Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Homeschooled Laurel begins public high school as a tenth grader when her adoptive parents move to LA., leaving behind the land that has been in her mother's family since the Gold Rush days. The many clues that Laurel is different (she is strictly vegan; sunlight seems to shine through her fair skin; she never gets cold; she craves the outdoors; she doesn't menstruate) culminate in a bump on her back growing to the size of a softball and blooming into a flower that has foot-long petals. Returning to her parents' land, she meets Tamini, a faerie to whom she is attracted, who tells her that she is not human, but rather is a plant or, more specifically, a faerie. David, her accepting and supportive classmate, tests her tissue and confirms that Tamini is right. When a creepy alleged realtor pressures the family to sell the land, the teens become suspicious, and they are soon fighting for their lives in a centuries-old battle between faeries and trolls. Laurel's struggles to figure out what it means to be human are matched by her struggles to determine what it means to be a faerie, and she is torn between love for David and love for Tamini. The ending allows for many possibilities in the upcoming sequels. The book has a nice mix of danger and romance, the world of magic and the world of high school, with well-developed characters and a quick-moving plot.

This book. Wow. I couldn't put it down. Literally. I was standing in my kitchen, stirring our dinner, and this book was STILL in my hand. If you are a Twilight fan, I am fairly certain you will love, LOVE this book. Think: Tamani = Edward, David = Jacob. I have to tell you, I fell hard and fast for Tamani. The whole book was just...wow.

From the beginning of the book, it is made very clear that Laurel is quite different from everyone else her age. I loved that it set her apart and made me wonder what was coming up next--WHY was she so different? Enter David. He befriends her on her very first day of school (Hello?? Jacob?) and they are soon inseperable. She confides in him about what is going on with her (she thinks she has cancer) when she doesn't feel she has anyone else to turn to. Enter Tamani. Yum. He explains everything to Laurel, leaving her even more freaked. Enter crazy guys trying to kill Laurel. Some near death experiences, a few kisses, a little intrigue and here I am DYING to read the next book. PLEASE BE RELEASED SOON!?!?!?