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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I was surprised at how much I really enjoyed this little book! It is a quick read that sucked me in from the start. The characters are well written and the story quite unique! I am looking forward to reading the other titles in the series.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Wings follows the tale of Laurel as she attends her first day ever of public school. She manages to find a groove until she discovers the bump which begins an adventure into the secrets of her true identity.
This was an ok book. I don't see myself reading the other books.
**Slight spoiler alert**
Wings started off slowly, with some awkwardly written narration and conversations, but pretty soon it started picking up once Laurel noticed the “thing” on her back. The plot never picked up too much, a lot of the real action happening mostly at the end, but it was fine.
I wasn’t so interested in the characters of this novel as I was in the world they lived in. Laurel to me was too perfect and flat, as was David. I honestly don’t care much for David, I didn’t find him believable. I mean, if a girl you’ve just met comes to you with a FLOWER GROWING OUT OF HER BACK, you don’t just take it in stride and try to figure out what it is. You freak the f*ck out and run screaming. At least, that’s what all the guys I know would do. The guys I know avoid girls for having a zit on her face, much less a FLOWER GROWING OUT OF HER BACK. Laurel and David’s ‘relationship’ was way too unbelievable for me to take seriously, which is why I didn’t.
I actually loved the idea of faeries being flowers. It was original and something I’ve never seen in all of the faerie books I’ve read. I definitely give Pike props for coming up with that. To me, I see faeries as part of nature anyway, so them being flowers wasn’t a stretch at all. And the whole “male faeries pollinate the girl faeries” actually made me laugh (in a good way) when Tamani explained it. (Which brings me too…)
Tamani. He was by far my favorite part of this novel. I would choose him over David any day, partly because I love mysterious, badass guys, and partly because I dislike David. Tamani is what added… spice, mystery, chemistry, sexiness, etc, to Wings. He was very well written, although I would have liked to see much more of him.
The writing was great, and the mythology behind the faeries was excellent. Those aspects, along with Tamani, were my favorite parts of the novel. The cover is also insanely gorgeous, and I really think it captures what the book is about. Flower petals being faerie wings.
I kinda liked this book, which is why I will pick up the sequel. Mostly to see what happens to Tamani.
Do I Recommend This Book: Maybe. It depends on if you’re a fan of faeries. If you are, there's a chance you might like this. If not, don’t bother.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 2.5/5
Uniqueness\Creativity: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
Wings started off slowly, with some awkwardly written narration and conversations, but pretty soon it started picking up once Laurel noticed the “thing” on her back. The plot never picked up too much, a lot of the real action happening mostly at the end, but it was fine.
I wasn’t so interested in the characters of this novel as I was in the world they lived in. Laurel to me was too perfect and flat, as was David. I honestly don’t care much for David, I didn’t find him believable. I mean, if a girl you’ve just met comes to you with a FLOWER GROWING OUT OF HER BACK, you don’t just take it in stride and try to figure out what it is. You freak the f*ck out and run screaming. At least, that’s what all the guys I know would do. The guys I know avoid girls for having a zit on her face, much less a FLOWER GROWING OUT OF HER BACK. Laurel and David’s ‘relationship’ was way too unbelievable for me to take seriously, which is why I didn’t.
I actually loved the idea of faeries being flowers. It was original and something I’ve never seen in all of the faerie books I’ve read. I definitely give Pike props for coming up with that. To me, I see faeries as part of nature anyway, so them being flowers wasn’t a stretch at all. And the whole “male faeries pollinate the girl faeries” actually made me laugh (in a good way) when Tamani explained it. (Which brings me too…)
Tamani. He was by far my favorite part of this novel. I would choose him over David any day, partly because I love mysterious, badass guys, and partly because I dislike David. Tamani is what added… spice, mystery, chemistry, sexiness, etc, to Wings. He was very well written, although I would have liked to see much more of him.
The writing was great, and the mythology behind the faeries was excellent. Those aspects, along with Tamani, were my favorite parts of the novel. The cover is also insanely gorgeous, and I really think it captures what the book is about. Flower petals being faerie wings.
I kinda liked this book, which is why I will pick up the sequel. Mostly to see what happens to Tamani.
Do I Recommend This Book: Maybe. It depends on if you’re a fan of faeries. If you are, there's a chance you might like this. If not, don’t bother.
Plot: 3/5
Characters: 2.5/5
Uniqueness\Creativity: 4.5/5
Writing: 4/5
Cover: 5/5
This is in many ways my favorite urban fairy tale. The way Pike has redifined what a fairy is is simply beautiful. And while the story was plenty compelling, the characters where a bit typical. Overall a good read, though.
This series is about Laurel, Tamani, David, and a new faerie world that is original, to say the least. In this world, fae live hidden from humans in a country called Avalon. Their history surrounds people like King Arthur, Gunievre, Titania, and Mab. There are different ranks in their society and most of what they do revolves around nature.
Sounds familiar, right?
How about when I tell you that faeries in this world are actually plants.
That's right - Laurel and Tamani, as well as every other fairy, are, biologically, a highly-evolved species of plant. They have sap instead of blood, girls sprout wing-like flowers from their back during the season in which they were sprouted (bornd), they have plant cells, they photosynthesize... they're plants.
I love the creativity with which Pike created these beings - she used ideas that make us comfortable with the idea of fairies, yet adds her own twist to it.
Book one and two are mostly expositional novels. They give you a detailed idea of what this Avalon is like, as well as the fairy society. Laurel, the main character, gets to figure out the whole fairy thing with Tam and David's help.
The plot is simple yet flows well from book to book - Laurel has always felt somewhat different from others. She starts a new school where she meets David, someone who becomes friends with her right away. One day in the fall, without expecting it, a blue flower appears on her back. She is a scion - a fairy placed in the human world to protect the Gates. While visiting her old house, she meets Tamani, a Spring fairy who used to be friends with her when they were young, and a friendship blooms from that. Laurel soon learns about fairies, trolls, and the world that she was chosen to protect. She goes back to Avalon over the summer to study Fall fairy things, has several troll encounters, and is often pressured to choose between David and Tamani.
This series is a sweet, quick read. It actually is a great introduction to YA books - it has some tropes, but not too many. The writing is simple yet leads you to a creative world that is difficult to leave. There is the classic love triangle that will have you on what might be your first 'team' (Team Tamani all the way - he's very clingy and all but he's still one of my favorite guys from books - he's incredibly sweet, pure, harmless and dedicated.)
(Oh my gosh it's getting super difficult to review this without spoiling the books!)
This series also has a lot of quirks, awkwardness, jealousy, hopes and dreams. Honestly, if you want to reccomend some simple YA, go for this!
Of course, it isn't perfect. The love triangle is marginally annoying - both David and Tamani are a bit too possessive in my opinion, and Laurel is very much the one that everyone looks up to even though most of the time she has no idea what's going on. There are some plotholes and other things that may be interesting that are forgotten.
But the story as a whole is, at least for me, comforting and magical. I love the ending and the characters and the world Pike created.
I know this review is short, but its difficult to review all of them as a whole without giving anything away. I'm giving the whole series a 4/5 feathers :)
Have you read Wings? What did you think about them? Let me know! :D
Stay bookish!
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
This was excellent. I was excited to read it because this is the first "fairy" book that poor Anna has ever enjoyed, so I was curious to see what made it stand out.
I loved the way that science and the fantastic blended in this story to explain what the faeries are. My favorite scenes are the ones where Laurel and David perform their tests to figure out exactly what Laurel is.
I also really hope that there's a sequel in the works, because while the story wrapped up well enough to be satisfying, there are still plenty of loose ends that could be tied up in another book or two.
Give to fans of Twilight for these similarities:
-Blending of our world with the fantastic
-Female protagonist torn between two loves
-Similar writing style
I loved the way that science and the fantastic blended in this story to explain what the faeries are. My favorite scenes are the ones where Laurel and David perform their tests to figure out exactly what Laurel is.
I also really hope that there's a sequel in the works, because while the story wrapped up well enough to be satisfying, there are still plenty of loose ends that could be tied up in another book or two.
Give to fans of Twilight for these similarities:
-Blending of our world with the fantastic
-Female protagonist torn between two loves
-Similar writing style