Wings (Pike novel)
| Wings | |
|---|---|
 U.S. Cover of Wings |
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| Author(s) | Aprilynne Pike |
| Original title | Autumn Wings[4] |
| Cover artist | Ray Shappell |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Young adult, Fantasy, Romance |
| Publisher | HarperTeen (US) HarperCollins (UK) |
| Publication date | May 5, 2009 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover, Paperback) e-Book Audio Book |
| Pages | 290[1] (US Hardcover) 320[2] (US Paperback) 356[3] (UK Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0061668036 |
| Followed by | Spells Illusions |
Wings is the debut, young-adult faerie novel by author Aprilynne Pike. It is the first of four books about a fifteen-year-old girl who discovers she is a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon.
Wings was released in the US, UK, & Canada on May 5, 2009, and became a New York Times Best Seller in its first week of sales,[5] reaching #1 on the Children's Chapter Books list in its second week.[6] It was also a Publishers Weekly Bestseller[7] and made Pike the best-selling non-celebrity children's author to debut in 2009.[8] Wings went on to become an international bestseller in 2010.[9]
The sequel to Wings, Spells, was released on May 4, 2010.[10] The third book in the series, Illusions, was released May 3, 2011.
Contents |
[edit] Plot summary
Fifteen-year-old Laurel has lived her whole life on her family's land near Orick, California and the Redwood National and State Parks, where she was homeschooled by her hippie parents, Sarah and Mark. So when she moves to Crescent City, California to attend public school, Laurel has some adjustments to make. The reason for them to move is because of her father buying a bookstore, which was always a dream for the both of her parents. While she misses being outdoors all the time, she's getting along pretty well at her new school and soon befriends David, a handsome and sweet boy who understands Laurel and her strict vegan diet. Things are looking up until a bump between Laurel's shoulders sprouts into a giant flower on her back.
Hesitant to confide her recent affliction to her parents, Laurel seeks help from David, and together they investigate the strange phenomenon of her "wings" or blossom. Their only clue is that when she was about three years old, she was found on her parents' doorstep in a basket, with no knowledge of where she came from. It turns out that Laurel is actually a more advanced evolution of a plant; more or less a faerie. The two soon discover that Laurel's whole body is of plant cells and that she is a plant.
On a trip back to the family home, Laurel's world is forever changed when she encounters Tamani. Laurel finds herself inexplicably drawn to him, and he provides many of the answers she has been seeking. It turns out she’s not even human; like Tamani, she’s a fairy. As a scion, a fairy sent to the humans, she was sent to her parents to inherit their land, which holds something very important to the fairies. This plan is nearly thwarted when Laurel’s family moves and puts the land up for sale. The gate to Avalon, which the faeries have protected for ages, is now threatened, and Laurel must help save the faeries' secret, protect her family, sort out her confused feelings for David and Tamani, and figure out her own identity—and her place in both worlds.
[edit] Awards and nominations
- An IndieBound Spring 2009 Indie Next List pick[11]
- An American Library Association "Best Books for Young Adults" nominee[12]
- A Romantic Times "Best Young Adult Paranormal/Fantasy Novel" nominee[13]
- A Cybils Awards Fantasy/Science Fiction nominee[14]
- A Whitney Awards "Best Speculative Fiction" finalist[15]
[edit] Critical reception
Wings debuted to positive reviews overall, with comparisons to the Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer. Meyer endorsed Pike's work via a cover blurb, which reads, "Aprilynne Pike's Wings is a remarkable debut; the ingenuity of the mythology is matched only by the startling loveliness with which the story unfolds."[16] Booklist wrote, "This first novel is clearly designed to attract the Twilight set, though there’s significantly less edge (and blood). There is, however, a familiar triangle. . . . Fine escapist fare, this neatly mixes the everyday with the otherworldly."[17] Romantic Times awarded Wings a "Top Pick," calling it "an enthralling story of danger and love. This re-interpretation of the faerie story is one that will captivate readers with its plausibility and imagination."[18]
[edit] Translations
In addition to the English language editions published by HarperTeen and HarperCollins, Wings will be published in twenty-one languages.[19]
| Language | Publisher | Title | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | German | Verlagsgruppe Random House | Elfenkuss |
| 2. | Portuguese | Editora Bertrand (Brazil)
Bertrand (Portugal) |
Wings: O Beijo dos Elfos |
| 3. | Estonian | Kirjastus Pegasus | |
| 4. | Hebrew | Matar Publishing House | כנפיים |
| 5. | French | Editions ADA (Canada) Pocket Jeunesse (France) |
Ailes |
| 6. | Italian | Sperling & Kupfer Editori | Wings |
| 7. | Spanish | Ediciones Urano | Alas |
| 8. | Turkish | Pegasus Yayincilik | |
| 9. | Polish | Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie | Skrzydła Laurel |
| 10. | Lithuanian | Media Incognito | Sparnai |
| 11. | Russian | Exmo | Крылья |
| 12. | Greek | Livanis | Φτερά |
| 13. | Japanese | Take-Shobo | |
| 14. | Croatian | Mozaik Knjiga | Krila |
| 15. | Indonesian | PT Gramedia | |
| 16. | Dutch | Standaard | |
| 17. | Hungarian | Könyvmolyképző Kiadó | |
| 18. | Bulgarian | Studio Art-Line | |
| 19. | Catalan | La Galera | |
| 20. | Macedonian | Детска радост | Крилја |
| 21. | Dutch | Manteau | Wings |
[edit] References
- ^ "Wings (Hardcover)". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061668036/. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
- ^ "Wings (Paperback)". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061668052/. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
- ^ "Wings (Paperback)". Amazon.co.uk. http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0007314361/. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
- ^ "I Know, I Know!!". Aprilynne Pike's Blog. http://apparentlyaprilynne.blogspot.com/2008/05/i-know-i-know.html. Retrieved 2009-03-14.
- ^ Schuessler, Jennifer. "Children's Best Sellers for May 24, 2009". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/books/bestseller/bestchildren.html. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
- ^ Schuessler, Jennifer. "Children's Best Sellers for May 31, 2009". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/books/bestseller/bestchildren.html. Retrieved 2009-05-23.
- ^ "Children's Fiction Bestsellers". Publishers Weekly 2009 (23). June 8, 2009.
- ^ "The Reign Continues". Publishers Weekly. http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-book-news/article/42533-children-s-bestsellers-2009-the-reign-continues.html. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
- ^ "Top Livros - semana de 24 a 30 de Maio". Blogtailors. http://blogtailors.blogspot.com/2010/06/top-livros-semana-de-24-30-de-maio.html. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
- ^ "Spells by Aprilynne Pike". HarperCollins Catalog. http://www.harpercollinscatalogs.com/harper/503_1326_313836343133.htm. Retrieved 2010-03-23.
- ^ "Kids' Indie Next List". IndieBound.org. http://www.indiebound.org/kids-indie-next-list?edition=200902k. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
- ^ "Titles Nominated". Young Adult Library Services Association. http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/bestbooksya/titlesnominated.cfm. Retrieved 2009-06-10.
- ^ "Best Mainstream & Young Adult Novels 2009". Annual Romantic Times Book Reviews Nominees. http://www.rtbookreviews.com/temp/RT.09.Nominees.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-13.[dead link]
- ^ "2009 Nominations: Fantasy/Science Fiction". Cybils Awards Website. http://dadtalk.typepad.com/cybils/2009-nominations-fantasyscience-fiction.html. Retrieved 2010-01-02.
- ^ "2009 Whitney Awards Finalists". Whitney Awards Website. http://www.whitneyawards.com/2009finalists.html. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
- ^ "Wings". Aprilynne Pike's Website. http://aprilynnepike.com/Wings/. Retrieved 2009-10-28.
- ^ "Booklist Review at Amazon.com". Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0061668036/. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
- ^ "Wings". Romantic Times Book Reviews. http://www.rtbookreviews.com/book-review/wings. Retrieved 2010-04-23.
- ^ "Housekeeping". Aprilynne Pike's Blog. http://apparentlyaprilynne.blogspot.com/2009/12/housekeeping.html. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
