The Girl With Borrowed Wings

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Author(s)

Rinsai Rosetti

Publisher

Dial

Genre(s)

Fantasy

Age Range

12+

Release Date

July 19, 2012

ISBN

9780803735668

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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.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Interesting Debut

August 14, 2012 (Updated: August 14, 2012)

Overall rating

3.0

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This is one of those books that readers will either love or...not. It's well written with fully developed characters who are interesting and engaging but the overall story itself was a tough one.

Frenenqer, or "Nenner" is a prisoner in her life and while she has a quiet strength, she's so walled off emotionally that she's unable to really "live". She has her father to thank for that and the man gives new meaning to the word, "over-bearing". He's abusive emotionally (and eventually physically) to both she and her mother and I wished him dead throughout most of the book. (Not nice to say but still.)

Sangris - the Free Person she rescues, offers much needed comic relief and there's such a sweetness about him that it was painful to read at times. He's nothing like I expected and I was unsure for a good bit of the book if he was even real or just a figment of Nenner's imagination - like a coping mechanism. (I loved him though in whatever shape he showed up in.)

Nenner has a LOT to deal with in this book and she was incredibly frustrating to me. It seemed to take a long time for her to get her act together and then once she did, poof, it was over. The last couple of chapters were the best part but then like I said, it ended.

Jen Top 10 Reviewer 415 reviews

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1 review

Overall rating

4.3

Plot

5.0(1)

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Unique

June 23, 2016

Overall rating

4.3

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Frenenqer Paje has wings. But they're not real, of course, only imagined. She is quiet and obedient, living in a loveless household with her father always on her case, her only escape through her books.

She saves a cat from his death one day, and brings him home to find that he is actually a Free person, able to shapeshift and to make his own decisions. He takes her to new places on his own, real wings, but will Frenenqer be able to push past her father and society, and finally become her own person?

First off, this book was incredibly unique. It was a paranormal fantasy, with elements of contemporary and romance. A coming of age story in its own way. Set in "the oasis", Frenenqer lives in an oppressive home and a conservative society. I have never encountered a book like this one before.

The reader learns about Frenenqer as a person, about who she really is beneath who she pretends to be, beneath what her father wishes she was. I found myself rooting for her from the beginning, hoping that she'd break free of all that was binding her. Admittedly, I got very angry at her sometimes. "Just run away with Sangris, the shape-shifting Free person! It's easy: he can take you anywhere and you'll never get caught!"

I also found myself angry at the society she was living in. I mean, it was dangerous for her to go outside with her arms exposed. I was sad for her, having to live in such a ridiculous place.

Sangris was an amazing character. He was mysterious and mischievous, open and adventurous. He was everything that Frenenqer wasn't. They really complimented each other through their opposite personalities, they highlighted the qualities and flaws of the other.

I had some trouble getting into the story at first. I had to get used to the writing style, and I had to reread some lines to make sure I had understood them correctly. Besides this, I loved this book and I got emotionally involved with the characters and their stories.

I recommend The Girl With Borrowed Wings to readers looking for a unique YA book. Those searching for an emotional story with themes about coming-of-age will enjoy this, and if you want to read about characters who genuinely care for, and eventually love, each other, this novel is for you.

This review can also be found at http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogspot.ca/2015/04/the-girl-with-borrowed-wings-by-rinsai.html

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