April's review of 'Spells' by Aprilynne Pike

Spells (Wings #2) by Aprilynne Pike
Publication Date: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Harper Teen
Number of Pages: 359
Format: Hardback
Buy: Amazon | Barnes and Noble 

Description: Six months have passed since Laurel saved the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Now she must spend her summer there, honing her skills as a Fall faerie. But her human family and friends are still in mortal danger--and the gateway to Avalon is more compromised than ever.

When it comes time to protect those she loves, will she depend on David, her human boyfriend, for help? Or will she turn to Tamani, the electrifying faerie with whom her connection is undeniable?

Spells picks up about six months Wings left off. Laurel told her parents the truth about everything. Or just about everything, she left the part about the trolls out. Her dad is fascinated by everything, while her mom doesn't even want to talk about anything fairy. With the school year over, Laurel is headed to Avalon to study for the summer. Laurel immediately feels awkward knowing that everyone knows her and some used to be her friends but she has no memories of them what so ever. She also has a hard time grasping how the Spring fairies are treated. Even though she doesn't like it she bit her tongue, plus she is having a hard time grasping her fairy skills. By the end of the summer she has improved but still can't make her own sugar-glass vials. Which once she gets home she practice making for an hour each day. 

Back at home, things with her mother haven't improved, but everything else is back to normal. Now that her parents know the truth, she doesn't have to hide her blossom.  Everything is going great until trolls show up at a party to attack Laurel. Laurel and David lure them away from the party, but they run them off the road. Just when she thinks this is the end, a stranger appears and rescues her. Klea dresses in all black and sunglasses is a mystery. The only thing they know for sure is that she and her group hunts non-humans like trolls. 

I couldn't put this book down. Once again Laurel is fighting her feelings for Tamani. Things escalate between them when Laurel lies to David and sneaks off to Avalon with Tamani for a festival. After David witness a kiss between Tamani and Laurel, she realizes that she must decide between the two of them. But before she can make David understand, Barnes is back and he kidnapped Chelsea. Laurel must chose between her friends lives or revealing the gate to Avalon. 

The ending broke my heart though. Laurel knows she's been stringing Tamani along. When she goes to tell him that she can't see him again, that she can't live in both worlds right now, she learns that Tamani has gone away. 

Rating: 5/5