Wicked Lovely (thoughts)

In honor of Children’s Book Week, I’ll be reviewing a different children’s/YA book every day this week. I have a few options, but I wanted to talk about Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr first. Why? Because I have the hugest literary crush thanks to this book!

It’s a YA urban fantasy title, so there’s a mix of real-life and faeries. While the genre is similar to Tithe, the style is much different. It actually reminds me quite a bit of Twilight. Only, I enjoyed it even more!

Aislynn has always been able to see faeries; however, with the advice of her grandmother (who’s raising her), she’s learned to ignore them so that they ignore her. But then something strange happens: the faeries start focusing on her. And a faerie king, Keenan, seems very intent on seducing her. Meanwhile, she’s trying to figure out her relationship with her sweet, hot friend Seth. She knows he has a reputation for womanizing, and she certainly doesn’t want to be a notch on the bedpost, but he’s so darn cute it’s hard to resist. What will end up happening?

The book was very well told; all of the characters felt very real, and I immediately felt involved in their struggles. The plot wove several storylines together seamlessly. The romantic scenes were touching, but not overdone for YA. And Seth is the most adorable thing ever. I really want him to turn up on my doorstep tomorrow! Take our introduction to his ‘house’ (he lives in converted trainc ars)…

She stepped around the piles of books on the floor: Chaucer and Nietzsche sat beside The Prose Edda; the Kama Sutra tilted against A World History of Architecture and a Clare Dunkle novel. Seth read everything.

And he drinks tea!

To be fair, if faerie is more your thing, Keenan is no slouch. Here’s my favourite description of him:

Seeing him without his glamour was like looking at a perfect sunrise over the ocean, like seeing a meteor shower in the desert, and then having someone ask if you wanted to keep it for your very own.

In sum, I’d recommend this to everyone who enjoyed Twilight, and even those that didn’t. Aislynn’s love (imho) makes a lot more sense. There isn’t one thing I would change about this book, and that’s not something I feel very often. Here’s hoping Marr writes a sequel!