Review: Spells

Title: Spells (Wings #2)
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages: 359
Challenge: None
Source: Own


My Rating:

Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable? -summary from goodreads.com

The author did an amazing job at describing the city of Avalon. I felt like it came to life right before my minds eye. I loved going into their world and learning more about the four seasons, the rules, the faeries, etc . There was such detail and importance in every Avalon scene, it really did seem like a mystical place. Sadly, that was probably all I liked about the book.

I wasn't a huge fan of Laurel in the book. She was needy and didn't have a lot of goals. To be honest, she was really beginning to get on my nerves, especially with her inability to make a decision whether she wants to be with her human boyfriend David or her faerie friend Tamani. Bottom line: Laurel, you're getting annoying. Grow a pair (a lady pair) and start acting like a faerie.

I also felt like there were to many plot holes. Although Tamani does a lot of explaining, I still felt there were to many confusing things. I’ve read other reviews that state that Tamani was different in this book and I agree. I understand that once in Avalon he has to act according to his “lower class” (which is total BS!), but that doesn’t mean it should take a toll on his sarcasm. He just seemed so plain in this book. Where’s the charming Tamani I fell in love with in book 1?

This book seemed like a filler… A background filler, giving us the faerie culture and history. That’s it! Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t horrible, but I just wasn’t into either... BUT, I will be reading book 3. Just because I already bought it.

Review: Wings

Title: Wings (Wings #1)
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Publisher: Harperteen
Pages:294
Challenge: None
Source: Own
Buy the Book: BN / Amazon


My Rating:

Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words.
Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.
In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever.-summary from goodreads.com

When I first picked up Wings, I didn’t know what to expect. Considering the fact that it’s been out for some time now, I hadn’t read any recent reviews on it. What I did hear was awesome things about the love interest, Tamani (we’ll talk more about him later on). And although I did rather enjoy this new, fresh world that Pike has created, the story was just too dull. In my opinion, Wings should have been better classified as a Middle Grade fantasy read, rather than Young Adult.

The story follows Laurel, a teenage girl who is trying to adjust to attending school for the first time after being home-schooled her entire life. Everything seems to be going fine; she even managed to get herself a boyfriend (David), until the day she wakes up with a lump on her back. The lump blossoms into flowers, and Laurel soon learns she's a faerie. Not just any faerie, she’s a changeling.

Let’s begin with my first pet peeve; I thought it was too convenient that Laurel quickly accepted what she was. I wish there would have been more of an emotional reaction. But it was kind of like, “Oh, I’m a faerie?! Cool.” I seriously thought to myself, “WTF!? I would totally be cowering in a corner.” Secondly, Laurel was a very difficult character to relate too. Plus, she just seemed so plain-Jane. Yeah, she’s a fairy and is pretty much the personification of perfection (literally…. Perfect body, no acne, doesn’t need food to survive), but she had no personality. Now that I think about it, none of the characters had anything going for them. Her parents were only around when necessary, David (although I did like the fact that he was a nerd) was also very boring… everyone in the story was just dull.

The only character with even a breath of life is Tamani. Oh goodness…. Tamani…. Tam is the exception of my would-be Middle School classification. I absolutely loved him. David just didn’t do it for me. I’m sorry to all you David lovers, but he was just too ordinary for me. I tend to have high expectations for my leading men, and Tamani fit every single one (and more!). The only bad part is that he doesn’t show up until 80-something pages in. I’d get so frustrated with Laurel at times for always choosing David over Tam. I mean, I get it; he’s a loyal and trustworthy guy, but he does not compare to the magical awesomeness that is Tamani. Or at least, that’s my opinion.

Lastly, the ending felt so rushed. At the final showdown between Laurel and BLANK (don’t want to give to much away now), a gun is thrown into the mix… A GUN! You’re a freaking magical creature for crying out loud! Use some magic, strength or fairy dust…. Anything! A gun just seemed so human, a quick and easy way to end the battle…. You know what I mean? Of course, the ending doesn’t resolve much, leaving plenty of room for the next book in the series. Despite my complaints, I will be reading book two. I'm interested enough to see where the story goes, and plus, I want more Tam <3