Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
Product Details
- Reading level: Young Adult
- Hardcover: 328 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; 1st edition (June 12, 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0061214655
- ISBN-13: 978-0061214653
- Available on: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / IndieBound
All teenagers have problems, but few of them can match those of Aislinn, who has the power to see faeries. Quite understandably, she wishes that she could share her friends' obliviousness and tries hard to avoid these invisible intruders. But one faery in particular refuses to leave her alone. Keenan the Summer King is convinced beyond all reasoning that Aislinn is the queen he has been seeking for nine centuries. What's a 21st-century girl to do when she's stalked by a suitor nobody else can see? A debut fantasy romance for the ages; superlative summer read.
Wicked Lovely has a gorgeous cover - a girl cupping flowers in her frosty palms. I guess that's why I was so attracted to this book in the first place. You may think I'm shallow - but there's no denying that it really is beautiful. Look, even the font is lovely. But sometimes, we can't judge a book by its cover! A beautiful cover doesn't guarantee an amazing story. That's what happened with me reading Wicked Lovely.
I started reading the book with high hopes, but it was just meh. Even though it was a little boring, I kept on reading - anxious to reach the climax of the story - which never came. Well, it had a climax, but I didn't feel the tension and excitement at all. I just read for the sake of reading, which was actually quite sad since I thought this would be a great book after reading the rave reviews on Goodreads. 7 out of 10 says it's awesome.
Aislinn has a pretty name, and she's a courageous, spunky and witty heroine. She is blessed (and cursed) with the Sight, which means she can see faeries when they are invisible to normal humans. When Keenan, the Summer King approaches her, and faeries start to follow her everywhere, she starts to question the faeries' motive. It turns out that she is the new girl - Keenan's new Chosen one. She has a choice - whether to stay as a Summer girl (a faerie dependent of Keenan to survive) or take the test. If she takes the test, then she will either pass and be the Summer Queen or fail and be the new Winter Girl, and suffer from everlasting cold until another takes her place. However, if she denies Keenan by choosing to be a Summer Girl, then she will live forever and be one of Keenan's harem. Aislinn is between the devil and the deep blue sea for she wanted to be neither; all she wants is to stay as a normal human and have a normal life. But she has no choice at all.
The author's writing flows smoothly throughout the story, and the lettering at the start of each chapter is gorgeous. But sometimes the storyline confuses me and I had to re-read the passages. I know Keenan has to break Beira's cold spell, but who made the rules / curse in the first place? How did Beira kill her husband and why?
I felt disgusted at the mere thought of Keenan keeping uncountable pretty human-girls-turned-faerie as his harem. I know he's the Summer King, but is it necessary to have so many concubines? And he beds them when he is in a bad mood and needs to 'relax'. I mean, WTH?! He just approaches a pretty girl and say, "I choose you." and she's all his?! Although the author did try to make him sound sympathetic (his needing a Summer Queen to break the cold spell and all) I still felt that he is untrustworthy. For all the girls who've been chosen earlier, no matter from which perspective I see it, I observe that their lives are ruined. In other words, they are to become Keenan's wives/concubines for eternity - whether they like it or not. How am I supposed to sympathize his condition (powers being limited by evil mother)? To me, he just sounds like a sexual predator.
And, although Seth is sweet and protective towards Aislinn in many ways, I still felt unsure about his true self, because he is a playboy. He has uncountable casual relationships / one night stands with girls whose names he might not even remember. He likes (or loves) Aislinn so much that he decides to abstain from sex for 7 months. He even got tests regarding his 'health' to prove that he is clean from sexual diseases like STD, HIV etc. and shows Aislinn the reports. Crazy.
My favourite character in this book is probably Donia. She is the Winter Girl - one who took the test and failed. Even though she suffers from extreme coldness and feels pain whenever she is near Keenan, in her heart she still loves Keenan. She has a beautiful, melancholic appearance which made her seem fragile. She still has mortal feelings although she has been a faerie for a long time, and she respects Seth for his willingness to protect Aislinn. She gives me an impression of an ethereal creature.
As a conclusion, Wicked Lovely didn't turn out to be as captivating as I'd expected, but it still has some good qualities. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. A mix of adventure, romance, and fantasy, this story will appeal to readers who love reading about faeries.
Rating: 
Note: Parents need to know that, while there's nothing graphic, there is discussion of sex, virginity, first times, STDs, and other sexual content. There's also a bit of swearing, alcohol, and drugs. Parental guidance recommended for teenagers below the age of 16.
Melissa Marr grew up believing in faeries, ghosts, and various other creatures. After teaching college literature for a decade, she applied her fascination with folklore to writing. Wicked Lovely was her first novel. Currently, Marr lives in the Washington, D.C., area, writes full-time, and still believes in faeries and ghosts.
Visit the official website of melissa marr
Visit the blog of melissa marr
I started reading the book with high hopes, but it was just meh. Even though it was a little boring, I kept on reading - anxious to reach the climax of the story - which never came. Well, it had a climax, but I didn't feel the tension and excitement at all. I just read for the sake of reading, which was actually quite sad since I thought this would be a great book after reading the rave reviews on Goodreads. 7 out of 10 says it's awesome.
Aislinn has a pretty name, and she's a courageous, spunky and witty heroine. She is blessed (and cursed) with the Sight, which means she can see faeries when they are invisible to normal humans. When Keenan, the Summer King approaches her, and faeries start to follow her everywhere, she starts to question the faeries' motive. It turns out that she is the new girl - Keenan's new Chosen one. She has a choice - whether to stay as a Summer girl (a faerie dependent of Keenan to survive) or take the test. If she takes the test, then she will either pass and be the Summer Queen or fail and be the new Winter Girl, and suffer from everlasting cold until another takes her place. However, if she denies Keenan by choosing to be a Summer Girl, then she will live forever and be one of Keenan's harem. Aislinn is between the devil and the deep blue sea for she wanted to be neither; all she wants is to stay as a normal human and have a normal life. But she has no choice at all.
The author's writing flows smoothly throughout the story, and the lettering at the start of each chapter is gorgeous. But sometimes the storyline confuses me and I had to re-read the passages. I know Keenan has to break Beira's cold spell, but who made the rules / curse in the first place? How did Beira kill her husband and why?
I felt disgusted at the mere thought of Keenan keeping uncountable pretty human-girls-turned-faerie as his harem. I know he's the Summer King, but is it necessary to have so many concubines? And he beds them when he is in a bad mood and needs to 'relax'. I mean, WTH?! He just approaches a pretty girl and say, "I choose you." and she's all his?! Although the author did try to make him sound sympathetic (his needing a Summer Queen to break the cold spell and all) I still felt that he is untrustworthy. For all the girls who've been chosen earlier, no matter from which perspective I see it, I observe that their lives are ruined. In other words, they are to become Keenan's wives/concubines for eternity - whether they like it or not. How am I supposed to sympathize his condition (powers being limited by evil mother)? To me, he just sounds like a sexual predator.
And, although Seth is sweet and protective towards Aislinn in many ways, I still felt unsure about his true self, because he is a playboy. He has uncountable casual relationships / one night stands with girls whose names he might not even remember. He likes (or loves) Aislinn so much that he decides to abstain from sex for 7 months. He even got tests regarding his 'health' to prove that he is clean from sexual diseases like STD, HIV etc. and shows Aislinn the reports. Crazy.
My favourite character in this book is probably Donia. She is the Winter Girl - one who took the test and failed. Even though she suffers from extreme coldness and feels pain whenever she is near Keenan, in her heart she still loves Keenan. She has a beautiful, melancholic appearance which made her seem fragile. She still has mortal feelings although she has been a faerie for a long time, and she respects Seth for his willingness to protect Aislinn. She gives me an impression of an ethereal creature.
As a conclusion, Wicked Lovely didn't turn out to be as captivating as I'd expected, but it still has some good qualities. I don't hate it, but I don't love it either. A mix of adventure, romance, and fantasy, this story will appeal to readers who love reading about faeries.
Note: Parents need to know that, while there's nothing graphic, there is discussion of sex, virginity, first times, STDs, and other sexual content. There's also a bit of swearing, alcohol, and drugs. Parental guidance recommended for teenagers below the age of 16.
Melissa Marr grew up believing in faeries, ghosts, and various other creatures. After teaching college literature for a decade, she applied her fascination with folklore to writing. Wicked Lovely was her first novel. Currently, Marr lives in the Washington, D.C., area, writes full-time, and still believes in faeries and ghosts.Visit the official website of melissa marr
Visit the blog of melissa marr
Julie Kagawa was born in Sacramento, California. But nothing exciting really happened to her there. So, at the age of nine she and her family moved to Hawaii, which she soon discovered was inhabited by large carnivorous insects, colonies of house geckos, and frequent hurricanes. She spent much of her time in the ocean, when she wasn’t getting chased out of it by reef sharks, jellyfish, and the odd eel.
