Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by thebookberrie
Wings by Aprilynne Pike
1.0
Note to self: NEVER try a book that is praised by Stephenie Meyer. Just no.
But no, I decided that I'd give it a try when I was randomly browsing at the library and thank god I borrowed it. Otherwise I'm sure it would have ended up as maybe a doorstop. I'm really not sure why I even finished it. I guess I wanted to see if it got better and it did not.
So our mostly normal main character Laurel has recently moved to a new town with her really nonobservant hippie parents. She also starts public school for the first time after being home-schooled all her life. But then suddenly a plant blooms out of her back.
The idea of that kinda grosses me out.
This book just felt impossibly boring to me. It was filled with boring biology about plants, whining, screaming denial, awkward dialogue, one dimensional characters, and just plain fail. And even when it was supposed to be actiony I found myself yawning.
Laurel's parents happen to be the STUPIDEST parents ever. I'm not a doctor but how can they not see that Laurel so clearly has anorexia? Oh no, let's just follow their logic: It'll go away on it's own! Go tell that to cancer or any other sickness or disease that gets worse if left untreated.
She only eats because she is told and a half a peach is a huge indulgence? Every time there is food, she gets nauseous as the narrator so nicely points out every time. No big deal that she hasn't gotten her period yet either. But it's OKAY because instead of looking like a sick bag of bones Laurel looks like a "lithe" supermodel with willowy limbs, translucent skin, and she doesn't even wash her hair but it comes out looking perfect! So totally symmetrical too, amirite? Not bad for a fifteen year old! Excuse me while I unroll my eyes. I know it's all part of the faerie lore in this book but still, ridiculous.
Onto faeries being plants...Seriously? PLANTS? How does that even work? Does Laurel even have a brain? I'd really be surprised if she did.
It was extremely annoying to me how she just ran off to tell the guy she'd known for a couple of weeks everything. Because I mean hey, hot guy. He has to get in on this totally not exciting action. And of COURSE he is conveniently smart at biology. How else would he have been useful? Well besides mowing the lawn without his shirt on.
It was also rather stupid that she just runs away from the guy willing to give her answers. But oh well! No need to stick around! Giant flower growing out of your back for some reason? Who the hell knows why! Oh wait, we do know why? Nah let's just pick and choose what we want to believe and not go back and talk to said guy until shit hits the fan.
And yeah okay if you can't shoot the guy at least freaken' act like you got a pair. Thanks!
Laurel just seemed slow witted and whiny. Not the uber-special-awesome-heroine that the other points of the love triangle seemed to think. Let's just leave it at that. /facepalm
I have to add that there is a part where she is literally like:
*Gets seen by weird creature-troll while peeking in a window*
Says: "We have to go, NOW!"
*Waits under window for some reason*
*Still waits as creature-troll alerts the others*
*Goes to peek in the window again instead of running away and then gets dragged inside because of this*
Uh...what?
Nice old faerie guy to swoop in and save the day in the form of a magical life saving elixir and a big old diamond to solve all of Laurel's parent's financial problems! /sarcasm
And on the note of trying not to be totally negative of this book, I thought Tamani was awesome. And uhm...good cover? (I still don't get why it was called Wings though, besides the fact that her flower looked like wings...)
If anyone ever invents a time machine though, please let me unread this book!
But no, I decided that I'd give it a try when I was randomly browsing at the library and thank god I borrowed it. Otherwise I'm sure it would have ended up as maybe a doorstop. I'm really not sure why I even finished it. I guess I wanted to see if it got better and it did not.
So our mostly normal main character Laurel has recently moved to a new town with her really nonobservant hippie parents. She also starts public school for the first time after being home-schooled all her life. But then suddenly a plant blooms out of her back.
The idea of that kinda grosses me out.
This book just felt impossibly boring to me. It was filled with boring biology about plants, whining, screaming denial, awkward dialogue, one dimensional characters, and just plain fail. And even when it was supposed to be actiony I found myself yawning.
Laurel's parents happen to be the STUPIDEST parents ever. I'm not a doctor but how can they not see that Laurel so clearly has anorexia? Oh no, let's just follow their logic: It'll go away on it's own! Go tell that to cancer or any other sickness or disease that gets worse if left untreated.
She only eats because she is told and a half a peach is a huge indulgence? Every time there is food, she gets nauseous as the narrator so nicely points out every time. No big deal that she hasn't gotten her period yet either. But it's OKAY because instead of looking like a sick bag of bones Laurel looks like a "lithe" supermodel with willowy limbs, translucent skin, and she doesn't even wash her hair but it comes out looking perfect! So totally symmetrical too, amirite? Not bad for a fifteen year old! Excuse me while I unroll my eyes. I know it's all part of the faerie lore in this book but still, ridiculous.
Onto faeries being plants...Seriously? PLANTS? How does that even work? Does Laurel even have a brain? I'd really be surprised if she did.
Spoiler
Not even counting when she thought she was suddenly going to drop dead when she found out she didn't have a heart...It was extremely annoying to me how she just ran off to tell the guy she'd known for a couple of weeks everything. Because I mean hey, hot guy. He has to get in on this totally not exciting action. And of COURSE he is conveniently smart at biology. How else would he have been useful? Well besides mowing the lawn without his shirt on.
It was also rather stupid that she just runs away from the guy willing to give her answers. But oh well! No need to stick around! Giant flower growing out of your back for some reason? Who the hell knows why! Oh wait, we do know why? Nah let's just pick and choose what we want to believe and not go back and talk to said guy until shit hits the fan.
Spoiler
Also, troll who ordered your death just shot the guy you supposedly care about and what are you doing Laurel? Whimpering in a corner trying to melt into the wallpaper?! Why the hell did you even insist on going with him if you weren't going to be USEFUL.And yeah okay if you can't shoot the guy at least freaken' act like you got a pair. Thanks!
Laurel just seemed slow witted and whiny. Not the uber-special-awesome-heroine that the other points of the love triangle seemed to think. Let's just leave it at that. /facepalm
I have to add that there is a part where she is literally like:
*Gets seen by weird creature-troll while peeking in a window*
Says: "We have to go, NOW!"
*Waits under window for some reason*
*Still waits as creature-troll alerts the others*
*Goes to peek in the window again instead of running away and then gets dragged inside because of this*
Uh...what?
Spoiler
Valiant effort at the cartoonish troll villains wanting super special land. Really, trolls aren't loved enough these days. Pretty much all the trolls do is try to get the gate to Avalon and they don't really seem to be trying at all and the fact that they get killed rather easily is what exactly? Besides lame.Nice old faerie guy to swoop in and save the day in the form of a magical life saving elixir and a big old diamond to solve all of Laurel's parent's financial problems! /sarcasm
And on the note of trying not to be totally negative of this book, I thought Tamani was awesome. And uhm...good cover? (I still don't get why it was called Wings though, besides the fact that her flower looked like wings...)
If anyone ever invents a time machine though, please let me unread this book!