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A stunningly written tale of an isolated girl and the shape-shifting boy who shows her what freedom could be—if only she has the courage to take it
Controlled by her father and bound by desert, Frenenqer Paje’s life is tediously the same, until a small act of rebellion explodes her world and she meets a boy, but not just a boy—a Free person, a winged person, a shape-shifter. He has everything Frenenqer doesn’t. No family, no attachments, no rules. At night, he flies them to the far-flung places of their childhoods to retrace their pasts. But when the delicate balance of their friendship threatens to rupture into something more, Frenenqer must confront her isolation, her father, and her very sense of identity, breaking all the rules of her life to become free.
Anonymous
Posted December 9, 2012
The main reason for me to even look at this book was the cover. Befor even knowing what it was about i knew it would be interesting. And from the moment i started reading it i couldnt put it down. I simpley fell in love with the characters and is one of the better books i've read so far. Absoulutly recomend this book. Simpley amazeing
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.MLGarrett
Posted November 9, 2012
I don't often give 5-star reviews, but THE GIRL WITH BORROWED WINGS is one of the most heart-touching, gut-wrenching, beautifully written books I've read. Ever. And I've read a lot of books. It will be one of those books I read again and again until the cover is worn and pages tattered. The chapter, IN WHICH I JUMP OUT THE WINDOW, is what totally did me in. Throughout the book I vacillated between feeling extreme sympathy for Frenenqer "Nenner" Paje because of the repressive conditions under which she lives and, as a grown woman living in the Western world, wanting to shake some sense in to her. But it's her best friends Anju and Sangris who are able, bit by bit, to lift Frenenqer's metaphorical shroud and reveal the "Nenner" underneath so that she is free to live and love.
Buy it. Read it. Love it.
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Before I started The Girl With Borrowed Wings, my sole reason for wanting to read it was the cover. It easily lured me in, and I couldn't stop thinking about what kind of story could be inside a book with such a vibrant and gorgeous cover. Reading the summary made my curiosity grow even more. There are tons of books out there with amazing covers but with stories that don't live up to their covers' greatness. I had a good feeling about The Girl With Borrowed Wings though, and while it took some time for me to fall in love completely, it ended up being much more satisfying than I expected. The main character Frenenqer was a complicated character. It's almost hard to describe her. Although she acted docile around her father to please him, she wasn't timid and spineless in the least. She desired freedom above all else. The thing was, if she truly had the chance to be free, would she actually take it? And because of the way her parents treated her, she lacked certain emotions. Or she believed she wasn't capable of certain emotions. Like love. It made her seem like she was uncaring of others, but deep down she knew she cared. It made her a really frustrating person at times. There were some moments where I wanted to shake some sense into her because I believed she was being completely unfair. But I understood why she acted the way she did. And there were some moments where I wanted to hug and comfort her. So, it all balanced out, and I grew to really admire her character. Her relationship with Sangris was the highlight of the novel for me. It was the reason why I fell in love with this book. Sangris is a Free person. Free people are capable of shape-shifting and traveling to any world they want. Although Free people tend to keep to themselves, Sangris wasn't afraid or uncomfortable to let Frenenqer in. He was an open book with her and couldn't help hanging around. He was fascinated and curious, even though Nenner (his nickname for her) was cold to him a lot of the time. After he started taking her to exotic cities and worlds so that she could experience freedom, it was clear that he had feelings for her. And that underneath all that sarcasm and mischievousness Sangris was really sweet and loved deeply. He was capable of all the feelings Frenenqer lacked, and he helped her see what she was missing. It was strange that, although their personalities and views were different, they still were able to understand each other in a way that no one else did. It was a special bond. I wish I could go on and on about them, especially Sangris, but just know that they were perfect together and their interactions with each other were my favorite parts of the novel. As I got closer and closer to the end of The Girl With Borrowed Wings, I was not only scared of what would happen but also sad that it was almost over. I didn't want it to end. Thankfully the ending didn't destroy my heart like I feared, and I could see just how much Frenenqer had changed. It was wonderful to read. The Girl With Borrowed Wings was just the type of story that I needed to read. While I can't say everyone will fall in love with this book the way I did, I thought the story ended in a way that everyone could appreciate. It brought a huge smile to my face and got me close to tears. It was a story that resulted in pure happiness and love, and one that I can't recommend enough.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.This is one of those books that readers will either love or...not. It's well written with fully developed characters who are interesting and engaging but the overall story itself was a tough one. Frenenqer, or "Nenner" is a prisoner in her life and while she has a quiet strength, she's so walled off emotionally that she's unable to really "live". She has her father to thank for that and the man gives new meaning to the word, "over-bearing". He's abusive emotionally (and eventually physically) to both she and her mother and I wished him dead throughout most of the book. <-- not nice to say but still. Sangris - the Free Person she rescues, offers much needed comic relief and there's such a sweetness about him that it was painful to read at times. He's nothing like I expected and I was unsure for a good bit of the book if he was even real or just a figment of Nenner's imagination - like a coping mechanism. (I loved him though in whatever shape he showed up in.) Nenner has a LOT to deal with in this book and she was incredibly frustrating to me. It seemed to take a long time for her to get her act together and then once she did, poof, it was over. The last couple of chapters were the best part but then like I said, it ended.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.EverAfterEsther
Posted August 16, 2012
The description for this book is what initially drew me in; it sounded
so different, and entirely unique in a setting I'm always interested in
reading about - the desert. But I was surprised at how different this
book ended up being- both from others I've read and it even varied from
my expectations. Many of the details are odd and rather strange, but
if you can get past that you'll uncover a story that is touching in the
way it deals with brokenness and broken people. And it has so much to do
with self-discovery. Reasons to Read: 1.A unique fantasy setting: I
LOVE desert settings; it was one of the reasons I was initially drawn to
this book and knew it was one I had to give a shot. It wasto read about
the Free people, and this strange oasis land with its own culture so
different from the ones I'm familiar with. And it really played an
important role in the story, as the setting was crucial to Freneqer's
situation and her sense of isolation and feeling trapped. 2.A
beautiful story about broken people: The description makes it sound
like a love story- and to an extent it is about love, but not fully in
the way you initially think of love. It's more about Frenequer's journey
to discover what love really means - in a life filled with broken,
bitter, cold people. This is what made the book so amazing, in my eyes.
To show how much bravery it can take to act in love towards those who
have hurt you, to be courageous yourself and learn what love means later
on in life. Thisfined to the desert or to a fantasy book- it's one that
exists in all of our lives in one way or another. The problem was it
wasn't until later on in the book, well into the second half of it, that
I finally started to feel connected to the story. And the world, while
unique and fascinating, simply didn't have enough answers or
explanations for me to really grasp the story. I had so many questions
regarding Free people, and barely any were answered. And Frenequer's
background and past itself was rather hidden- for a purpose, I think,
but I had really hoped for a fuller explanation by the end which I found
lacking. It's fairly glossed over and I found the ending to be rather
rushed in terms of quick changes for a drastic turnaround. There are
definitely some issues - the story and characters are VERY odd at times,
and it can be hard to relate to a world so different from our own and
without much explanation to better understand it. But it was still an
extremely beautiful yet dysfunctional story overall. ARC received from
Penguin Canada for review; no other compensation was received.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Anonymous
Posted December 25, 2012
Adventure,Love,And action fantastic book
Overview
A stunningly written tale of an isolated girl and the shape-shifting boy who shows her what freedom could be—if only she has the courage to take it
Controlled by her father and bound by desert, Frenenqer Paje’s life is tediously the same, until a small act of rebellion explodes her world and she meets a boy, but not just a boy—a Free person, a winged person, a shape-shifter. He has everything Frenenqer doesn’t. No family, no attachments, no rules. At night, he flies them to the ...