Illusions

February 1, 2012
Gr 7-10-In Aprilynne Pike's sequel (2011) to Wings (2009, both HarperTeen), Laurel, a faerie adopted by human parents, expects this year to be different. Barnes is gone, hopefully taking with him the threat to Avalon, and Tamani seems to be honoring her wishes and staying away. On the first day of her senior year of high school, Laurel realizes how wrong she was. Tamani, a faerie, shows up posing as a foreign exchange student named Tam. This creates relationship issues between Laurel and David, a human, as they try to deal with Tam's arrival. But the even bigger issue is that Laurel and Avalon are still threatened. Klea, the black clad gun-toting troll hunter, also asks Laurel to take care of Yuki, a faerie unknown to Avalon. As more trolls are cited and Laurel and her friends are attacked, it appears that Yuki and Klea may be the biggest threats of all. Pike recaptures the excitement of the first book and fills the story with suspense and a surprise twist at the end. Mandy Siegfried does an excellent job of portraying the characters with all their quirks, and perfectly gives the secondary characters their personas. The greater focus on Laurel and Tamani's friends helps to flesh out the tale and makes this more than just a love triangle. Fans of the series will anxiously await the final title in the trilogy.-"Sarah Flood, Breckinridge County Public Library, Hardinsburg, KY"

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