If These Wings Could Fly
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Perfect for fans of Laura Ruby, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Mindy McGinnis, Kyrie McCauley’s stunning YA debut is a powerful story about the haunting specter of domestic violence and the rebellious forces of sisterhood and first love. Winner of the William C. Morris Award!
Tens of thousands of crows invading Auburn, Pennsylvania, is a problem for everyone in town except seventeen-year-old Leighton Barnes. For Leighton, it’s no stranger than her house, which inexplicably repairs itself every time her father loses his temper and breaks things.
Leighton doesn’t have time for the crows—it’s her senior year, and acceptance to her dream college is finally within reach. But grabbing that lifeline means abandoning her sisters, a choice she’s not ready to face.
With her father’s rage worsening and the town in chaos over the crows, Leighton allows herself a chance at happiness with Liam, her charming classmate, even though falling in love feels like a revolutionary act.
Balancing school, dating, and survival under the shadow of sixty thousand feathered wings starts to feel almost comfortable, but Leighton knows that this fragile equilibrium can only last so long before it shatters.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
McCauley makes a moving debut with this hard-hitting novel set in a small, tightly knit town. In Auburn, Pa., crows are gathering by the thousands, rendering the world outside as surreal as the one behind closed doors in 17-year-old Leighton's house. Her gun-toting father is becoming increasingly violent and abusive, though the house magically repairs itself every time he leaves cracks in the walls, and Leighton fears for the safety of her mother and two younger sisters. Mean-while, she grows concerned for the crows' wellbeing, treating one like a pet and even feeling affection toward them, while angry townspeople are desperate to rid the town of them. In the midst of the chaos, Leighton falls in love with football player Liam, whose home life appears comfortingly normal amid his struggles growing up black in a nearly all-white community. Though Leighton feels safe when she's with Liam, going out with him means leaving her family unprotected as would heading to college. McCauley develops convincing, sympathetic characters while building tension that underscores the precariousness of Leighton's situation. While the book doesn't shy away from raw depictions of domestic abuse, the love and warmth exuding from Leighton's sisters, Liam, and his kindhearted family soften the story's sharp edges. Ages 13 up.
