Summary: For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find.
Lace Paloma may be new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees.
Beautifully written, and richly imaginative, The Weight of Feathers is an utterly captivating young adult novel by a talented new voice.
Title: The Weight of Feathers
Author: Anna-Marie McLemore
Publisher: Thomas Dunne
Published: September 15th 2015
*sighs* This one was beautiful and perfect and everything I didn't know I needed until I started reading it. It took me long to read it only because I didn't want to finish it too quickly. I started talking about Cluck and Lace as if they were real people in my life and I could visit them. If this wasn't on my Kindle, I would hug it tightly. I highly recommend this one to anyone who wants something new and different and amazing and lovely and perfect.
One of my favourite aspects of this novel was the blurring of the reality and the magic. There was so much more to it than just what was written on the page and yet at the same time everything that was on the page was all that was in reality. I loved the superstitions that each family had and the lies and truths that were told and believed. I think the ending was perfect and fitting for what had previously occurred in the novel.
The alternating povs between Chuck and Lace were well done. I liked that you could tell who was the main pov for the chapter by the title being in French or Spanish -- that was really cute. And the sayings were all so clever, I just couldn't even. Cluck and Lace were both so great and I loved how they were both outcasts of their own family. It made their story that much more enticing and knowing the history between the two families made you root for their romance even harder. I thought that they both felt like "real" characters -- they were interesting and complex while still speaking and feeling like someone you or I could run into on the street.
I think my favourite aspect of Lace was how frightened she was of rain after the accident because that was so realistic that I could feel her terror and pain. I loved that Cluck wore his family's hatred of him as a badge of honour because he wouldn't let them see how much it actually tore into him. It made him the better person and so much stronger in the end.
The romance was so beautifully intertwined in this story because the story itself wasn't about the romance. The romance just happened to be there. And it felt so natural that I was deeply enthralled by every moment the two of them spent together.
The theme and the metaphors with feathers was everything in this novel though. And I loved seeing how feathers were viewed from each family's perspective. It was just so beautiful and perfect.
I just. I highly recommend this one. If you haven't checked it out, you definitely should. And I am counting down the days until it is released because I am going to force everyone I know to read it. It is that good. And I don't hand out 5/5 for just any book, so you know this one is special.
"She should have known all along not to trust the sky. It was where the crows lived."
"The idea fluttered along her rib cage that if she touched him again, she would turn to dust or fire. She lifted her hand to his face, wanting to know if it was true."
"You're beautiful. It's just true. His own words hovered in the air like dragonflies. Even when he went out the back door to hang up his shirt, he could hear the humming of their wings. He had no way of knowing if she wanted to swat them away or open her hands to let them land."
I'm very much looking forward to reading The Weight of Feathers! I'm a sucker for a Romeo & Juliet type tale, and this one fits the bill. It makes me SO happy that you enjoyed it! Your review just got me even more excited to read it.
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