Review: Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston

Title: Wondrous Strange
Author: Lesley Livingston
Genre: YA
Published: 12/23/08 (hardcover); 09/22/09 (paperback)
Summary:

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

For seventeen-year-old actress Kelley Winslow, faeries are just something from childhood stories. Then she meets Sonny Flannery, whose steel-gray eyes mask an equally steely determination to protect her.

Sonny guards the Samhain Gate, which connects the mortal realm with the Faerie's enchanted, dangerous Otherworld. Usually kept shut by order of icy King Auberon, the Gate stands open but once a year.

This year, as the time approaches when the Samhain Gate will swing wide and nightmarish Fae will fight their way into an unsuspecting human world, something different is happening . . . something wondrous and strange. And Kelley's eyes are opening not just to the Faerie that surround her but to the heritage that awaits her.

Now Kelley must navigate deadly Faerie treachery—and her growing feelings for Sonny—in this dazzling page-turner filled with luminous romance.

Plot: 4 Stars
I loved how the author took things from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and stories of The Wild Hunt to come up with a tale all her own. In a time where YA Faerie novels are filled with many of the same themes, the author was able to integrate theater and make it her own.

Pace: 4 Stars
I loved how the chapters alternated between Kelley and Sonny's POV without distorting or confusing the timeline of the novel. The only slight complaint I have is that the last couple of chapters were a little rushed and confusing for me.

Characters: 3.5 Stars
Most of the characters were wonderful in their own way, but a few antagonists were slightly one-dimensional. And I had trouble keeping track of some of the members of the Janus Guard that had smaller parts to play. Hopefully they'll continue to play a roll in the sequel so we can learn more about them.

Cover: 5 Stars
Maybe I'm just a sucker for the color blue, but I loved this cover. I also thought they were spot on in choosing a cover model after reading Kelley's description.

Overall: 4 Stars

Disclosure: I borrowed this book from the library for my own enjoyment.