The Library Diva Recommends: Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

From the Publisher: Even if she is the only one who can see them, Aislinn knows that faeries are all around us. She also knows that the only thing keeping her safe is following the ancient rules: don’t stare at invisible faeries, don’t speak to invisible faeries, and don’t ever attract their attention. But when Keenan the Summer King of the faeries chooses Aislinn as his queen, even the ancient rules can no longer protect her.

The Library Diva's Thoughts: Wow.  Wicked Lovely is one of the few books I can honestly say that I sat down and read from start to finish without taking any breaks.  It's that compulsively readable. 

For me the thing I loved most about this novel was the characters. They were finely drawn and at times completely unexpected. Aislinn longs for normalcy--blindness to all the things going on around her. While there are times when you would expect Aislinn to play the victim and throw a hissy fit at the situation she finds herself in, she never does this.  Instead Aislinn demonstrates a great deal of bravery and character as she face things head on and tries to make the best of a bad situation.

Then there is Keenan the Summer King. On the surface Keenan may appear to be cold and uncaring. It would be very easy to dislike him, but the author creates a great deal of empathy in readers for this young king who is trapped in a game that is not of his own making. 

As the girl who last faced the challenge of becoming the Summer Queen, Donia immediately has the reader's sympathy. It would be very easy for this character to turn into "the woman scorned," but like Aislinn she refuses to allow herself to fall into stereotypical roles.

Finally, there is Seth, Aislinn's close friend and home away from home.  The possibilty for a romance between the two has always been there, but Aislinn has always kept herself carefully closed off from that type of a relationship with Seth.  Not one to give up easily, Seth slowly works away at Aislinn's resolve. When some pretty fantastical things begin to happen to Aislinn he never questions her sanity nor does he ever doubt her.  His unflinching support of her helps Aislinn see a future of her own making, not somebody else's

While this book is intended for young adult fantasy readers, I think adult fantasy readers (especially those who enjoy urban fantasy or fantasy with a bit of romance in it) will enjoy it as well. The world building is well done, the storyline is captivating, and (as you may have already guessed) the characters get in your head and won't let go. This book is a must read for any fantasy fan.

You can read an exceprt of Wicked Lovely here.  Visit the author's website here and read her blog here.