Review: Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Title: Spells
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Genre: Dystopian Young Adult
Release Date: 05/04/10
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Summary:

Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger -- and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

Plot: 5 Stars
An interesting part of this novel was how a major plot point was very similar to a lot of YA series second novels, while being wildly different. Instead of the mysterious, paranormal bad boy disappearing for the main character's "own good" (think Edward in New Moon), Laurel leaved David to go learn more about being a Fall faerie. She is not leaving to save David or keep him out of trouble. She leaves for the summer in order to better prepare and defend herself. The plot of this novel definitely takes a couple twists I was not expecting, and the ending had me biting my nails. As much as I fell in love with Wings a couple years ago (before I started blogging), I think Spells was even better and I can't wait to start book three!

Pace: 5 Stars
This was one of those novels I would have gobbled up in one sitting if life didn't get in the way. But sadly I had to put it down a couple times to go to work. And eat, since I didn't want to get any food on the pages. There was never a point in the novel in which the pace slowed down or started wandering off in an off-topic direction. I was glued to the pages until I got to the very end.

Characters: 5 Stars
This novel was all about growth for these characters. Laurel got to learn more about being a faerie at the academy. All of the reading and the notecards and the homework after she left didn't sound like a lot of fun for her, but it was still very interesting to read about. We got to learn more about Tamani and his family, and see him interact with more faeries. The dynamic between Laurel and her parents was different from the first novel, and the way they worked through the difficulties came across very real.

Cover: 4.5 Stars
I love the beauty and simplicity of this cover, although my heart will always love the cover of Wings the most. But the mix of very natural greens and browns in the water with the bright pink of the flowers and title is very eye-catching. The choice of a simple, cursive font fits the story very well. I really love the Paranormal Young Adult series that have these simple covers involving flowers because they allow the consumer/reader to get a feel for the mood of the book without forcing them to visualize the main character a certain way. I don't know about anyone else, but once I've seen the character (either on the cover or the actor playing the character), I lose the image I had crafted in my mind. Plus, the bright colors of this cover really fits Laurel's personality.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this novel for my own reading pleasure.