Wild Swans by Jessica Spotswood

Title: Wild Swans

Author: Jessica Spotswood
Length: 304 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Classification: Young Adult, Contemporary
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Source: e-galley via NetGalley (Thank you, Sourcebooks Fire!)

The summer before Ivy’s senior year is going to be golden; all bonfires, barbeques, and spending time with her best friends. For once, she will just get to be. No summer classes, none of Granddad’s intense expectations to live up to the family name. For generations, the Milbourn women have lead extraordinary lives—and died young and tragically. Granddad calls it a legacy, but Ivy considers it a curse. Why else would her mother have run off and abandoned her as a child?
But when her mother unexpectedly returns home with two young daughters in tow, all of the stories Ivy wove to protect her heart start to unravel. The very people she once trusted now speak in lies. And all of Ivy’s ambition and determination cannot defend her against the secrets of the Milbourn past….

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***I received an e-galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Wild Swans is my first Jessica Spotswood book and it won't be my last. I enjoyed reading Wild Swans and was easily pulled into the story. I love the writing and am looking forward to reading some of the author's other books. 

Not only did I get sucked into the story wondering what was going to happen, I found it really easy to relate to Ivy (the main character) even though we have very little in common. I think Ivy is a wonderful character. She has a lot going on in her life and things haven't been easy for her. It was easy to care about her and cheer her on. Which really made me emotionally invested in what was going on in her life. I think the characters are realistic and well developed. Wild Swans is an emotional and moving story. It has family, drama, romance, friendship, and character growth. 

I really liked that family has such a big part in this story! Ivy lives with her grandfather since her mother left her there as a small child. Ivy's grandfather has high expectations of her and so she works really hard in school and has been involved in several activities. She tries so hard to make her grandfather happy, while also feeling so much pressure to be the best at everything she does. (Which is something I find to be very relatable for me.) Ivy is supposed to be spending the summer doing what she wants to do when she finds out her mother and two half-sisters (she never knew she had) are moving in with them. Which results in a lot of family drama. I found all of this to be very realistic and cared about Ivy and her family interactions. The family stuff was very emotional and heart-breaking at times. But I loved these parts of the story. 

I also really liked the friendships in Wild Swans. Ivy has a couple best friends in this book and I found the friendships to be so genuine and realistic. This story shows how some friendships can be a roller coaster ride, it isn't always all happy and fun. Sometimes friends fight and disagree. I especially love Claire! Not only is she an awesome character, I think she is an amazing friend. I loved this friendship. I also really liked the friendship between Ivy and Abby.

The romance in this book is pretty sweet and cute. I felt like the romance started quickly, (not instalove) but I enjoyed reading it. I think it worked really well for this story and I like that it didn't overshadow everything else happening in Ivy's life. 

I really enjoyed so many aspects of Wild Swans, but I think what I took away about growing up was my favorite. This story shows the challenges and pressure one can feel while trying to figure out who they are as an individual. Learning about yourself and what you want for your life. 

My Recommendation:

I really liked reading Wild Swans. I am looking forward to reading more of Jessica Spotwood's books (ones she's already written and future books)! I think Wild Swans is a wonderful story that explores personal and family growth. The story is emotional, moving, and thought provoking. I really liked the family and friendship parts of this story. It is easy to care for the characters. I really recommend reading this one!

My Rating: