Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird. In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration. That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo. First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.
Incredible!
I've read a couple of times magical-realism but wasn't expecting to find it in a Young Adult book. I really didn't know what to expect from Ava, a sixteen-year old girl born with wings, sometimes mistaken for an angel.
The book starts with Ava's grandmother, the story about her parents and brothers, and how everything in the end is connected to Ava. Their family story and writing reminded me of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, definitely a plus for me.
I was hooked since the beginning, Ava's grandmother and mother both had a difficult life as consequence to foolish love. But Ava was a great girl, not only for having wings, but for her way to see life. Her family have been always the 'weird', but she's ready to face the world, very naive and not expecting her life to be so tragic.
Love. Ah. It's about love, but I wouldn't call it a romance book. It's realistic love, not happily ever after love, and more than narrating a romance, it's about how some relationships turn out being very sad and affect the lives of everyone around.
It may not be a book for everyone, it's not superficial or trivial, but I absolutely loved it! (although it broke my heart a couple of times). It only took me a few hours to read it, but who needs sleep right?. I definitely recommend it! Excellent addition to the YA literature.
March 25th 2014 by Candlewick Press
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sounds very unique! I like that the focus on love is realistic. :)
ReplyDeleteit's very unique :)
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