Title:  Wings
Author:  Aprilynne Pike
Publisher:  HarperTeen
Publication Date:  April 6, 2010
Paperback: 320 pages

Synopsis (From Goodreads):  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.

What I loved about the book:  First, the cover art is what drew me in.  It’s whimsical enough and simple enough, and, well, there’s the bright pink title text. I’m a sucker for that.  I was intrigued from the moment I picked the book up and read the back – a flower blooming from a girl’s back? What? Faeries! Oh how I love them.  and then there’s this “…Laurel must race to save her human family from the centuries-old faerie enemies who walk among them.”  Ooo exciting!  The main character, Laurel, is a treat to learn about.  She’s kind and level-headed, full of concern for her parents with just enough teenage sass to make it believable.  I also thought the Faerie “magic” system was rather interesting. It’s definitely a different spin on an old subject, and it makes the reader want to learn more about it. Kudos to the author for coming up with a new way of doing things.  There were some snuggly scenes, but they were definitely tame enough that I would not be concerned recommending this book to my nieces or nephews – that definitely pleases me.

What I did not love about the book:  David.  Really now, if someone comes up to you, a sane, normal teenager and says (paraphrasing) “I have a flower growing out of my back”, are you really going to just take that in stride? I hardly think so.  Also, Tamani…his expectations of Laurel are, I believe, a little too out there.  I did not dislike the two, just felt as though they were a little more 1 dimensional than, say, Laurel.  The dialogue was a bit lacking in places, and seemed a bit forced in others, but overall was easy enough to read and fairly straightforward.

General thoughts:  All in all, I thought this was a really fun, engaging read.  I absolutely love the way that the author has set us up for adventures in a magical land that does not seem as though it will be a cookie-cutter place.  The faeries are different from anything I’ve read about before, and I can’t wait to read more of the series.  I will be getting the second book, Spells, asap.

Rating:  8 of 10