“She wanted to speak, to tell the fey to leave so she didn’t have to, but she couldn’t. Ever. If she did, they’d know her secret: they’d know she could see them. The only way to survive was to keep that secret; Grams taught her that rule before she could even write her name: Keep your head down and your mouth closed.” (p. 6-7)
Marr, Melissa. Wicked lovely. New York: HarperTeen. 2007.
Genre: Fantasy
Review:
Aislinn had always followed the rules that her Grams had taught her. The rules were to keep her safe. Because Aislinn could see faeries and that was a very dangerous ability to have for faeries are both powerful and dangerous and she has seen how cruel they can be. But then two faeries start following her around and her secret becomes even harder to keep. One of them is the Summer King who is determined that she is the Queen that he has been waiting for and adapts a human guise to try to woo her. The other is the Winter Girl whose job it is to warn her away. Aislinn wants nothing to do with either one, but a deadly game has already been set in motion—one that once started cannot be stopped. Aislinn doesn’t know all the consequences or even all the players but the results—whatever they may be—will leave her forever changed.
This fairytale with a modern-day twist is captivating. Aislinn is a strong female character who doesn’t follow the pattern set by many “classical” fairytales. Darker themes are mentioned so if one is looking for a Disney tale they should probably look elsewhere. But it’s not all dark either, this riveting tale is woven with love, intrigue, and lore.