★★★★★/★★★★★
Beautiful. Whimsical. Lovely. Magical.
There are so many words to describe this book but I think PERFECT is the best word to describe it.
Anna-Marie McLemore really did a good job with this book. I love love love it and I can say that it's one of my favorites now. There are so many things I loved about this book and let me start with the cover. Isn't it beautiful? Looking at it already made me fall in love and knowing Lace and Cluck ruined me even more. In a good way, of course. I mean, I ached when they did, I cried when they did, I flew when they did, and at some point I just wanted to tell both their families to back off so that they could live happily ever after! I also liked how it has a touch of both Spanish and French languages that I had to stop once in while thinking if I knew the words or not. Most times, I didn't.
The magical realism in it, the Corbeaus growing feathers at the back of their hair and the Palomas with their scale-like birthmarks, didn't sink in to me at first but when I finally realized they're really there, I just had to love it even more. And the romance between Cluck and Lace, it was lovely and perfect. I liked that they needed to be sure first before they do something with each other. I liked how Cluck taught Lace how to climb a tree, always making sure to tell her that he got her and he'd never let her fall. I liked how Lace always pulled Cluck to the river even though he didn't like to swim. I liked how Cluck is beautiful and kind and how Lace is fierce and strong. I liked that even though their families are enemies, even though the Corbeaus fly and the Palomas swim, Cluck still taught Lace to fly and Lace taught Cluck to swim. I liked that they made each other's wings lighter by loving each other.
"She was there to pull Cluck to his feet and keep him there if he couldn't stand. To make sure none of the pieces of him got lost if he broke."
"Cluck had brought her so high she thought she could brush her fingers against the moon."
