R-r-read

1. The chemistry. The chemistry between Fenn and Peree is wonderful. The way they talk and interact, the insecurities of first love, the trust they build with one another--all of it is just perfect. Their interactions felt even more realistic because *gasp* they don't get along all the time. They have arguments. They're both pigheaded and a little arrogant, so their personalities sometimes clash. But that doesn't mean they aren't great together. I love it when YA books get this part right!
2. The fables. The mini fables that are littered throughout the story are priceless. I honestly could read a whole book just filled with them alone. And the way the mini tales tie back into the overarching story is clever and subtle. I felt like I was getting a little bonus every time one of them was included.
3. The Groundling's secrets. The secrets revealed to Fenn about the Groundling community are shocking and totally unexpected. I did love this, but at the same time some of these atrocities are so horrible I have kind of a hard time believing they could be kept secret for as long as they were.
4. The cassowary story. I know I already talked about how much I loved the fables scattered throughout the novel, but I wanted to call out one in particular that I think will stick with me long after I have finished this book, and that is the cassowary story. It reminded me a LOT of the entire premise behind "The Brides of Rollrock Island" (an absolutely amazing book if you haven't already picked it up). This fable in particular was beautiful, sad, and haunting in a way that the other fables weren't.

5/5 - This book was just wonderful. Reminiscent of "The Forest of Hands and Teeth", but with a much better romantic element. The chemistry between Fenn and Peree is wonderfully written in a way that is hard to find in YA. The fables scattered throughout the story were another beautiful bonus, my favorite being the cassowary story. I would recommend this book to fans of "The Forest of Hands and Teeth" (for the zombie elements) and "The Brides of Rollrock Island" (for the fables and romantic bits).