Review of Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Author: Melissa Marr

Publisher: HarperTeen

Published: January 2007

Pages: 340

Format: borrowed (library e-book)

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 #2: Don't speak to invisible faeries.
Now faeries are stalking her. One of them, Keenan, who is equal parts terrifying and alluring, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

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 Melissa Marr's stunning twenty-first-century faery tale.

I must say that I have never really been a huge fan of fairies but I wanted to step out of the box and read about them anyway. Wicked Lovey was a great choice. The mythology around the fairies is well developed and explained. One of my favorite things about fiction creatures is how the author is able to make the creatures their own, it’s like learning about a new culture!

In Wicked Lovely the fray have a cast system with the court fray being at towards the top. Keenan is the Summer King searching for his Queen in order to stop his mother’s malevolent reign. His mother Beria, the Winter Queen, has bound Keenan’s full powers and killed his father slowing ending summer in the world until such time the new Summer Queen is found.

After decades of searching for girls to become the Summer Queen; and the girls refusing or failing the test and becoming a winter girl like Donia. Keenan is sure that Aislinn is the one he has been searching for but she is even more special than he knows.

Aislinn can see fairies, like her mother and her grandmother before her. Aislinn has seen what fairies are like and knows what they are capable of and is sure of one thing, that she can never trust them. There is also Seth, Aislinn’s very best friend who will do anything for her.

Although I still don’t care for fairies, I enjoyed reading Wicked Lovely and I think I will continue with the series. I had to read it slow to keep up with all of the fairy background but it’s so well written that it was enjoyable to try and understand the fray world and Aislinn’s view of them.

Aislinn is going my list of favorite protagonist! She is so strong and even fierce when she needs to be. She’s not a girly teenager that fails for the first pretty thing that bats his eyes at her, which makes her a challenge. I love how she stands up for what she thinks is right throughout the whole book, never caving-in to what others feel is best for her.

Seth is amazing! He’s the guy of our dreams without being stereotypical. He is my new book crush!

Keenan was probably that hardest for me to relate to. I don’t feel like I ever totally made a connection to him and, since he is a large part of the story that was a little disconcerting. I felt for Keenan but I found myself glazing over his parts of the story. I don’t feel like he was as compelling of a main character as he should have been.

Then there is sweet Donia, I was honestly taken aback by some of her part in this story. I wish there had been a little less focus on Keenan and Aislinn and a little more background on Keenan and Donia.

For these reasons I am giving this story 3/5. It’s a great book, especially if you like fairies, but I felt it was lacking in a few major ways. I still enjoyed the writing and will continue with the series, maybe I will feel more connected the Keenan and Donia if I do!

3/5

My Favorite Quotes:

• “Seth slid a hand around her waist and kissed her like she was the air, and he was suffocating” 
• “And he smiled for her, truly smiled – wicked and lovely and so tempting” 
• “If we could love and hate with as good heart as the faeries do, we might grow to be long-lived like them” 
• “And even if she could somehow stop seeing fey, a person can’t un-know the truth.”

Melissa Marr: Although I was voted “most likely to end up in jail” in high school, I decided to get an MA and teach Lit and Gender Studies to college students across the country. Along the way, I’ve been unable to resist trying new things- including working in an archaeological dig, slinging drinks at a biker bar, and getting fabulous tattoos.

        I call all of this research for my writing. To fill my craving for new experiences, I’ve lived in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and southern California, and I plan to keep roaming with my family as widely and as often as possible. This year, I think, I’m living in Virginia.

        Please help feed my addiction to meeting interesting new people by visiting me on the web at www.melissa-marr.com.

                                                                ~From “About the Author” in Wicked Lovely