Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston
Release Date: December 23, 2008
Publisher: HarperTeen
Age Group: Young Adult, ages 12 and up
Pages: 336
Kelley Winslow is living her dream. Seventeen years old, she has moved to New York City and started work with a theatre company. Sure, she's an understudy for the Avalon Players, a third-tier repertory company so far off-Broadway it might as well be in Hoboken, but things are looking up—the lead has broken her ankle and Kelley's about to step into the role of Titania the Fairy Queen in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Faeries are far more real than Kelley thinks, though, and a chance encounter in Central Park with a handsome young man will plunge her into an adventure she could never have imagined.
For Sonny Flannery, one of the Janus Guards charged by Auberon, the King of Winter, with watching over the gate into the lands of Faerie that lies within Central Park, the pretty young actress presents an enigma. Strong and willful, she sparks against his senses like a firecracker and he can't get her out of his mind. As Hallowe'en approaches and the Samhain Gate opens, Sonny and Kelley find themselves drawn to each other—and into a terrible plot that could spell disaster for both New York and Faerie alike.
I think I’ve wrote and then rewrote this review about a hundred times now! And I know it’s going to come across one way, and that’s just how it’s going to have to be, because I simply cannot write it any other way. So here is goes... fangirly-ness and all. I hope you last through it.
I loved it, I LOVED it. I love it so much I want to marry it. If you are a fan of faerie books, you’ll want to read this one. If you’ve tried faerie books before, but didn’t like them, you’ll want to read this. If you aren’t a fan of faerie books, you’ll still want to read it. It’s that good.
Incredible characters, incredible writing, incredible plot. It was really just so fricking fantastic, it’s hard to find the words to describe it. I never in a million years would have guessed this was a debut novel. The key to my heart is great characters and story line, and this book had it all and then some. Even the minor characters stood out to me, and they were fascinating. Like Chloe, she is a siren, a very minor role and yet she is very memorable. (And no, it's not just because I have an affinity to sirens.) As well as a few other characters... but I don’t want to give all the goods away.
Completely original/new/fun plot! I figured a few things out, but other things I was oblivious to, until they were revealed. I’ve read other faerie books about the faerie “royalty” if you’ve read Melissa Marr you know what I’m talking about here. Not that I’d even compare this book to Marr’s because they are at totally two different ends of the spectrum. And I don’t mean that in the quality of writing, because they are both fabulous writers. Did I just write fabulous... don’t you just love the plethora of “f” adj.!? Do you think I’m subconsciously doing it because of the whole faerie thing... freaking fantastic fascinating fabulous faeries! I promise I did NOT do that on purpose!
Great writers write what they know... what movie is that from? (...Never Been Kissed!) I think that statement definitely has some truth to it. Kelley is an actress. (a struggling actress to be more specific) The theater scenes within the novel were marvelous (notice no ‘f’ here!) so I wasn’t surprised to learn that the lovely Lesley Livingston herself is at home on the stage. I wonder if she knows any faeries personally?
I think the thing I loved most about this novel was Kelley. She is an exceptional female protagonist. I was instantly drawn to her character. She’s honest, she imperfect, and she doesn’t pull the Bella card. (You know Bella, right? Oh what was that Edward, you're a vampire and want to suck the life out of me. Of course I'm not afraid!) When a cute guy tells her that faeries are real. She reacts like a normal person and laughs in his face. LOVED IT.
And I must mention Sonny. Ah... Sonny.. Mom can I have one? Yeah that’s really all I’m going to say about him, because if I tell you, they you’re going to want him too, and you can’t have him because he’s mine. No really, I’m not going to tell you how incredibly cute he is, and how he kicks major faerie ass, because he’s all protecting the mortal world from the awful faeries.. And yet, he can still rescue the damsel in distress even if she is mean to him and laughs in his face. Nope, not going there.
I simply cannot say enough good things about this novel. I highly recommend you grab a copy of this book. It would make an awesome Christmas present! And I’m even more thrilled to mention that this novel is the beginning of a trilogy!