ARC Review: The Girl with Borrowed Wings by Rinsai Rossetti

The Girl with Borrowed Wings by Rinsai Rossetti
Release Date: July 19th/12.
Publisher: DIAL
Source: ARC from Publisher
Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads:
A stunningly written tale of an isolated girl and the shape-shifting boy who shows her what freedom could be--if only she has the courage to take it.

Controlled by her father and bound by desert, Frenenqer Paje’s life is tediously the same, until a small act of rebellion explodes her world and she meets a boy, but not just a boy--a Free person, a winged person, a shape-shifter. He has everything Frenenqer doesn’t. No family, no attachments, no rules. At night, he flies them to the far-flung places of their childhoods to retrace their pasts. But when the delicate balance of their friendship threatens to rupture into something more, Frenenqer must confront her isolation, her father, and her very sense of identity, breaking all the rules of her life to become free.
My Thoughts:
This book was a pleasant surprise!


I have an awful confession to make- I judge a lot of books based on their covers, and this one, wasn't doing it for me, but than I read the synopsis and my interest was piqued.


Frenenqer is a truly unique character, as is, the world that Rossetti has created. I'll let Frenenqer explain her distinctiveness:
       "I am unlike most other people because I began, not in the body of my mother, but in the brain of my father. He invented me you see. He sat down one day and dreamed me up."
 The Girl With Borrowed Wings, p. 1  


This is the opening narrative she gives us and it foreshadows the patriarchal dominance that she must face on a daily basis. She must live, submissively, in the small white box that her father deems appropriate. And Frenenqer has been following the rules, with only her books as a source for escape (a practice I'm sure many readers can relate to :)). That is, until she meets a rambunctious feline.


Enter Sangris, I fell so hard for this man. He's Free person (or a Winged-person) if you will. The way Rossetti describes him, I can always picture this sexy smile that never leaves his face and he's fiercely protective and loyal to Frenenqer. The romance that blossoms between these two was heartwarming and had me smiling from ear to ear, even though there were times when I felt the need to slap Frenenqer in Sangris honour haha.


I feel as though this is a book with many layers that could be discussed in great detail in University lecture/tutorial. I continue to think about Rossetti's choices and would love to know how The Girl With Borrowed Wings was conceived.


The tone of the book at the beginning is depressing and suffocating, to say the least, but the ending will leave you with hope, a warm heart and a breath of fresh air.


I don't believe that this is a read for everyone because it definitely doesn't stick to the popular story-plots surrounding YA right now, but if you're looking for a fresh paranormal YA, with a sweet romance and a completely un-heard-of world, than The Girl with Borrowed Wings may be just what you're looking for.


Happy Reading!!!