Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Wings
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Published: May 2009 by HarperTeen

My Rating: 4 stars
Tags: YA | Fiction | Romance | Fantasy | Faeries
Includes: Violence, Sensuality, Brief Profanity

First Lines: Laurel's shoes flipped a cheerful rhythm that defied her dark mood. As she walked through the halls of Del Norte High, people watched her pass with curious eyes.

Laurel, a sheltered homeschooler, is suddenly forced into a public high school once her family moves into a new house. She makes friends with the caring and supportive David, who wants to be more than just friends. Laurel has always been different. She's a strict vegan, never gets cold, craves sunlight, and still hasn't gotten her period - at age fifteen. Over time, a blossom sprouts from her back and after testing the tissue with David's microscope, they come to the conclusion that she's not human, but a plant...more precisely, a faerie! Then comes along Tamani: witty, arrogant, but charming. A faerie just like Laurel. He brings her news that will send her on a mission, and Laurel might not come out alive.

First faerie book I've ever read, and I gotta say: it's not just a cute and feminine topic of writing. This book was great! It was a mix of genres: fantasy, romance, some suspense, the list continues. The story actually starts out pretty slow, but once Laurel blossoms on her back, it begins to pick up. And after she realizes she's a faerie? Man, I was literally ripping through the pages to see what was going to happen next.

Ahhh the ever-famous love triangle; authors really do know how to bring in their readers. On one side of the ring we have David: sweet and friendly, but kind of too much to a point where it's annoying. On the other side there is Tamani: the handsome and cunning faerie, but a little too conceited. What can I say other than I had no idea, even during the last chapter of the book, which boy Laurel would choose. I liked them both for different reasons, and we'll have to wait and see where this love triangle will go during the sequel (Spells).

From page 289
His arms wound around her and their bodies melded with a rightness she didn't bother to question. And for a moment, she felt like part of him. As if their kiss bridged the gap between two worlds, even if only for that one brief, sparkling moment.

I liked the mystique weaved between the pages of the book and the air of mystery that surrounded it all. I never knew what was going to happen, it was an unpredictable book. The climax was suspenseful and left an open door leading into the sequel. I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of it! If you're on the fence about this one, I suggest you give it a try. It really kept up my attention for the most part and the only reason I gave it four stars, and not five, was because of the bland beginning and I wish more than anything that it was in first person!

Cover Thoughts: Love it. The colors are beautiful and the wings/flower are very appropriate for the cover.

Book Supplied by: Secret Santa present.