Book Review: Wildwing by Emily Whitman

Wildwing by Emily Whitman
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Publication date: October 2010
ISBN: 9780061724527
Source: ARC provided by Traveling ARC Tours

 

Addy is tired of the life she leads as a lower class maid.  She fights for a better life, but finds that some things just aren't possible.  Until she ends up in a time machine that takes her back to medieval times.  There, she is mistaken for a lady and ends up living the kind of life she always knew she wanted.  But, it isn't all she thought it would be.  Can she get back home to her mother and her old life or will she have to choose between her family and a boy she just might love?

Things I Liked:
I thought, at first, that it would be very predictable.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I enjoyed the story, I liked the characters, I became invested in them.  Addy was fun and I enjoyed seeing the world through her eyes.  She lived a kind of backwards cinderella story, but I really liked how her character grew and developed over time.  Historical details of medieval times were perfect - not too much info, but definitely painting a realistic view of that time.  I loved the interesting details of falconry that were integrated into the story.  While it did turn out rather how I thought it would, it was not as simplistic as I expected.  And it was definitely more satisfying than I thought it would be.  An entertaining and sweet historical fiction with a time travel twist. 

I'm starched and ironed within an inch of my life.  My shoes are polished bright.  My cuffs and collar are scratchy-new.  Any specks of dust that come near take one look at my brilliant white apron, then turn and run shrieking in fear.  Which is what I want to do. p 8

I'm their lady, aren't I?  With a seat at the high table, and the best room in the castle, and Beatrix to dress me and fetch for me, and a jeweled cross as heavy as a cobblestone.  And yet here they are telling me what I can and cannot do  I thought I only had to say, I want! and they would leap to do my bidding.  But I was as clear as could be, and still the doors stayed closed.  There are rules, it seems, even for a lady. p 141

Things I Didn't Like:
I think the book was a bit too long for the story.  There was a lot of stuff going on before she ever traveled in time (I'm pretty sure that's not a spoiler, since it was on the back of the book).  A lot of the introductory material seemed unnecessary.  Sometimes it would drag in those parts as well.  But, the story does pick up later.

Read-alikes:
Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman

BOOK CONTENT RATINGS:
s-factor: !
a few

mrg-factor: X
implied, but nothing happens

v-factor: ->
a somewhat disturbing scene of a shipwreck

Overall rating: ****

What do you think of mixing a bit of sci-fi/fantasy into your historical fiction?

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