The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
Books | Young Adult Fiction / Family / Multigenerational
3.9
(511)
Leslye Walton
A 2015 William C. Morris YA Debut Award FinalistMagical 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 naive 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.
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Author
Leslye Walton
Pages
320
Publisher
Candlewick Press
Published Date
2014-03-25
ISBN
0763670340 9780763670344
Community ReviewsSee all
"It was ok, definitely not the best thing I’ve ever read, and the extremely pedophilic and creepy theme of Nathaniel’s(he is 26) attraction to Ava(she’s 15 😀) was highly unsettling and definitely not a vibe… Yet, it is definitely my most heavily annotated book. The poetic writing style the author uses to describe heartbreak, grief, doomed love, and the yearning for love is absolutely beautiful, hence why I gave it three stars and not 1. Overall, although this book is REALLY weird, and a lot of the time off putting as hell; it is truly a beautiful book about the ebbs and flows of love, grief, and hope with a tasteful sprinkle of magical realism."
Avery <3
"It had a really bittersweet mood throughout a lot of the book.I feel like there's a lot of room for interpretation especially towards the end of the book. "
Vee
"So rough I’m at spots but so beautifully written "
Julie Zantopoulos
"My favorite book would probably be Dark Matter By Blake Crouch!"
Brianna Conners
"I read this book nearly 7 years ago and I still think about it"
K S
Kelli Stefani
"It feels magical when you read it! The way Leslye Walton displays the tone and the atmosphere of the book is incredible, and I highly recommend."
Ariana Blocker
"10/10 it’s really deep and I recommend it to read it right now. Trust it’s good. "
Angel Diamond
"I absolutely loved this book beautifully written. It's targeted as a YA book but it didn't feel like one to me. Book about love but told in such a unique way / perspective. "
S
Starfish
"I was excited to read this as I love magical realism, ie; Alice Hoffman. This book had moments where I could see how good it could be, but the beauty of Alice Hoffman is how she mixes magic with the mundane and/or heartbreak of daily life. This book was much too heavy on the magic, to the point where the rest of the book didn't seem to have any realism to it.<br/>"
M F
Marcee Feddersen
