A contemporary story with hints of magical realism, The Anatomy of Wings is a powerful story about a girl dealing with the death of her teenage sister and everything she and her family do to come to terms with the tragedy.


Wedge-Tailed Eagle

“I would be a wedge-tailed eagle. I would only live for the joy of flight. I would soar at great heights, on top of the wind. I would be above everything, over the little towns clinging to the highway. I would be a part of everything.” ( )

When a 14 year old family member dies, heartbroken, her family spins out of control as they continue to sort through all reasons why her behaviors were so destructive and their inability to stop her tremendously poor decision making process.

An excellent book, and I hope its YA label hasn't limited its readership.
Jennifer Day’s big sister Beth has died, and her family isn’t coping. Aged only ten, Jenny tries to make sense of what has happened, trying to unravel Beth’s secrets while also dealing with her parents’ and sister Danielle’s distress. She has to confront Beth’s bad-girl reputation in a tough outback mining town, survive at school and manage her own grief as the fragile remnants of her family tear each other apart. The trauma of all this has robbed her of her powerful singing voice and although she can’t articulate this clearly, she knows that solving the mystery of her sister’s bizarre behaviour is the key to recovering her voice - and perhaps her equilibrium – in time for the school eisteddfod. With her bemused friend Angela who keeps a Book of Clues, she muddles around seeking answers…

This could have been a dreary, sentimental story, but Jennifer’s voice is strong, funny and perceptive. Her naïve voice is authentic even when she confronts brutal events that make this a book for mature readers.
To read the rest of my review, please visit http://anzlitlovers.com/2011/12/11/the-anatomy-of-wings-by-karen-foxlee/ ( )

Told in a melancholy mood throughout, The Anatomy of Wings had an almost lyrical tone. It wasn’t quite hard to imagine it as a poem, with its short and powerful sentences. Beautifully written to say the least.

The transition of Beth’s utter demise and total breakdown was well crafted, the clues helping to move along the story. When I first read the novel, nothing made sense; it was too much to handle all at once. But after settling down for a few minutes and recollecting my thoughts, I found myself actually enjoying it somewhat.

What had forced me from giving this a higher grade was the fact that it had too much going on at the same time. It was much too random, too confusing to completely stay focus to the main plot, which to this point I’m still not sure what is was. It started out with Beth’s funeral, then it moved to Jenny losing her singing voice and trying to reclaim it, next came the boy’s anatomy, which was also random within itself, and finally to the stories behind each member of the community. Stir and repeat. However, I have to admit, some of the stories were captivating and engrossing.

I just have to mention that Beth’s character developed wonderfully. I just can’t seem to explain why…Also, Jenny sounds so much older than she actually is. She's supposedly 10 but sounds to be in the later teens.

Overall: This book I have a feeling was written to be re-read. The first time everything was too disjointed, but I believe that the second read will be much more pleasant. So would I recommend this book? I’m not too sure actually. The best I can say is that whenever you have some free time, just try to reach to the two hundredth page. Take small intervals time to time to help you keep interest in this story because it was quite hard to continue reading. ( )

Jenny was only 11 when her 14 year-old sister committed suicide. This is a story about what led Beth to killing herself and the effects of her death to her family. This si an exciting and very well written book that I would suggest to anyone who wants to read about how such a good life can go so wrong so quickly, and how a family can fall apart as a result of it. I recommend this book to any teenage girl. ( )