Scars Like Wings

De: Erin Stewart

Narrado por: Emma Galvin

A Junior Library Guild Selection

Relatable, heartbreaking, and real, this is a story of resilience - the perfect novel for fans of powerful contemporary fiction like Girl in Pieces and Every Last Word.

Before, I was a million things. Now, I'm only one. The Burned Girl.

Ava Lee has lost everything there is to lose: Her parents. Her best friend. Her home. Even her face. She doesn't need a mirror to know what she looks like - she can see her reflection in the eyes of everyone around her.

A year after the fire that destroyed her world, her aunt and uncle have decided she should go back to high school. Be "normal" again. Whatever that is. Ava knows better. There is no normal for someone like her. And forget making friends - no one wants to be seen with the Burned Girl, now or ever.

But when Ava meets a fellow survivor named Piper, she begins to feel like maybe she doesn't have to face the nightmare alone. Sarcastic and blunt, Piper isn't afraid to push Ava out of her comfort zone. Piper introduces Ava to Asad, a boy who loves theater just as much as she does, and slowly, Ava tries to create a life again. Yet Piper is fighting her own battle, and soon Ava must decide if she's going to fade back into her scars...or let the people by her side help her fly.

©2019 Erin Stewart (P)2019 Listening Library

Reseñas de la Crítica

"A heartfelt and unflinching look at the reality of being a burn survivor and at the scars we all carry. This book is for everyone, burned or not, who has ever searched for a light in the darkness." (Stephanie Nielson, New York Times best-selling author of Heaven Is Here and a burn survivor)

"A tender, frank coming-of-age story about the pain and power of survival." (Kirkus Reviews)

"A sensitively handled story filled with relatable, three-dimensional characters.... The first-person narrative movingly expresses Ava’s lingering sorrow and changing outlook as she navigates her way toward a new form of normalcy." (Publishers Weekly)

"Thought-provoking...will push readers to think deeply about empathy, hope, and resilience in the face of heartbreak." (School Library Journal)

Painfully delightful !

Fun and heart wrenching at the same time! Burn survivors have to deal with so much besides the scars.

Great story about finding a new normal after tragedy

Readers get a glimpse of what life’s like as a teen with tragic injuries. Recommended!

Not generally a fan of Y.A. , but...

This book was hard to listen to, both because I have a weak stomach, and it was very sad overall. But in spite of this, and in spite of being too old to enjoy the Y.A. genre most of the time, this was a good story with excellent narration. I only listened to it because it was my book club's pick this month, but I am looking forward to the discussion!

Addy

This is a amazing book. The book made me feel like I was there. I highly suggest this book.

Great read

Loved the book. One that I will be sharing with my daughter. There was a realness to the characters.

Trope-y

Nineteen surgeries after Ava loses her parents and cousin to a fire, she returns to school. With 60% of her body covered in burn scars, she doesn’t expect to meet Piper, another burn survivor who attends her support group and school. Together the girls bolster each other. As Ava finally sees the possibility of a “new normal”, Piper becomes clingy.

Debut writer Erin Stewart kept me glued to the story. I finished SCARS LIKE WINGS in one sitting, rooting for Ava every step of the way. Major and minor characters felt like the real kids you meet in high school. Stewart’s word building read like that of a seasoned writer.

At times Ava felt like a trope, the damaged girl who needs convincing life is worth living who overcomes being her worst obstacle. I’ve seen her character in other books.

***minor spoilers***

What kept me from giving SCARS LIKE WINGS more stars was the unhealthy friendship aspects that go unaddressed. Taking bullying from a friend, even if she’s depressed is not healthy. Friends shouldn’t be martyrs to their friends’ mental illnesses, especially when they’re also struggling. Their therapist should have been encouraging time apart to find and heal themselves instead of encouraging enmeshment. The Piper character was a trope, an annoyingly awful trope.

***end spoilers***