Wings by Aprilynne Pike

5/5 stars

Summary:

Laurel is different. She only eats fruits and vegetables, very vegan. She doesn’t know who her birth parents are because she was left on her adoptive parent’s doorstep. Oh, and she has a flower blooming from her back. Did I mention the lack of blood? Well Laurel is different, and everything that David wants in a girlfriend. Together, they work on figuring out what it is that makes Laurel different. While doing that, they also have to figure out what is happening to her human family. Nothing in Laurel’s formally ordinary life has prepared her for the mess it has become.

My thoughts:

Okay, I know. I should have read this book already. Honestly, it has been on my “to be read” list for a while. It just kept getting pushed down the list. Now that I have read it, the sequel has moved right to the top of the list.

I love it when an author can create a world where everything seems normal and then upon closer inspection, it is anything but. That is what Aprilynne Pike has accomplished in Wings. Laurel is a normal teenager who has been homeschooled until she reaches high school. Now she is facing the social challenges that go along with school. All of that distracts the reader from the really strange things in Laurel’s life. She isn’t just a vegetarian; she eats nothing but vegetables and fruit. Not to mention that eating anything else makes her sick. She has never been to the doctor not even for a physical. Her skin is perfectly clear and white, what teenager does that happen to. She hasn’t started her period by 15 years of age. All of these things can be explained away but once you put them all together it adds up to Laurel not being human. Once it is clear that she is a faerie, then the adventure begins.

I really liked the character David. He is a great model boyfriend. At first, I thought he was very two dimensional but that quickly changed as they struggled to help Laurel’s father and the fae. Tamani was an instead favorite. I loved how he was mysterious yet he immediately cared for Laurel. It was clear there was a history there. Laurel was a strong character as well. I look forward to seeing her learn more about what it means to be a fall faerie.

The book was remarkable. It was a quick read that I really enjoyed. I am excited that I can immediately reach for book two and the last one is close at hand. Maybe waiting to read it wasn’t just a bad idea after all. Don’t put this on off any longer.

Enjoy the read!