Book Review of "Wings" by Aprilynne Pike

WARNING: Spoiler Alert!   

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Title: Wings 

Author: Aprilynne Pike
Classification: YA Fiction, Fantasy
Source: Public Library

Overall Grade: 
C+
Would I read it again? 
Maybe if I'm desperate. 
Would I recommend it? 
Meh!

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Wings is a fairy-tale. A romance. A mystery. A tale of self-discovery.

Because I want to get the point about what I actually thought about this book, I'll try and make the summary short-and-sweet:

Laurel is a faerie, but she doesn't know it yet. She always knew she was adopted, but what really happened is that the faerie world decided to place Laurel, as a young child, in the hands of her parents because they own the land that guards the portal to their sacred city Avalon, thus ensuring that the land will eventually pass into faerie hands (Laurel's) and will remain safe. Laurel doesn't remember anything about her previous life because she agreed to have her memory wiped before embarking on her mission. In her previous life, she was best friends with Tamani, who now acts as sentry for the land where Laurel grew up. Tamani is Laurel's (sort-of) childhood sweetheart: he is a bit arrogant, out-going and funny.

When Laurel starts her new life in public school, she meets Daniel, who welcomes Laurel into his group of friends and is always incredibly sweet. Laurel and Daniel are sort-of boyfriend and girlfriend before Laurel meets Tamani. Tamani helps Laurel deal with her new-found faerie traits, such as no blood, a flower-like blossom on her back, gracefullness and more. Where Daniel was supportive to Laurel in scientific ways, such as taking samples of her DNA to examine under his microscope, Tamani is supportive by telling Laurel about the world she comes from, because it is his world as well.

The mystery of the story comes with an ogreish man, Mr. Barnes, who insists on buying Laurel's parents' land. This should be impossible, because sentry faeries like Tamani frequently wipe the memories clean of prospective buyers of the property, in order to ensure its purpose of coming into Laurel's possession. Then, Laurel's dad becomes gravely ill and the hospital cannot figure out what's wrong. This places further strains on the family's finances, and Laurel's mom is forced to sell to the creepy man. This just doesn't feel right to Laurel though, so she convinces David to help her follow Mr. Barnes to the address on his business card and check it out. That's when they encounter Barnes and his henchmen: all trolls with unbelievable strength, enemies to faeries and desperate to discover the portal to Avalon. The two teens are kidnapped and left for dead in the river, only escaping by Laurel's ability to hold her breath for an incredible amount of time.

After the fiasco, Laurel's dad is cured, the land is safe and Laurel gets to tell her parents the truth about her... anatomy. But, instead of staying with her people in Avalon, she chooses to live her human life with her parents and Daniel, a heart-breaking decision both for herself and Tamani.

Overall, I sorta liked this book. I liked the blend of fantasy, romance and mystery. I think the book is well-balanced and perfectly executed for a fun, light, YA fiction novel.

However, I have problems with the characters. For the life of me, I just can't seem to like David. He is just too nice, too sincere, too accepting. This is totally evident in the first few pages of the novel where Laurel and David have their first conversation: their words are rehearsed, out-of-place and clunky, not at all like a real conversation between teens on their first day of school.

Also, the love stories between Laurel and David and Laurel and Tamani are problematic. For Laurel and David, it's the same problem that I have with David's character: it's too picturesque and sweet. As for Laurel and Tamani, it's a little better: a little more mysterious, a little more history between them, a little more tension. However, at the end of the book when Laurel comes to Tamani to tell him her decision to live in her human world away from him, his reaction is unexpected. He is completely heart-broken, a reaction that doesn't seem logical from the casual meetings he and Laurel had, even given their history. To Laurel, she hardly knows him. Yes, I understand the mysterious pull between them that Laurel can't place and that seems to make their attraction grow, I just found their parting to be heavy-handed and... odd.

However, I may change my mind when I read the sequel, Spells, next. I'll let you know what I find out!

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Overall Grade: 
C+
Would I read it again? 
Maybe if I'm desperate. 
Would I recommend it? 
Meh!

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