Wicked Lovely -- Melissa Marr

Aislinn's grandmother has raised her to follow three rules:

#3:  Don't stare at invisible faeries
#2:  Don't answer invisible faeries
#1:  Don't ever attract faeries' attention

An unusual set of rules to live by for a girl living just south of Pittsburgh, maybe, but a necessary one.  Aislinn and her grandmother both have the Sight, and faeries don't like mortals to see them.  At all. 

We're not talking little pain-in-the-ass Tinkerbell faeries.  Oh, no.  We're talking gouge-out-your-eyes-if-they-catch-you-watching-them faeries.  Faeries that delight in hurting humans and hurting each other.  Faeries that are much more cruel than the faeries in The Perilous Gard.

But now, for some reason, Aislinn has broken Rule #1.  Not through any fault of her own, but nonetheless, Keenan, the Summer King, has started following her.  And he wants to make her his own.

Wicked Lovely beat the pants off Twilight*.  I don't think that all Twilight fans will necessarily agree with that -- Wicked Lovely is much darker and it's very gritty.  There are no sparkly vampires here.  (Keenan, as the Summer King, sometimes does glow, but even that is kind of scary.)  I personally liked it a bazillion times more.

Aislinn is tough and determined and smart and yes, scared, but she's also capable.  She's able to make decisions.  She's protective of her friends.  She's not a waffler.  She doesn't expect other people to protect her.  She's all of the things that Bella is not. 

Her best friend, Seth, is...  I described him to a patron yesterday by flapping my hands around a lot and saying, "He made my stomach all squishy!"  So, yeah.  He's a dreamboat.  A pierced, black-nail-polish-wearing, tea-drinking dreamboat.  But, unlike stupid Edward, he doesn't treat Aislinn like a child.  He's protective without being overbearing, and he doesn't try to make her decisions for her.  AND HE LIVES IN A TRAIN.  How hot is that**?

Because the story follows the faerie side of things, too, we learn about the faerie politics between (and within) the different courts, about Keenan's history and why he's after Aislinn.  Even though I always knew more about the situation than Aislinn, I never felt that she was being obtuse.  (Even about Seth's feelings for her.) 

My only complaint was that Beira, the Winter Queen, was so very eeeevil that she was almost ridiculous.  Cruella de Vil-ish.  I find villains more effective if there's a little something about them that is likable or sympathetic.  I did love her June Cleaver look, though.

I highly recommend this one to fans of urban fantasy -- especially swoony romantic urban fantasy -- so, fans of Holly Black, take note.  I'd also give it teens who like Rachel Cohn.  And yes, to fans of Twilight.

*And I loved Twilight.  Not the later installments, but the first one.

**I CANNOT believe I just typed that sentence.  How embarrassing.  Well, I'm leaving it in.  And I'm not talking about sleeping on a pile of straw in the corner of a train car, either.  He owns it, and it's been converted into a real, livable place -- with electricity and everything.  Sah-woon.

Comments

[Elizabeth]

Under normal circumstances, I'm not a fan-email-the-author kind of girl, but I had barely finished the last page of WICKED LOVELY before I was typing away at an embarrassingly long letter of worship. I couldn't help it. That bit where Seth gives Aislinn his, umm, documentation? Maybe my favorite YA romance moment--ever.

Melissa Marr wrote me back, BTW, a really nice note. I guess I'd mentioned that, until I read her book, THE CHINA GARDEN had been my fav YA fantasy (then she came along and beat the pants off it.) She agreed THE CHINA GARDEN was a good 'un. You should give that one a read/review. Everyone should grab a copy while it's back in print.

[Leila]

I read China Garden years and years ago -- I should definitely give it another read. I'm so glad I'm not alone in my Seth-love. I've been feeling lately like I'm getting a little bit too old to be falling in love with these YA boys.

[Elizabeth]

I think any of your readers who dug on THE CHANGEOVER would be thrilled to hear about THE CHINA GARDEN. And there is no such thing as too old for the YA boys!

[Sheila Ruth]

Oh, no, I'm definitely with you on the YA boys thing. We're all still 18 in our minds, right? I agree that Seth was hot! (I called him 'sizzling' in my review.)

[Electric Landlady]

The TPL has 74 holds on this and I had never even heard of it. What would I do without you?

[Sheryl]

Seth is awesome. MM said her third book is going to be about Seth. I can't wait! When she said this, there was an audible collective swooning sigh from the audience.

[Maria]

"**I CANNOT believe I just typed that sentence. How embarrassing. Well, I'm leaving it in. And I'm not talking about sleeping on a pile of straw in the corner of a train car, either. He owns it, and it's been converted into a real, livable place -- with electricity and everything. Sah-woon."

LOL! If it, helps, he had that effect on most of us :) There was much fangirling in Rath ad Ruins (Wicked Lovely fan forums)esp. right after the book was released. He melts even the coldest of hearts. Not MINE, of course... *hides drool-stained book behind back, looking innoccent*

[cc]

*I* wanna live in a train.

Sounds kick-ass though.

[Chrissy]

You had me at: "Don't stare at invisible faeries"

[jenn]

total, 100% agreement.
sorry - i know that's not adding much to the discussion. but i'm very keen on this book and have to pipe up whenever i see mentions.

[Shrieky]

Ooh I have to read this, particularily if it beats the pants off Twilight. And then I'll recommend it to all my Twilight-loving friends and then I'll watch their reactions on finishing the book...or not. Some of them might annoy me by saying something stupid or Edward-fan-girl-ish.

[sammymariesays]

Ohhh I'm reading this as soon as I'm done with Water for Elephants.
(I love Twilight too, but New Moon and Eclipse disgusted me.)