The Weight of Feathers
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4.4 • 15 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
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 the Corbeaus are pure magia negra, black magic from the devil himself. Simply touching one 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.
Beautifully written, and richly imaginative, Anna-Marie McLemore's The Weight of Feathers is an utterly captivating young adult novel by a talented new voice.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Like all Paloma girls, Lace was born with small escalas decorating her body, "a sprinkling of scales off a pale fish, a gift from the river goddess Apanchanej." Life revolves around performing as sirenas in her itinerant family's popular mermaid show, a tourist attraction rivaled only by that of their nemesis family, the Corbeaus, who have feathers instead of scales, and dance high in the trees. Superstition and a generations-old feud fuel hatred between the talented families, and when Cluck, a Corbeau, saves Lace during a chemical rainstorm caused by a nearby adhesive manufacturing plant, he unwittingly dooms Lace's future with her family. 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. Ages 14 up.
Customer Reviews
Such a strong love story
This book is not a Romeo and Juliet love story. The writing is amazing and so deep. Cluck is abused by his family, Lace is kicked out. The book is not to long, but it is beautifully written and thought out. While the ending may seem abrupt, Cluck and Lace are perfect for each other and their individual stories are heart wrenching (particularly Cluck's). The book alternates in their perspective. 5/5 stars, would definitely recommend! The Corbeau's are French and the Paloma's Spanish, their is deep animosity between them going back for generations. Both families perform different acts; the Corbeau's are flying fairies and the Paloma's are mermaids.