it would be your normal faerie/seelie-court/junk that I expect from all of the newer "Faerie" tales. I jumped into this book and found the beginning rather boring and dreary. It was a sorta- insta-lovey theme thing. That sort of thing that makes you say aww, but want to throw up because it's ridiculously cheesy.

     I loved the uniqueness this book offered throughout, the writing truly intrigued me. Although the plot was contradictory and rather odd I just devoured the writing. It was definitely different. I can't even pin-point what kept me reading. The "Plant" thing was great. I would never have thought about that sort of thing. I don't quite understand how that made them magical faeries but still, it was a pretty cool idea.

     I wish this author could have had JUST Faeries. But no, of course not, they have to bring it to that whole new level of complexity with trolls and crap. That was rather annoying... a ton of things was left unexplained and easily confusable. I mean why can faeries just be enough?! You don't have to include EVERY MYTHICAL/FANTASTICAL creature for people to enjoy your book. Sometimes just randomly throwing all those creatures in with your book actually takes away from the plot. Then it just gets ridiculous.

     This book had such an abrupt ending too!! It was short and of course there is a sequel (Spells), I'm not sure if I want to read it, it honestly probably couldn't be worse than this book. All these freaking cliffhangers are giving me heart attacks. Standalone novels are AWESOME! C'mon people, seriously. Aside from all the badness, I loved the writing. If you are to read this; read it for the writing, not the content/concept.

 “So there's magic? Real magic? It's not just all scientific like David says?"
Tamani rolled his eyes. "David again?"
Laurel bristled. "He's my friend. My best friend."
"Not your boyfriend?"
"No. I mean...no."
Tamani stared at her for several seconds. "So the position's still open?"
Laurel rolled her eyes. "We are so not having this conversation.”

 “And do you really think someone's going to look at you and say, 'Hmm, I think that girl's a plant'?”
― Aprilynne Pike

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