SCARS LIKE WINGS (2019)

Scars Like Wings by Erin Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Taking my own advice, I decided to read a young adult novel. They tend to be shorter but no less compelling. This one and The Last True Poets of the Sea by Julia Drake were my choices. See May 21, 2019 entry). I guess I should point out that both books won't be available until October 1, 2019.

FIRST LINE: "One year after the fire, my doctor removes my mask and tells me to get a life."

THE STORY: What's it like to lose everything you love including yourself? 16 year old Ava survived a fire that left her alone and disfigured. How she faces trying to find a new normal is heartbreaking and inspiring. This is an amazing view into what burn survivors live through, but then all of us have scars, although some aren't as visible.

WHAT I THOUGHT: I was immediately drawn into the story by the awful facts of Ava's situation. At first she turns away from everyone but, forced to go back to high school, she encounters and makes friends with Piper and Asad.

"For each species on the planet, finding this community is not a luxury; it's an essential element of survival."

I loved the social media aspects and the musical theater references. Ava makes some bad decisions that worried me, but these issues were overcome by others who love her enough to help her find appropriate outcomes. Ava's world will never again be what it was before the fire but there is a new normal that is worth living.

BOTTOM LINE: Well written, plotted, and paced, this debut novel is worthy of the attention it has garnered. Although the story is about teenagers, I think anyone can read and take away a message of hope. Appropriate for 12 and over/7-9th grades.

Disclaimer: A copy of Scars Like Wings was provided to me by Delacorte Press/Net Galley for an honest review.

Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher:  Delacorte Press (October 1, 2019)
ISBN-10: 1984848828
ISBN-13:  978-1984848826

Erin Stewart is the author of Scar Like Wings, her debut novel. Erin is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern and a BYU undergraduate who works as a freelance writer and editor, as well as a weekly columnist in Salt Lake City.

Erin lives in Utah with her husband and three children. She is represented by the amazing Brianne Johnson of Writers House.