Review : The Weight of Feathers by Anna-Marie McLemore

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : The Weight of Feathers
Author : Anna-Marie McLemore
Publication Date :  September 15th 2015
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
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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, The Weight of Feathers is an utterly captivating young adult novel by a talented new voice.

Personal Thoughts

Anna-Marie McLemore's The Weight of Feathers is one of the most unique books I've read in YA in a very long time. It's beautifully written, with a vivid and complex prose and has some lovely characters that shine through the pages. From start to finish, I was entirely enchanted with this lovely book.

The Weight of Feathers might take readers a little time to get adjusted to in the beginning because it has an unusual setting that you probably have never encountered before and it has a lyrical writing style that wasn't always straightforward. Once I was immersed in the story though about 10% into the book, there was no pulling me away from it. To say that I was captivated would be an understatement. The Weight of Feathers tells a Romeo & Juliet-esque story about two traveling performers feuding families, the Palomas, who grow scales as their birthmark, and the Corbeaus, who grow feathers in the back of their hair.

 At the center, you have Lace and Cluck, from the two opposing families, who meet and fall in love. The book is told in both their voices and I loved the use of dual POV. Anna-Marie McLemore mastered both these voices beautifully. Lace and Cluck were both lovely characters and I got to really appreciate them throughout the book. They were both rather quiet characters but they were in no way bland or flat. Lace and Cluck both suffered through the pressure of being members of these superstitious families that were hell-bent on ruining each other. They were loyal to their families and were both kind souls, but life with their respective families wasn't always easy. I especially felt for Cluck who also had to suffer abuse at the hands of his older brother. It was heartbreaking and angered me, but the boy quietly took it all in without saying a single word to his abusive brother. Throughout the book, they had a lot of growing up to do as they discovered the truths about themselves and came to terms with it. I loved watching them blossom into two characters who fought for themselves and stood up to others when necessary.

Cluck and Lace's romance, like every part of The Weight of Feathers, wasn't "in your face" - it was subtle, and grew slowly and quietly throughout the novel. I typically enjoy my romances to be more passionate and expressive, but this time around, I thought the subtle, but profound romance, enhanced the story. Lace and Cluck's feelings for each other felt very authentic to me and together with them, I too fell in love with their love story. The Weight of Feathers is described as being a magical realism book and this was my first book with such a classification, but I want to read more in the future. I was fascinated by the bits of magic in the contemporary setting and I thought the author did a great job with the set up.

Besides the romance being a big part of the book, family was too and not always in a good way. Both the Corbeaus and the Palomas were superstitious and bone-headed to the core when it came to their feud. The Weight of Feathers highlighted the complicated downside of having a huge family with the constant pressure they put on the members and how reputation always comes first. Reading about complicated family dynamics in books always interests me, so I was definitely intrigued by both the Corbeaus and the Palomas. The Weight of Feathers also surprised me when it came to a certain twist towards the end of the book. It wasn't something that I predicted or did I foreshadow it, but it added a further touch of entanglement to the already complicated family dynamics.

The Weight of Feathers will probably not be the book for every reader because it is more on the slow side, but it's a book that I think is worth giving a shot. Its slow beauty, originality and vivid imagery worked wonders on me. I cannot wait to see what Anna-Marie McLemore has in store for readers in the future. I, for one, will be reading whatever she writes.

Rating 

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 4/5
Writing : 4/5

  

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Weight of Feathers.