4.5 stars.

Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood is a thought-provoking journey of self discovery for seventeen year old Ivy Milbourn. A beautifully written, realistic young adult novel, many of the story’s underlying themes are sure to resonate with readers of all ages.

Ivy’s perfect summer comes to a screeching halt before it has even begun. Instead of the carefree summer she has planned, Ivy is stunned to discover her long absent mother Erica and her stepsisters, Isobel and Grace, are temporarily moving in with her and her beloved grandfather. Ivy has not seen Erica since she abandoned her when she was two years old and their reunion is fraught with tension. Reeling from her mother’s animosity and well-aimed barbs, Ivy is soon plagued with doubts and insecurities about her inability to live up to her grandfather’s expectations.

Despite her mother’s abandonment and the Milbourn women’s complicated legacy, Ivy is fairly happy and well-adjusted. She has a good relationship with her granddad but she feels like her best efforts are never good enough for him. Tired of always striving to reach unattainable (and unrealistic) goals, Ivy has convinced him to let her take the summer off from the many classes and extracurricular activities she is usually enrolled in. Erica’s reappearance resurrects Ivy’s unanswered questions about why her mother left her yet chose to raise her sisters.

Already feeling incredibly vulnerable and exposed, Ivy is distraught when her close friend Alex Garcia deserts her after she refuses to date him. Hurt and angry, he is deliberately cruel to her once he realizes she is interested in Connor Clarke, one of her granddad’s students. Understanding all too well the difficulties in stepping out from under the weight of family expectations, Connor encourages Ivy to be true to herself.

As the situation with Erica worsens, Ivy’s frustrations spill over into some very heated arguments. Although not indecisive, Ivy has a hard time speaking up for herself. Feeling pressured by her granddad and her mother, she finally works up the courage to tell Erica a few hard truths about how her poor decisions are affecting their family. She is finally honest with her granddad about her feelings of inadequacy in trying to live up to his high expectations. Most important, Ivy confronts Alex about his hurtful behavior and although her efforts do not have the outcome she hoped for, this is an important step in taking charge of her destiny.

Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood is a captivating novel that is remarkably free from angst or unnecessary drama. The characters are multi-faceted with relatable flaws and imperfections. The storyline is realistic with true to life issues and problems to overcome. Ivy’s frustrations with feeling inadequate are believable and I suspect many readers will empathize with her plight. I highly recommend this delightful young adult novel to readers of all ages. ( )

Perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen who may want a little more edge to their summer reads. ( )

Instead of taking summer classes like her granddad would like her to do Ivy Milbourn is going to spend the summer before her senior year with her best friends having barbecues and bonfires and just plain enjoying herself. But things don't go as planned when Ivy's mother shows up with her two daughters.

Milbourn women have always lead extraordinary (albeit short) lives. Ivy's granddad takes great pride in the name and legacy. But Ivy doesn't see it as a legacy she sees it as a curse - why else would her mother abandon her as a child and go fifteen years without speaking to her?

Underneath that gorgeous front cover is a well-written story with lots of goodies: morals, diversity, a transgender, a biracial guy with tattoos who's interested in poetry, loving your body and who you are, strong friendships/relationships. Ivy and her feminist friend Claire were great! Ivy's mom.. not so much. ( )

Bumblebee Books

Ivy comes from a long legacy of accomplished women. Generations before for have been successful poets, artists, singers, etc., buwst they have been cursed with short lives. Their greatness consumed their minds and ultimately lead to their demise. Fortunately (or unfortunately, if you’re her grandfather) for Ivy, she hasn’t shown any sign of having a particular talent. Her grandfather has had her in classes and lessons for every skill imaginable since he took custody of her after her mom left. Now Ivy is about to be a senior in high school. She is determined to have the best summer of her life and for once not spend it submerged in lessons. That is until her mom and her two half sisters show up on her doorstep. Now Ivy has to come face to face with the mother that abandoned her, sisters she never knew she had, and the fact that there isn’t anything special about her. Easy to say that the summer didn’t turn out quite like she planned.

Wild Swans has a pretty diverse set of characters and deals with some heavy subjects such as children dealing with their gender identity. Ivy is white and comes from a wealthy family; however I really enjoyed that Ivy recognizes her privileged life but doesn’t let it define her. She knows that she has been given an amazing shot at life with everything her grandfather has done for her, but she doesn’t want to live her life hiding in the shadow of the Milbourn name. I love how strong willed she is and how determined she is to set herself apart from her family.

The emotional baggage that Ivy has to deal with is insane. Everyone wants something from her and whatever she gives isn’t good enough. She has to face her mother who abandoned her fifteen years ago and take a good look at what the family’s expectations can do to a person. She is expected to step in and be a role model for her new sisters, Iz and Gracie. On top of all of that, she is still supposed to find what makes her special all while trying to avoid the curse that seems to haunt her family. Mental illness and suicide is very real in the Milbourn family.

I really hope there will be more books that follow these characters because I truly loved them all. The friendship that Ivy, Claire, and Abby have is so supportive and exactly what friends should be. These girls make my inner feminist jump for joy. Claire is bisexual, very attractive, and doesn’t give two cares about what people think of her. Even when Ivy finds herself in a situation where her male best friend, Alex, tries to slut shame her, Claire goes to bat for her and shuts it down immediately. No matter what these girls have each other’s back. Connor… Oh, Connor. This guy is everything and more you want from a book boyfriend. He gives Ivy exactly what she needs and doesn’t ask for anything in return. I swooned so hard for him and was so happy with the direction things went with him.

I loved how everything concluded even though it isn’t the ending I necessarily wanted. Things could have wrapped up in a neat little box, but unfortunately that isn’t realistic. I love that the author kept it real. Jessica Spotswood is one of my favorite authors because of the way her books make me feel. Wild Swans is one of those books that reach deep down and grab you by the feels. This was easily an instant favorite and a book that I will recommend to everyone. I stand by my statement that I would read Jessica’s grocery lists given the chance. ( )