Wondrous Strange

Wondrous Strange
By Lesley Livingston
Harper Teen, December 2008
336 Pages
Young Adult/Fantasy
Rated 3.75/5 (Pretty good)

Since the dawn of time, the Faerie have taken. . . .

Seventeen-year-old Kelley Winslow is living and working in New York.  She’s just been moved up from the under-study of Titania in an off Broadway production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream.  She has a loving aunt and a decent roommate.  She has her feet firmly planted on the earth…things are going good.  Until one day while rehearsing in Central Park she meets steel-gray eyed Sonny Flannery, and nothing will ever be the same.

Sonny is a changeling, a mortal stolen by the fae and raised among them, and now one of the guards of the Samhain Gate.  The Samhain Gate is a gateway between the Faery world, an enchanted and dangerous place, and the mortal realm.  This gate only opens on Samhain – October 31 and anything can pass through.

This year, as the time for the opening of the gate approaches, something is different. Something wondrous and strange.  For Kelley’s eyes are not only opening to the Faery folk around her, but to her own birthright as well.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed this book.  It was slow to start, but once it got going, I found it to be an interesting and different take on the traditional Faery story.  I really liked the use of the Shakespearean play in context with the story going on around it.  Many of the characters are the same and I thought it added a nice little familiarity to the story.  It will remind you of Melissa Marr, Holly Black, and other such author’s works, but I think it’s different enough to be interesting.  It had its weak parts, like most first novels, but in the end I think Livingston pulled it out.  I’m definitely looking forward to the next one in the series.

When Kailana asked me if I wanted to co-read this book I jumped at the chance.  Not only did I want to read this book (I’ve had it for awhile) but I’ve never done a co-review before!!  I’m so excited!  Now, for Kailana’s questions for me.  Visit her site to see her review and my questions for her!

Who was your favourite secondary character in the book? Sonny.  Does he count, since Kelley is the MC?  I pick him anyway.  He was a really nicely drawn, conflicted character.  A lot of times, when characters “fall in love” almost immediately, it comes off as slightly unbelievable.  I think Livingston managed to do quite a feat, it making me believe that Sonny was falling for Kelley, after only meeting her once.  And he sounded pretty hot.  *wink*

Of the ‘Fair’ folk, what was your favourite?  Was it because of this book, or were they considered a favourite before? It’s kind of hard to pick.  I really enjoyed how Livingston tied in the new and the old mythical names.  I really liked Puck, Bob and/or Robin Goodfellow.  He was his usual mischievous self, like in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but he had another side here, a kind, protective side and I really enjoyed that.  I hope we see him again in the next book.  I also enjoyed his character in A Midsummer Night’s Dream… I like those mischevious faeries.  As long as they leave me alone.

Do you recommend this book?  Will you be reading more from the author in the future? I do.  I thought it was good fun and a nice, quick, light, summertime read.  I’m really looking forward to the next one; to see where she’s going to go with it.