Summary: Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries. Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world. Aislinn fears their cruelty—especially if they learn of her Sight—and wishes she were as blind to their presence as other teens.Rule #1: Don’t ever attract their attention. But it’s too late. Keenan is the Summer King who has sought his queen for nine centuries. Without her, summer itself will perish. He is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost—regardless of her plans or desires.
Suddenly none of the rules that have kept Aislinn safe are working anymore, and everything is on the line: her freedom; her best friend, Seth; her life; everything. Faery intrigue, mortal love, and the clash of ancient rules and modern expectations swirl together in this 21st century faery tale.
Review: I'm a little late with reading this seeing as it came out in 2007. What prompted me to read it (aside from the dazzling cover) was the release of Ink Exchange. That and the fact that I just recently got back into reading Young Adult. Anyway, with all the rave reviews I'd heard and the fantastic cover, my hopes were high. And I was not in the least bit disappointed. From the moment I picked it up in the bookstore - where I read the first sixty pages in one sitting - to when I finally had it at home, the story had firmly in its grasp.
The world that Marr creates is vivid and real, as are her characters. Their troubles are captivating, from Aislinn's relationship with her grandmother, to the the (good) tension with Seth, to her fear of faeries, particularly Keenan. Her evolution as a character is a marvelous thing to behold as she starts out a terrified teenager bound by rules and grows into a young woman determined to take control of her future. The secondary characters are equally captivating - from Seth, the studded hottie and love interest, to Donia, the latest Winter Girl. They all have problems, they all have conflict and these add to the story as a whole. Donia's conflict with Keenan as the last professed love of his life, now betrayed, is real and poignant, and contributes not only to creating a more vivid story world but to moving the story forward.
The courts, particularly the Summer Court (the focus of the book), are stunning and beautiful. Marr gives the reader little pieces through out the book, not overpowering them with huge info dumps. Before the story is even over, you have a complete world, with rules and conventions and most importantly, one that is believable given the context. I never stopped and frowned at something because it didn't make sense.
Over all, Wicked Lovely was a fantastic read. I loved the characters, I loved the world and I can't wait to get my hands on it's sequel, Fragile Eternity. I also read the next book in the series (not a sequel, but set in the same world, with some of the same characters) Ink Exchange. Hopefully I'll get a review of it up by tonight. Anyway, this is a definite recommend for anyone looking for a good, solid read.
