Wings

Before I say anything at all I want to note that I loved this book. My wife loved this book, and my 14 year old daughter loved this book. That's 3 out of 3 in my household who could not put it down, so as far as we're concerned, Ms. Pike is batting 1000. Laurel is an ordinary, if pale, 15 year old girl just trying to get through public school when her life takes a strange turn, starting with a bump on her back. At first she thinks it's a pimple (did I mention she's 15?), but when the "pimple" pops and Laurel sprouts a giant flower between her shoulder blades, everything changes. Now all of a sudden the fate of an entire world rests in her hands, and no one is more surprised than Laurel herself. But is it already too late? This is definitely an original take on the faery legend, and one I didn't expect. The book is beautifully written and engaging. The character David is so sweet you just want to hug him, while Tamani is dark and mysterious, and maybe a little cocky, but I guess that's appropriate. WINGS is brilliant. Buy it. Read it. Odds are good you're going to want to read it again. I do.

A unique and "novel" take on fantasy for teens, this novel is much better written than the Twilight novels. The main character, Laurel, is taken aback to discover she has sprouted, not wings, but a blossom on her back, and she has no idea why this flower has appeared. With the help of her friend David, Laurel discovers that she is more plant than human! Later on, Laurel meets a boy who is very strange (Tamani) who tells her about her past...she knew she was adopted, but she didn't know anything about her past or where she came from. She thwarts a troll's attempt to take sacred land from the faeries. This book gives you a new idea about mythological creatures and fairy tales. This would also be a good book for an adopted child (who knows they are adopted, of course) to read, to show how special they are. Twilight fans are sure to love this book as well. My only complaint would be that the book was a little too short, and I wish the story was a little longer.

Fourteen-year-old Laurel grew up living a sheltered life in a small town, where she was home schooled by her parents. So it's a big change for her when her family moves and she begins to attend a high school. On her first day at school she meets David, a local boy who is a science nerd. Laurel and David become best friends, and Laurel wavers between being happy with that, and wanting their friendship to become something more. Things soon become more complicated for Laurel when she appears to have begun growing wings. David, with his interest in science, tries to help Laurel figure out what is going on. Eventually, Laurel learns she is a faerie, and was left on her parents' doorstep when she was very young, and that it is up to her to help protect her world and those she loves. She also must choose between two loves, the handsome faerie Tamani, who helps her understand who she is and where she came from, and David, who has always been there for her since her first day at school. Wings is a promising debut by new teen author Aprilynne Pike. It's supposed to the first book in a series, and I look forward to seeing how the story continues and what happens to Laurel and her friends. I've seen this book compared to Twilight, and while there are some similarities, the fantasy elements are pretty different (I'm a much bigger fan of faeries than vampires myself). I think teen girls who love supernatural romances, as well as older readers who still enjoy teen fiction, will enjoy this book a lot.

Other readers have mentioned that this book reminds them of Twilight, however i did not get that feeling when i read this book. Yeah there's two guys, two worlds, but i still would not put the two up against each other, though they are both amazing. this book took hardly but a day to read and i think it is perfect for girls around the recommened age range(9-12) and up. i am above the age range by 10 years yet i still loved it. If you are looking for a book that will make you smile and has a hint of action and mystery then pick this up. i am going to let my 11 year old niece have it since im sure she will love it. the ONLY thing i might see people getting upset over if they let someone young read this is; midway through the book a faerie is explaining how they reproduce with pollen and flowers etc etc and when the main character asks if she can get pregnant he tells her no thats only if you have sex...."sex is for fun" not for reproducing. it doesnt go into detail or anything crazy, but i thought some parents would want to know. in my opinion they way the author goes about it i wouldnt think you should not let a child read it.

What Stephanie Meyer has done for the vampires, Aprilynne Pike does for the fae. She has created a world in which the fae have magic but they are more in touch with nature than magic. The faeries are made of plant material and not like humans at all. I have read many books about fae mostly described as part of the Seelie, Unseelie, or Siddhe. They are usually described as magical and sometimes cruel people but most are beautiful. In this book, Pike does away with all that extraneous stuff and makes them part of nature rather than magical. While the faeries in this book have some magic, they are more interested in dealing with their integral part of nature. Laurel Sewell is a 15 year old girl about to enter the public school system for the first time. Her mom has always homeschooled her but after moving to Crescent City, her dad buying a bookstore to run, and being tied down with their prior property Laurel's mom cannot afford to homeschool her anymore. Laurel is described as a unique girl who only eats fruits, veggies, and Sprite. She seems to like to wear tank tops when it is cool out, and she wakes up extremely early. Her parents do not comment but do worry that she is not as "normal" as they would like her to be. Meanwhile, her mom is a naturopath and so, her mom seems to go with the flow as far as Laurel's development. Also important to note is that Laurel is adopted. She was found on the doorstep in a basket. Then we find out that Laurel is not a normal teenager at all but a faerie. She found out that she is a faerie after she discovers a flower has grown between her shoulder blades that resemble wings. On Laurel's first day of school, she meets David. David is an easy going, geeky, but very handsome peer of Laurel's. He introduces her to his friends and goes out of his way to be helpful to her. We should all have someone like David in our lives. He is so compassionate, empathetic, and trustworthy. He is patient with Laurel even if her heart sometimes is confused between him and Tamani. Tamani is another interesting character and love interest to Laurel. He is a fellow faerie and is helping Laurel to understand more about who she is and how to be a faerie. He is also understanding of Laurel trying to remain true to her humanoid way of life even though he is not thrilled about it. Both male characters are very tender and loving. In a way, I hope Laurel can work out a way to be with both of them. I do not want to know that Laurel has to choose one. I can definitely see a series develop from this debut book since the ending definitely eludes to one. While this book was designed for teens, I can easily see it be an interesting read for adults. Aprilynne Pike has created all of her characters (except the bad guys) as warmhearted, caring, and loving people. I think it is rare in an author to depict all the characters as loving and likable characters. You will find yourselves rooting for all of them. Enjoy!