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myriadreads's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 up to 4. A quick, enjoyable read, hard to put down, but also packed with themes that will have me thinking for a long time to come. Touches on child abandonment, alcoholism, gender dysphoria, sexual orientation, feminism, family pressure, and more. Diverse cast, and good character development for such a short book. Tied up a bit neatly in the end, but enjoyed it enough that I would read a sequel or a spin-off book in a heartbeat. Ms. Spotswood, if you're listening, I see a lot of potential with bestie Claire or Ivy's sister Iz!
leahka89's review against another edition
5.0
Bumblebee Books
Ivy comes from a long legacy of accomplished women. Generations before for have been successful poets, artists, singers, etc., buwst they have been cursed with short lives. Their greatness consumed their minds and ultimately lead to their demise. Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you’re her grandfather) for Ivy, she hasn’t shown any sign of having a particular talent. Her grandfather has had her in classes and lessons for every skill imaginable since he took custody of her after her mom left. Now Ivy is about to be a senior in high school. She is determined to have the best summer of her life and for once not spend it submerged in lessons. That is until her mom and her two half sisters show up on her doorstep. Now Ivy has to come face to face with the mother that abandoned her, sisters she never knew she had, and the fact that there isn’t anything special about her. Easy to say that the summer didn’t turn out quite like she planned.
Wild Swans has a pretty diverse set of characters and deals with some heavy subjects such as children dealing with their gender identity. Ivy is white and comes from a wealthy family; however I really enjoyed that Ivy recognizes her privileged life but doesn’t let it define her. She knows that she has been given an amazing shot at life with everything her grandfather has done for her, but she doesn’t want to live her life hiding in the shadow of the Milbourn name. I love how strong willed she is and how determined she is to set herself apart from her family.
The emotional baggage that Ivy has to deal with is insane. Everyone wants something from her and whatever she gives isn’t good enough. She has to face her mother who abandoned her fifteen years ago and take a good look at what the family’s expectations can do to a person. She is expected to step in and be a role model for her new sisters, Iz and Gracie. On top of all of that, she is still supposed to find what makes her special all while trying to avoid the curse that seems to haunt her family. Mental illness and suicide is very real in the Milbourn family.
I really hope there will be more books that follow these characters because I truly loved them all. The friendship that Ivy, Claire, and Abby have is so supportive and exactly what friends should be. These girls make my inner feminist jump for joy. Claire is bisexual, very attractive, and doesn’t give two cares about what people think of her. Even when Ivy finds herself in a situation where her male best friend, Alex, tries to slut shame her, Claire goes to bat for her and shuts it down immediately. No matter what these girls have each other’s back. Connor… Oh, Connor. This guy is everything and more you want from a book boyfriend. He gives Ivy exactly what she needs and doesn’t ask for anything in return. I swooned so hard for him and was so happy with the direction things went with him.
I loved how everything concluded even though it isn’t the ending I necessarily wanted. Things could have wrapped up in a neat little box, but unfortunately that isn’t realistic. I love that the author kept it real. Jessica Spotswood is one of my favorite authors because of the way her books make me feel. Wild Swans is one of those books that reach deep down and grab you by the feels. This was easily an instant favorite and a book that I will recommend to everyone. I stand by my statement that I would read Jessica’s grocery lists given the chance.
Ivy comes from a long legacy of accomplished women. Generations before for have been successful poets, artists, singers, etc., buwst they have been cursed with short lives. Their greatness consumed their minds and ultimately lead to their demise. Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you’re her grandfather) for Ivy, she hasn’t shown any sign of having a particular talent. Her grandfather has had her in classes and lessons for every skill imaginable since he took custody of her after her mom left. Now Ivy is about to be a senior in high school. She is determined to have the best summer of her life and for once not spend it submerged in lessons. That is until her mom and her two half sisters show up on her doorstep. Now Ivy has to come face to face with the mother that abandoned her, sisters she never knew she had, and the fact that there isn’t anything special about her. Easy to say that the summer didn’t turn out quite like she planned.
Wild Swans has a pretty diverse set of characters and deals with some heavy subjects such as children dealing with their gender identity. Ivy is white and comes from a wealthy family; however I really enjoyed that Ivy recognizes her privileged life but doesn’t let it define her. She knows that she has been given an amazing shot at life with everything her grandfather has done for her, but she doesn’t want to live her life hiding in the shadow of the Milbourn name. I love how strong willed she is and how determined she is to set herself apart from her family.
The emotional baggage that Ivy has to deal with is insane. Everyone wants something from her and whatever she gives isn’t good enough. She has to face her mother who abandoned her fifteen years ago and take a good look at what the family’s expectations can do to a person. She is expected to step in and be a role model for her new sisters, Iz and Gracie. On top of all of that, she is still supposed to find what makes her special all while trying to avoid the curse that seems to haunt her family. Mental illness and suicide is very real in the Milbourn family.
I really hope there will be more books that follow these characters because I truly loved them all. The friendship that Ivy, Claire, and Abby have is so supportive and exactly what friends should be. These girls make my inner feminist jump for joy. Claire is bisexual, very attractive, and doesn’t give two cares about what people think of her. Even when Ivy finds herself in a situation where her male best friend, Alex, tries to slut shame her, Claire goes to bat for her and shuts it down immediately. No matter what these girls have each other’s back. Connor… Oh, Connor. This guy is everything and more you want from a book boyfriend. He gives Ivy exactly what she needs and doesn’t ask for anything in return. I swooned so hard for him and was so happy with the direction things went with him.
I loved how everything concluded even though it isn’t the ending I necessarily wanted. Things could have wrapped up in a neat little box, but unfortunately that isn’t realistic. I love that the author kept it real. Jessica Spotswood is one of my favorite authors because of the way her books make me feel. Wild Swans is one of those books that reach deep down and grab you by the feels. This was easily an instant favorite and a book that I will recommend to everyone. I stand by my statement that I would read Jessica’s grocery lists given the chance.
knaveryact's review against another edition
4.0
This was a light read, but it was so great. Maybe I liked it so much because I didn't have much of expectations, but anyhow I would highly recommend it. I loved the protagonist, and the fact that the romance was there, but wasn't priority: just one thing in a sea of things.
tobyyy's review against another edition
3.0
Many thanks to SOURCEBOOKS Fire, via NetGalley, for an opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars
I mostly enjoyed Wild Swans. It was a fairly fast read, and I definitely could put myself (somewhat) in Ivy's shoes. It was interesting when she started to question whether her grandfather wanted her to succeed (at whatever she tried to do, it didn't matter what) because he was proud of her, or if he just wanted to see her succeed in order to have that as a "trophy." I wasn't too fond of how this was summed up, since it seemed far too simple and "oh yay a happy ending!"
In fact, that's how I felt about a lot of the ending of Wild Swans. It felt like way too many things were neatly wrapped up far too quickly. There wasn't enough conflict in this book for me - I know that sounds odd but it's true. The ending just was too... happy-go-lucky...? and honestly, with the blurb discussing the "curse of the Melbourn women" I was hoping for more supernatural twist-y stuff in the novel.
Overall, though, the book was okay. I might've downgraded the rating to a flat 3/5 just for the ending, but the ending combined with the rest of the book brings the rating up to 3.5/5. (And yes, I know this distinction doesn't exist for books rated on Goodreads, and I wish we were able to give half stars elsewhere aside from just in the review section). Not bad. Not the best read ever, probably won't reread, but I'm definitely willing to read what else Jessica Spotswood writes. :)
3.5/5 stars
I mostly enjoyed Wild Swans. It was a fairly fast read, and I definitely could put myself (somewhat) in Ivy's shoes. It was interesting when she started to question whether her grandfather wanted her to succeed (at whatever she tried to do, it didn't matter what) because he was proud of her, or if he just wanted to see her succeed in order to have that as a "trophy." I wasn't too fond of how this was summed up, since it seemed far too simple and "oh yay a happy ending!"
In fact, that's how I felt about a lot of the ending of Wild Swans. It felt like way too many things were neatly wrapped up far too quickly. There wasn't enough conflict in this book for me - I know that sounds odd but it's true. The ending just was too... happy-go-lucky...? and honestly, with the blurb discussing the "curse of the Melbourn women" I was hoping for more supernatural twist-y stuff in the novel.
Overall, though, the book was okay. I might've downgraded the rating to a flat 3/5 just for the ending, but the ending combined with the rest of the book brings the rating up to 3.5/5. (And yes, I know this distinction doesn't exist for books rated on Goodreads, and I wish we were able to give half stars elsewhere aside from just in the review section). Not bad. Not the best read ever, probably won't reread, but I'm definitely willing to read what else Jessica Spotswood writes. :)
booksandladders's review against another edition
5.0
I have literally nothing bad to say about this one. This book is marvelous and I am so glad I picked it up when I did. I am a huge fan of realistic fiction and this one really takes the cake. I liked that this one had so many layers and elements to it, more than just falling in love -- even though that happened too. I liked that the main focus of this was Ivy and her wants and needs, even if she didn't realize that at first.
Ivy was such a great character. I liked that she put pressure on herself, felt the pressure from her Grandad, and still wanted to just be true to herself. I thought her character development was plausible and really heart warming while also giving me feels. I think there is something to be said to parents in this one about the type of pressure you put on your kids to be better, do more, and to generally IMPRESS. I liked that Ivy wanted to take time to herself in the summer to figure out what she liked, what she wanted to do, and to not succumb to what her Grandad wanted for her, even if it was with good intentions. I liked that even though she did let him make some decisions for her in the sense that she took courses, etc. the topic of those courses were things she enjoyed to do. I liked that she was sometimes honest about her opinions but also kept some things back. I think she was good at making compromises and sometimes that is really important. However, I also liked that at the end she stood up for herself and made herself really clear about her wants and needs for the future.
I also really liked her relationship with Alex, because I saw it from both sides. I liked that she was really firm with Alex on multiple occasions about what she wanted out of a relationship with him. I think it is so important for teen girls to see that you can be firm in a decision and not have to cave just because someone else wants something different. I also understood that Alex wanted something more and needed time to get his head wrapped around it, but I was super glad that Ivy called him out on his ghosting and said that he can't expect things to stay the same if he isn't willing to be there when things get rough for her just because he doesn't like that she wants to just be friends. I LOVED that scene.
Ivy and Connor's relationship was great though. I loved that he was so supportive in everything that she did or wanted to do, but also pushed her to see all her options. I liked that he obviously saw her Grandad as a mentor, but didn't let that influence how he saw Ivy and their relationship. I also really liked that he just genuinely seemed to like Ivy and want to spend time with her. They had so much chemistry and heat and I loved them together.
I liked seeing Ivy as a big sister and a daughter. I was a bit meh about how her final scene with her mom went because I felt like she was letting her off the hook too easily, but I also get it. Because Ivy was more concerned about her sisters welfare than anything else. And Ivy had every right to be angry with her mom for leaving and coming back like nothing was wrong. I also liked that even though this was over the course of about two weeks, Ivy and her sisters became really close. I think there is a lot to be said about their relationship, but a better person than me would have to do it.
Spotswood writing was perfect. I liked the descriptions of the town and being inside Ivy's mind. I thought she had a really good grasp on how Ivy would handle situations and also her growth. I easily sped through this one because of how well written it was. It was really easy to get lost in this story and feel like you were in Ivy's mind. This was just SO GOOD.
WILD SWANS comes with high praise and recommendation from me. I loved everything about the story and thought Spotswod writing was perfect. I am not sure I would have trusted this story to be told by anyone else. I think this is one that everyone who enjoys a good contemporary novel will enjoy.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
Ivy was such a great character. I liked that she put pressure on herself, felt the pressure from her Grandad, and still wanted to just be true to herself. I thought her character development was plausible and really heart warming while also giving me feels. I think there is something to be said to parents in this one about the type of pressure you put on your kids to be better, do more, and to generally IMPRESS. I liked that Ivy wanted to take time to herself in the summer to figure out what she liked, what she wanted to do, and to not succumb to what her Grandad wanted for her, even if it was with good intentions. I liked that even though she did let him make some decisions for her in the sense that she took courses, etc. the topic of those courses were things she enjoyed to do. I liked that she was sometimes honest about her opinions but also kept some things back. I think she was good at making compromises and sometimes that is really important. However, I also liked that at the end she stood up for herself and made herself really clear about her wants and needs for the future.
I also really liked her relationship with Alex, because I saw it from both sides. I liked that she was really firm with Alex on multiple occasions about what she wanted out of a relationship with him. I think it is so important for teen girls to see that you can be firm in a decision and not have to cave just because someone else wants something different. I also understood that Alex wanted something more and needed time to get his head wrapped around it, but I was super glad that Ivy called him out on his ghosting and said that he can't expect things to stay the same if he isn't willing to be there when things get rough for her just because he doesn't like that she wants to just be friends. I LOVED that scene.
Ivy and Connor's relationship was great though. I loved that he was so supportive in everything that she did or wanted to do, but also pushed her to see all her options. I liked that he obviously saw her Grandad as a mentor, but didn't let that influence how he saw Ivy and their relationship. I also really liked that he just genuinely seemed to like Ivy and want to spend time with her. They had so much chemistry and heat and I loved them together.
I liked seeing Ivy as a big sister and a daughter. I was a bit meh about how her final scene with her mom went because I felt like she was letting her off the hook too easily, but I also get it. Because Ivy was more concerned about her sisters welfare than anything else. And Ivy had every right to be angry with her mom for leaving and coming back like nothing was wrong. I also liked that even though this was over the course of about two weeks, Ivy and her sisters became really close. I think there is a lot to be said about their relationship, but a better person than me would have to do it.
Spotswood writing was perfect. I liked the descriptions of the town and being inside Ivy's mind. I thought she had a really good grasp on how Ivy would handle situations and also her growth. I easily sped through this one because of how well written it was. It was really easy to get lost in this story and feel like you were in Ivy's mind. This was just SO GOOD.
WILD SWANS comes with high praise and recommendation from me. I loved everything about the story and thought Spotswod writing was perfect. I am not sure I would have trusted this story to be told by anyone else. I think this is one that everyone who enjoys a good contemporary novel will enjoy.
Books and Ladders | Queen of the Bookshelves | Books Are My Fandom | Twitter | Instagram | Bloglovin'
literarilyjess's review against another edition
5.0
"You can't expect yourself to be perfect. It'll just set you up for failure."
Yes. So much yes. This was wonderful and exactly what I needed to read.
We need more books like this. We need books with complex family dynamics, with girls learning to be themselves amidst the expectations of others, with the lesson that it’s not going to be perfect but you're going to be stronger for it.
I loved Ivy – I got Ivy. (Maybe I WAS Ivy when I was a teen) She’s in a unique position – she’s a Milbourn woman, and Milbourn women are supposed to be special. Cursed, maybe, but special. Ivy’s grandfather expects her to be a talented sparkly unicorn like all the rest. But she’s not, not in the ways he expects, and just as she finally gets her promised summer of NO expectations, her estranged mother drops in, with two daughters who don't know Ivy is their sister. Naturally, things get complicated fast, but it’s written in such a way that it’s not complicated to read. Ivy and her family come alive, but so do the supporting characters, like Claire and Abby and CONNOR... all swoony abs and tattoos and poetry...
Wild Swans is the perfect summer read. It captures you, compelling you to turn the pages until all of the words are used up. I know some people don’t like open endings, but I liked the way this one ended, with so many possibilities for Ivy in the future.
I started it at 4:00 in the afternoon and didn’t stop until I was done. Five stars!
Yes. So much yes. This was wonderful and exactly what I needed to read.
We need more books like this. We need books with complex family dynamics, with girls learning to be themselves amidst the expectations of others, with the lesson that it’s not going to be perfect but you're going to be stronger for it.
I loved Ivy – I got Ivy. (Maybe I WAS Ivy when I was a teen) She’s in a unique position – she’s a Milbourn woman, and Milbourn women are supposed to be special. Cursed, maybe, but special. Ivy’s grandfather expects her to be a talented sparkly unicorn like all the rest. But she’s not, not in the ways he expects, and just as she finally gets her promised summer of NO expectations, her estranged mother drops in, with two daughters who don't know Ivy is their sister. Naturally, things get complicated fast, but it’s written in such a way that it’s not complicated to read. Ivy and her family come alive, but so do the supporting characters, like Claire and Abby and CONNOR... all swoony abs and tattoos and poetry...
Wild Swans is the perfect summer read. It captures you, compelling you to turn the pages until all of the words are used up. I know some people don’t like open endings, but I liked the way this one ended, with so many possibilities for Ivy in the future.
I started it at 4:00 in the afternoon and didn’t stop until I was done. Five stars!
aoibhinnannwn's review against another edition
3.0
I would have given this three and a half if I could. It started out well- I thought Ivy was a great character, and I believed her. The addition of the mother who abandoned her had a lot of promise.... but I just didn't see any real motivation for Erica to be such a complete bitch to Ivy. I understand it was supposed to be a coping mechanism or something, but it didn't work for me. She seemed like a caricature rather than a fully fleshed out person.
On another note, I felt like this book tried to cram too many social justice issues in at one point that it just seemed like lip-service, like she was checking off a list of things to include. One best friend is bi, one has a transgender little sister. Her boyfriend is a POC, and so is her would be boyfriend, and one person in the town makes an offhand comment about it. IDK, it felt forced to me.
On another note, I felt like this book tried to cram too many social justice issues in at one point that it just seemed like lip-service, like she was checking off a list of things to include. One best friend is bi, one has a transgender little sister. Her boyfriend is a POC, and so is her would be boyfriend, and one person in the town makes an offhand comment about it. IDK, it felt forced to me.
julleah's review against another edition
1.0
Description says it’s more about a family curse but it ended up being a teen romance. Admittedly I didn’t finish this book. Content warning: child abandonment, sex, swearing, suicide.
lindaunconventionalbookworms's review against another edition
4.0
This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
Realizing there's more to family than first imagined is something Ivy has to do in Wild Swans, which is a tender story about truly growing up.
Ivy has lived most of her life in a small town, where both she, and everyone else knows that her mom left her when she was very young. Since she was two, she's never seen her mom, but she's had a stable and good life with her grand-dad and some good friends. Wild Swans unfolds over the span of just a couple of weeks in the summer before Ivy's senior year at high school, and she has a lot of choices to make about her future. Alex, her best friend and the boy next door has showed her that he has more than just friendly feelings for her - but she just doesn't want anything to change. Then, her grand-dad throws a curve-ball her way, saying her mom needs to come home, with her two daughters so she can regroup.
As you can imagine, there are a lot of emotions in Wild Swans, and I thought Ivy dealt with those in quite a mature way! She wasn't the character who needed to grow up the most. Always striving to be good, to be better, to live up to her grand-father's expectations, Ivy was a hard worker for sure. And when her mother - whom she called Erica - came back with two girls, and pretended that Ivy was her sister rather than her daughter, things became more complicated and quite a bit ugly as well.
On top of having to deal with her mom and new sisters, she also had to live with her best friend not wanting to be around her anymore because he was in love with her. Also, falling in love with one of her grand-father's students, working on her grand-mother's poems and trying to forge a relationship with her younger siblings. Written in first person point of view, from Ivy's perspective and in present tense, the story unfolds in a way that makes each of Ivy's discoveries the reader's discovery at the same time. Definitely a solid read, and one I recommend to those who enjoy coming of age stories that are angled slightly differently than the norm.
Lightning hasn't split the sky yet, but I can taste it coming. The air's so thick I could swim through it.
Later, when he walked me to my door at three in the morning, he stopped and looked at me. Really looked, like I wasn't the Ivy he'd been looking at his whole life - or maybe I was, but I was also more. Ivy-plus.
No one is expecting him to be extraordinary. Except... I think he expects it of himself. I watch as he leans down, tripping his fingers lightly over those spines again, and he is so goddamn gorgeous I want to cry. He knows what he wants and he's going to make it happen.
Realizing there's more to family than first imagined is something Ivy has to do in Wild Swans, which is a tender story about truly growing up.
Ivy has lived most of her life in a small town, where both she, and everyone else knows that her mom left her when she was very young. Since she was two, she's never seen her mom, but she's had a stable and good life with her grand-dad and some good friends. Wild Swans unfolds over the span of just a couple of weeks in the summer before Ivy's senior year at high school, and she has a lot of choices to make about her future. Alex, her best friend and the boy next door has showed her that he has more than just friendly feelings for her - but she just doesn't want anything to change. Then, her grand-dad throws a curve-ball her way, saying her mom needs to come home, with her two daughters so she can regroup.
As you can imagine, there are a lot of emotions in Wild Swans, and I thought Ivy dealt with those in quite a mature way! She wasn't the character who needed to grow up the most. Always striving to be good, to be better, to live up to her grand-father's expectations, Ivy was a hard worker for sure. And when her mother - whom she called Erica - came back with two girls, and pretended that Ivy was her sister rather than her daughter, things became more complicated and quite a bit ugly as well.
On top of having to deal with her mom and new sisters, she also had to live with her best friend not wanting to be around her anymore because he was in love with her. Also, falling in love with one of her grand-father's students, working on her grand-mother's poems and trying to forge a relationship with her younger siblings. Written in first person point of view, from Ivy's perspective and in present tense, the story unfolds in a way that makes each of Ivy's discoveries the reader's discovery at the same time. Definitely a solid read, and one I recommend to those who enjoy coming of age stories that are angled slightly differently than the norm.
Lightning hasn't split the sky yet, but I can taste it coming. The air's so thick I could swim through it.
Later, when he walked me to my door at three in the morning, he stopped and looked at me. Really looked, like I wasn't the Ivy he'd been looking at his whole life - or maybe I was, but I was also more. Ivy-plus.
No one is expecting him to be extraordinary. Except... I think he expects it of himself. I watch as he leans down, tripping his fingers lightly over those spines again, and he is so goddamn gorgeous I want to cry. He knows what he wants and he's going to make it happen.