Wings

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Laurel Sewell is fifteen and just beginning high school. For years she has lived in a small cabin at the edge of the woods with her parents. Laurel was home schooled there. Times are changing for Laurel and far more than she first suspects. Her family has now moved to a larger town where her father runs a book store and Laurel is entering public school.

Despite feeling out of place Laurel makes friends with Chelsea and David. David seems to be interested past the point of friendship and Laurel may be also. Just as she should be finding first love and well on her way through puberty, Laurel discovers the reason she has always felt different. She is a faerie. As her only close friend, David is the one she turns to. David and Laurel search for scientific proof of the amazing turn of events.

At the same time Laurel's mother is about to sell the family land that Laurel was raised on. When the new buyer comes to make an offer, Laurel has the sick feeling that he is not a good man. While helping her parents prepare their cabin and land for sale, Laurel takes off into the woods. As she sits playing her mother's guitar, Laurel is approached by a striking young man with the features of a model and oddly colored hair. His name is Tamani and he is able to answer all of the questions Laurel has about herself.

Laurel is quickly stuck between a sweet and tender relationship with David, a human boy, and a soul shaking, breath taking love with the faerie Tamani. Her feelings for both are mixed as they help her defeat the trolls that are ready to take over her family land. The land that she has learned possesses the gate to her old faerie world.

Wings is the first in a four book series and is also being made into a Disney movie. With the wave of fantasy literature now hitting the YA market, Wings is as fresh as the blossom on a faerie.

The love between Laurel and each boy is compelling. I want her to be able to have both! The faerie side of the story is bright and interesting, much less dark than recent YA books I have read.

Rating 5 Fresh take on fantasy/young love.

Rating PG Trolls come to a violent end. The romantic parts are clean.