Scars Like Wings

August 1, 2019
Although 16-year-old Ava Lee survived a fire, she's not sure if she has the strength to survive returning to high school. Ava is the only survivor of the fire that killed her mother, father, and cousin, Sara. After a year of painful recovery, Ava's doctor and her aunt, Cora, who is Sara's mother, tell her that it's time to go back to school. Ava reluctantly agrees to try it for two weeks; after the trial period, she is determined to return to her solitary routine, taking classes online and avoiding looking in the mirror. But at school she unexpectedly befriends Piper, a fellow burn survivor with a dark secret. Together, Ava and Piper struggle to be normal--or, at least, as close as they can get to it. Debut author Stewart's research into the experiences of burn survivors shows: Ava's and Piper's wit, honesty, and strength shine with authenticity, and their struggle to understand how to be "ordinary" teenagers is just the right amount of poignant. Stewart treats the appearances of her disabled characters--and, in particular, their ravaged skin--with care, never sugarcoating the truth but also never resorting to condescension or pity. Unfortunately, Asad, the only character of color in the book, is repeatedly referred to as having "hazelnut" skin, a departure that is notable because of its contrast to the descriptions of white characters. A tender, frank coming-of-age story about the pain and power of survival. (Fiction. 14-18)

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August 19, 2019
It’s been a year since high school junior Ava escaped the fire that left her badly burned and took the lives of her closest loved ones: both her parents and her cousin Sarah. Nineteen surgeries later, Ava still feels as if she looks like a “monster,” but her doctor and new guardians, Sarah’s grieving parents, think it’s time she return to school. Unable to face her old friends, Ava enrolls in a different school, where she’s fully prepared for cruel reactions to her appearance. What she doesn’t expect to find are two companions who refuse to let her retreat into isolation: Piper, a fellow burn survivor who harbors a secret, and Pakistani-American Asad, who shares Ava’s passion for theater. Together, they coax Ava into auditioning for the school play and letting her talents shine. First-time author Stewart writes a sensitively handled story filled with relatable, three-dimensional characters. Without sugarcoating or overdramatizing her protagonists’ circumstances, she focuses on the internal challenges of survivors profoundly affected by trauma. Enhanced by journal entries and poetry, the first-person narrative movingly expresses Ava’s lingering sorrow and changing outlook as she navigates her way toward a new form of normalcy. Ages 12–up.

September 1, 2019

Gr 7 Up-Ava has endured a soul-crushing tragedy-her parents and cousin perished in a house fire, leaving Ava the sole survivor but with terrible burns all over her body. One year later she is released from the hospital to live with her aunt and uncle, after enduring painful skin grafts and surgeries. Ava is encouraged to go back to high school but she resists, knowing her considerable scars will make it hard to make friends. In a support group, she meets Piper, another burn survivor from her new school, and the two girls bond while trying to navigate their new realities. Ava gets involved with the school play, but she has to endure the cruelties of some, while also discovering new allies and a resolve she never knew she had. The research that debut author Stewart did to write such an insightful book about burn recovery is evident. She capably shows how Ava and her aunt and uncle come together to form a new family unit despite crushing grief. Stewart also captures the highs and lows of teen friendship. An interesting facet of the relationship between Ava and Piper is the often unhealthy dynamic between the two, which could push teens to explore where they would draw boundaries between friends. VERDICT Ava's journey toward healing, both physically and mentally, is thought-provoking. Not all scars are evident to the eye, and this narrative will push readers to think deeply about empathy, hope, and resilience in the face of heartbreak.-Nancy McKay, Byron Public Library, IL

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