Book Review: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

WINGS
by APRILYNNE PIKE

ABOUT:

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.

MY REVIEW:

Laurel is a sheltered teenager who grows up home schooled in a small town. When her parents decide to move, they enroll her in the public school system for the first time in her life. Laurel is just starting to assimilate and make friends when she discovers a small bump on her back that quickly blossoms into a wing like appendage made purely out of fragrant flowers. David is the cute, nice guy at school who is obviously interested in Laurel. Being sweet and safe, Laurel feels like she can trust David with her secret. She goes to him more than once in a panic about her "wings". He tests her cells under his microscope and reveals that they are more plant than animal. Laurel has a hard time coming to terms with the changes in her body until she meets Tamani. She finds him in the wooded acreage outside her family's old home. Tamani helps her come to terms with her heritage and also to understand just how valuable their land is. Laurel is placed in a situation where she realizes some evil influences are at work trying to take away the family's land, and she is forced to put her own life in danger to protect it.

Wings definitely was slow to start, but once the plot started developing, I eagerly devoured it. This was a unique take on fairy mythology, and the significance of the cover art fits perfectly with the storyline. The scientific, loyal David was an appealing character, and it should be interesting to see how he adapts to Laurel’s strong connections with her faery brethren and burgeoning relationship with Tamani. One of my favorite elements in a story is a good love triangle, and this one didn't disappoint! Tamani didn't appear much in the book, but he was by far my favorite character, which says a lot for Pike's writing style.

BOTTOM LINE: Overall, an exciting and beautiful novel! I REALLY am eager to learn more about what exactly goes on in the faery realm and to walk through the gates with Lauren for the first time, which will make for an exciting sequel. The slow start is worth the wait, and the ending leaves the reader anxious for the sequel!



Hardcover: 304 Pages
Release Date: May 5, 2009
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN-10: 0061668036
ISBN-13: 978-0061668036
Buy at: Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, etc.

Official Aprilynne Pike website


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:


Aprilynne Pike has been spinning faerie stories since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found at the gym; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne currently lives with her husband and three kids in Utah, and dreams of warmer climates.