Wicked Lovely - Review

Title: Wicked Lovely
Author: Melissa Marr

Rating: 4.5/5
Grade: C = caution- 14 and up (sexual themes, profanity, drug use, underage drinking)

All of her life Aislinn - like her mother and grandmother before her - has been able to see what noone else can see: the faeries that constantly surround us. They are not the delightful helpful little creatures the children's stories would have us believe in. Rather they are human-sized, and extremely dangerous. Aislinn has seen the horrible and viscious things they do to eachother; the way they tease and torment humans. Her earliest memories are of her grandmother teaching her about the faeries - that the faeries must never know that she can see them. The rules for safety: 1. Don't ever attract their attention. 2. Don't speak to invisible faeries. 3. Don't stare at invisible faeries.

For 17 years Aislinn has followed the rules, and has been safe from detection, but one day that begins to change. She is still following the rules, but the fey are not. They begin to notice her. Two in particular - a male and female - start to stalk her, and talk to her, putting on their glamour which makes them visible and disguised to humans. These changes convince Aislinn to confide in her good friend Seth, who lives in a steel train car where she has always felt safe (the faeries not being able to be to close to steel or iron). When the faeries do not lose interst in her, she and Seth begin their quest to find out what they want from her.

This book was very dark and seductive -wicked and lovely. The first few chapters were a bit hard to get into, but I soon found myself entranced. I think it was the realationships which made this book. The unspoken atttraction between Aislinn and Seth was so real. I almost felt like it was me feeling the emotions and uncertainties of a new and undiscoverd love.

The faery characters were also very well developed. Other than the bad guy, the winter queen, who was pretty one dimensional. But when your good guys are already the bad guys, I suppose it is hard to make a convincing villain.

A well paced story, plenty of action, and a satifying ending. At least satisfying for a first book in a series.