The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender

By Leslye Walton

Book Overview

A New York Times bestseller
A 2015 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Finalist

Magical realism, lyrical prose, and the pain and passion of human love haunt this hypnotic generational saga.

Foolish love appears to be the Roux family birthright, an ominous forecast for its most recent progeny, Ava Lavender. Ava -- in all other ways a normal girl -- is born with the wings of a bird. In a quest to understand her peculiar disposition and a growing desire to fit in with her peers, sixteen-year old Ava ventures into the wider world, ill-prepared for what she might discover and naive to the twisted motives of others. Others like the pious Nathaniel Sorrows, who mistakes Ava for an angel and whose obsession with her grows until the night of the summer solstice celebration. That night, the skies open up, rain and feathers fill the air, and Ava's quest and her family's saga build to a devastating crescendo. First-time author Leslye Walton has constructed a layered and unforgettable mythology of what it means to be born with hearts that are tragically, exquisitely human.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0763665665
• ISBN13: 9780763665661
• Release Date: March 2014
• Publisher: Candlewick Press (MA)
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.09 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.4" x 8.4"
• Age Range: 14 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 9 and higher

Customer Reviews

Beautifull sorrows indeed

This book is part the understanding best friend, who knows where all your scars are, inside and out, and knows just what to say to make you feel at peace. The other part is all the tears you've ever, and will ever, cry. The imagery used in this book is like walking through an art museum; not all the painting are necessarily beautiful, some are garish and twisted, but they still have a way of making you feel something so raw, you'll be shocked when you see the tears fall on the pages. I could not stop once I started and finished in just over 8 hours.

Better than expected

I knew nothing about this book going into it, it was one of those silly "what should you read based on..." Nonsense quizzes. I barely set it down once I started. This one definitely burrowed itself into my heart

One of the best books I’ve ever read

One of my all time favorite reads. This book is so hauntingly beautiful and well thought out. I could read it again and again. Highly recommend.

An incredible book.

One of the best books I've ever read; it's been almost a year and it still haunts me. Devastating and inspiring.