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A Finalist for the 2016 William C. Morris YA Debut Award
A Junior Library Guild Fall 2015 Selection
On YALSA's 2016 Best Fiction for Young Adults List
A 2016 International Latino Book Awards Finalist
THE WEIGHT OF FEATHERS is a gripping, beautifully rendered story with prose reminiscent of Eva Luna and a fantastical world as captivating as that of The Night Circus.
—Sabaa Tahir, NYT bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes
An
unmissable story that sets us between river and treetops, between rival
and lover, between age-old myth and hidden truth. With characters and a
writing style tinged in magic, Anna-Marie McLemore’s debut will leave
you enchanted till the last page. McLemore conjures the glow of magic—in
an old feud, in a new love, and in this beautiful story of how we
discover who we really are.
—Emery Lord, author of Open Road Summer and The Start of Me and You
The Weight of Feathers is
a dazzling debut full of imaginative flair, long-buried secrets, and
hypnotic power. It drew me in with its gorgeous passages and left me
reeling with a fantastical story about love and struggling against the
confines of family and creating a life all your own.
—Nova Ren Suma, author of The Walls Around Us, 17 & Gone, and Imaginary Girls
This
is a true work of young adult literature. Anna-Marie McLemore draws us
into a world that’s magical but still feels very, very real, and gives
us an exquisitely told tale of star-crossed love. The romance pours onto
the page because her writing is beautiful, fluid, lyrical. Like water.
Like air. It’s so wonderfully written it begs to be read aloud. You can
feel her sentences flowing over your tongue as you read. I never wanted
this story to end, but when it did, even that felt perfect.
—Robin Talley, author of Lies We Tell Ourselves and What We Left Behind
THE WEIGHT OF FEATHERS is a gorgeous debut, lush and heart-tuggingly romantic, full of bittersweet magic.
—Jessica Spotswood, author of The Cahill Witch Chronicles and Wild Swans, and editor of Petticoats & Pistols
THE
WEIGHT OF FEATHERS is one of the most stunning books I have read in
years, and one that I desperately wish I had written. Equal parts
heartbreaking, insightful, and charming, it's a truly unforgettable
read. McLemore's gift for finding perfectly unique turns of phrase
astounds, but equally important is her ability to bring to
life fully-realized characters that you'll want to live with long after
you turn the last page of this exceptional debut.
—I.W. Gregorio, author of None of the Above
Scales and feathers touch and burn in McLemore's stunning debut. The beauty of the language wraps around you, not letting go until long after the final page.
—Jaleigh Johnson, NYT bestselling author of The Mark of the Dragonfly and Secrets of Solace
Lush, elegant language, peppered with Spanish and French phrases, lends this romance an ethereal feel well suited to the book's magical elements.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED REVIEW
Readers beguiled by the languorous language—a striking mix of French and Spanish phrases, wry colloquialism, lush imagery, and elevated syntax—will find themselves falling under its spell. The third-person narration alternates between Lace and Cluck, doling out twists and building to a satisfying, romantic conclusion. A contemporary, magical take on an ever compelling theme.
Readers beguiled by the languorous language—a striking mix of French and Spanish phrases, wry colloquialism, lush imagery, and elevated syntax—will find themselves falling under its spell. The third-person narration alternates between Lace and Cluck, doling out twists and building to a satisfying, romantic conclusion. A contemporary, magical take on an ever compelling theme.
—Kirkus Reviews
McLemore’s prose is ethereal and beguiling, the third-person narration inflected with Spanish and French words and phrases that reflect the non-magical aspects of the Paloma and Corbeau heritage. The enchanting setup and the forbidden romance that blooms between these two outcasts will quickly draw readers in, along with the steady unspooling of the families’ history and mutual suspicions in this promising first novel.
—Publishers Weekly
In
this tale of magical realism, the magic is so deftly woven into the
fabric of the story, readers might overlook the more subtle moments.
Told with skillful poetic nuances, this Romeo-and-Juliet story of
forbidden love will entice fans of Maggie Stiefvater’s “Raven Cycle” who
wished for a little more romance.
—School Library Journal
You’ve
never read a love story quite like this… Anna-Marie McLemore has
created in entirely imaginative world and rich characters that will pull
you in as if she's spinning magic herself.
—Bustle
Author Anna-Marie McLemore gracefully develops a stirring blend of compelling mystery, vivid characters, and potent emotions. [T]his multicultural book is further fleshed out with strong commentary on human relationships, young love, and the very relevant threat of man-made environmental disaster.
—BUST Magazine
McLemore’s
prose is vivid, with carefully chosen, colourful details giving readers
a clear sense of place and character. An air of mysterious fantasy
enshrouds the whole book, pulling the reader through it as if in a
spell. McLemore is a writer to watch.
—The Guardian
For twenty years, the Palomas and the Corbeaus have been rivals and enemies, locked in an escalating feud for over a generation. Both families make their living as traveling performers in competing shows—the Palomas swimming in mermaid exhibitions, the Corbeaus, former tightrope walkers, performing in the tallest trees they can find.
Lace Paloma may be new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that simply touching a Corbeau could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees.
Lace Paloma may be new to her family’s show, but she knows as well as anyone that simply touching a Corbeau could mean death, and she's been taught from birth to keep away. But when disaster strikes the small town where both families are performing, it’s a Corbeau boy, Cluck, who saves Lace’s life. And his touch immerses her in the world of the Corbeaus, where falling for him could turn his own family against him, and one misstep can be just as dangerous on the ground as it is in the trees.