Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.
Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava—in all other ways a normal girl—is born with the wings of a bird.
In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naïve to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the Summer Solstice celebration.
That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava’s quest and her family’s saga build to a devastating crescendo.
First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.
Song For This Book: Wings by Birdy
Why? This just seems so fitting for this books, with wings that can’t fly and the whole atmosphere of it.
5/5
The first thing that should be noted about this book is that the synopsis is misleading. If you’re just going by that description, you’ll go into this book thinking that you’re going to get 300-odd pages about Ava. But Ava’s story doesn’t come in until about 120 pages into the book. The first part of this book tells the the story of Ava’s mother and grandmother. Which will leave you a bit confused if you’re going just on the synopsis.
But despite this, The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender is a fantastic book. It had the feel of Mary Poppins feel almost, and takes you on a journey that is magical and beautiful and absolutely fascinating. The way that the stories of each of the women who share the focus weave together is brilliantly done, leaving for a great ending to the book.
The Good Points of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender:
This book is beautifully written. The words flow together wonderfully, and it really gives it a magical feeling, even though there isn’t a whole lot of magic in the traditional sense. It really keeps you hooked into the story, and desperate to read more.
I love how the stories of the three women interconnect in this book, and how one story leads to the next to the next. This isn’t something we’ve seen done well in young adult too often, and Walton doesn’t only manage to make them flow, but also ties them together beautifully in the end of the book.
So love stories usually aren’t my thing, but the way the author approaches and presents the topic of love, how it can descend into chaos and obsession, and how we protect ourselves from love and hurt is amazing. It’s brutally honest, and I think that’s one of the things that make this book great.
I adored Henry’s character. I think it’s safe to say that he has some form of autism? But he’s such a fantastic addition to the story, and his uniqueness is wonderfully presented. I also really like that the other characters just accept him as this kid who doesn’t like being touched or speaking, and don’t make it into this big thing. All the characters in this book are amazing, but Henry really stood out to me.
The descriptions in this book are perfect. Just enough to make it easy to picture what the author intended, but not so much that it drags. Especially with the food, even if it made me hungry.
The Downsides of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender:
This book does read a little more like a history book than a fictional story. You mostly just get events that happened, rather than personal thoughts of Ava’s, despite the fact that it’s written in first person. I would have loved to know a bit more about her thoughts throughout the process.
I did find this book a bit on the slow side. We could have gotten to the point much faster than we did.
All in all, I absolutely loved The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender, and it’s definitely earned a permanent place on my bookshelf. If you love magical realism, unique characters, fascinating descriptions of food, or ever dreamed of having wings of your own, you should definitely read this book!
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