“The Summer King knelt before her.” — First sentence, Prologue
Synopsis from the back cover:
RULE 3: NEVER STARE AT INVISIBLE FAERIES. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. RULE 2: NEVER SPEAK TO INVISIBLE FAERIES. One of them, a beautiful faery boy name Keenan, is trying to talk to her, asking questions. Aislinn is afraid to answer. RULE 1: DON’T EVER ATTRACT THEIR ATTENTION. Now it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King and is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost. Without her, summer itself will perish…
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr is a young adult paranormal romance/fantasy novel in the Wicked Lovely series. This post will be in a Q&A style.
What led you to pick up this book?
I won it from a giveaway on Vivienne’s blog at Serendipity.
What did you like most about the book?
I liked the story and it’s different from the kind of stories I’ve read about faeries. Aislinn, the protagonist, is a young lady who can see faeries around her. Focus. Control. She has to keep reminding herself not to give away the fact that she can see them. That effort drains her, but she has no choice. Unlike her school friends, she is conservative and does not sleep around with any boys that they find “hot” and “with finesse”, i.e. experienced. She also strives not to cross the line with her good friend, Seth (a good-looking guy with the bad-boy image), whom she likes. One thing she doesn’t know is that he’s attracted to her. Also unknown to her is Seth’s abstinence because he is waiting for her, which is totally unexpected because of his reputation for bedding girls.
What did you like least?
I think the author has to realise that she is writing for readers aged 13 and above. There is nothing wrong with sex but when it is being projected as “getting laid” and sleeping around with boys—sometimes without an inkling of who they are or if they even know who you are—is diluting its beauty and sending out the wrong message to these young readers. They should not be “ambushed” this way. I am fully aware that this is a modern world and all of that, but why bring such awareness when parents, schools, and various other institutions are trying so hard to inculcate good values (i.e. abstinence)?
The author needs to evaluate her motives for weaving these ideas into a seemingly harmless, unique story about faeries. Is she sending out a message that says: “Girls, it’s OK to sleep with any Tom, Dick and Harry (or maybe for the boys—Tammy, Donna and Harriette)”? As an adult reader, I think she is probably trying to inject the “real world” into the story, but in my opinion the story will still work nicely without those unnecessary sexual bits. That said, the story has redeeming value: Aislinn isn’t like the other girls, and Seth, because he loves her, changes his perceived playboy behaviour.
What did you think of the main character(s)?
Aislinn is brave and strong. Seth is understanding and protective. I know this story has been compared with Twilight. Unlike Edward in Twilight, I felt nothing for Keenan, the Summer King, except maybe a slight pity. In fact, I did not connect with any of the characters.
What about the ending?
I liked and disliked the ending. I think a clever agreement is reached in the ending. I do not want to risk spoilers, so please read it for yourself.
Would you recommend this book?
Yes, but I would hesitate to give it to a 13-year-old.
Should anyone NOT be encouraged to read it? Why?
For the reasons I mentioned earlier.
Would you read more books by this author?
Yes, I’m curious to see what happens in the next two books in the series: Ink Exchange and Fragile Eternity.
Would you re-read the book?
No, I don’t think so.
