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The Girl With Borrowed Wings

by Rinsai Rossetti (Goodreads Author)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 310 ratings · 80 reviews

A stunningly written tale of an isolated girl and the shape-shifting boy who shows her what freedom could be--if only she has the courage to take it

Controlled by her father and bound by desert, Frenenqer Paje’s life is tediously the same, until a small act of rebellion explodes her world and she meets a boy, but not just a boy--a Free person, a winged person, a shape-shift...more

Hardcover, 290 pages

Published July 19th 2012 by Dial (first published July 1st 2012)

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2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

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Sep 30, 2012 Alexa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, debut, young-adult, 2012-reads, own

My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

Before I started The Girl With Borrowed Wings, my sole reason for wanting to read it was the cover. It easily lured me in, and I couldn't stop thinking about what kind of story could be inside a book with such a vibrant and gorgeous cover. Reading the summary made my curiosity grow even more. There are tons of books out there with amazing covers but with stories that don't live up to their covers' greatness. I had a good feeling about The Girl W...more
My review can also be found on my blog Collections.

Before I started The Girl With Borrowed Wings, my sole reason for wanting to read it was the cover. It easily lured me in, and I couldn't stop thinking about what kind of story could be inside a book with such a vibrant and gorgeous cover. Reading the summary made my curiosity grow even more. There are tons of books out there with amazing covers but with stories that don't live up to their covers' greatness. I had a good feeling about The Girl With Borrowed Wings though, and while it took some time for me to fall in love completely, it ended up being much more satisfying than I expected.

I wasn't prepared for this story at all. It really surprised me. The first couple of chapters were interesting, but I admit I wasn't exactly wow-ed. I remembered thinking, 'Where is this all going?' I came in with some expectations and was nervous when none were met right away. All I had to do was wait and be patient, though, because this story eventually crept up on me. I remember the exact moment when I suddenly realized I was in love with this book. It was an amazing feeling! However, at the same time, the moment I realized how much I cared was a moment during the book that had my heart breaking into pieces. It was very bittersweet.

In the beginning, it almost sounded like the main character Frenenqer was a wingless angel and that her father was God. I started believing that was the case because of the cover. This book actually wasn't about angels, but in a way, the father and God comparison was true. Frenenqer was an isolated and lonely girl who wanted to be free and her father was a controlling bastard with twisted ideas. I desperately wanted her father to be thrown over a cliff into crocodile-infested water. I wanted Frenenqer to take Sangris (who will I get to in a bit) up on his offer to rip her father to shreds. I don't think I've ever hated a character as much as I hated Frenenqer's father. In his goal to create the perfect daughter, he came off as an emotionless, out-of-touch prick. I won't say more because you'll have to see for yourself. Besides, it's time to focus on better things, like what made this book for me: Frenenqer and Sangris.

Frenenqer was a complicated character. It's almost hard to describe her. Although she acted docile around her father to please him, she wasn't timid and spineless in the least. She desired freedom above all else. The thing was, if she truly had the chance to be free, would she actually take it? And because of the way her parents treated her, she lacked certain emotions. Or she believed she wasn't capable of certain emotions. Like love. It made her seem like she was uncaring of others, but deep down she knew she cared. It made her a really frustrating person at times. There were some moments where I wanted to shake some sense into her because I believed she was being completely unfair. But I understood why she acted the way she did. And there were some moments where I wanted to hug and comfort her. So, it all balanced out, and I grew to really admire her character.

Her relationship with Sangris was the highlight of the novel for me. It was the reason why I fell in love with this book. Sangris is a Free person. Free people are capable of shape-shifting and traveling to any world they want. Although Free people tend to keep to themselves, Sangris wasn't afraid or uncomfortable to let Frenenqer in. He was an open book with her and couldn't help hanging around. He was fascinated and curious, even though Nenner (his nickname for her) was cold to him a lot of the time. After he started taking her to exotic cities and worlds so that she could experience freedom, it was clear that he had feelings for her. And that underneath all that sarcasm and mischievousness Sangris was really sweet and loved deeply. He was capable of all the feelings Frenenqer lacked, and he helped her see what she was missing. It was strange that, although their personalities and views were different, they still were able to understand each other in a way that no one else did. It was a special bond. I wish I could go on and on about them, especially Sangris, but just know that they were perfect together and their interactions with each other were my favorite parts of the novel.

As I got closer and closer to the end of The Girl With Borrowed Wings, I was not only scared of what would happen but also sad that it was almost over. I didn't want it to end. Thankfully the ending didn't destroy my heart like I feared, and I could see just how much Frenenqer had changed. It was wonderful to read. The Girl With Borrowed Wings was just the type of story that I needed to read. While I can't say everyone will fall in love with this book the way I did, I thought the story ended in a way that everyone could appreciate. It brought a huge smile to my face and got me close to tears. It was a story that resulted in pure happiness and love, and one that I can't recommend enough.(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Pingle McCloud rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads, goodreads-giveaway, young-adult, reviewed

I also posted this review on my blog

I got this book free from First Reads giveaway on Goodreads. Actually this is my first Young Adult book since Harry Potter which I read it a long time ago when I was in high school. I haven't much care about this genre before, because I think I have passed that age (don't know if it has an age limit). I didn't say that I'm ancient, it just that I'm not amused by sweet young love and teenage problems. Turns out, there are a lot of great Young Adult books out th...more
I also posted this review on my blog

I got this book free from First Reads giveaway on Goodreads. Actually this is my first Young Adult book since Harry Potter which I read it a long time ago when I was in high school. I haven't much care about this genre before, because I think I have passed that age (don't know if it has an age limit). I didn't say that I'm ancient, it just that I'm not amused by sweet young love and teenage problems. Turns out, there are a lot of great Young Adult books out there that I didn't know, because all this time my reading revolves around Historical Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary Romance, Paranormal Romance and Harlequin books especially Harlequin Presents.

Okay, back to The Girl with Borrowed Wings, the story is interesting enough to keep me reading this book, so I read it until finished. It's about seventeen years old girl who live in an isolated desert oasis deep inside the Middle East somewhere. She has a very autocratic father and also almost non existent mother. She tried to cope to the place and to the way her father thinking and rules. Her father rules everything about her life, even he teach her how to close the door properly, if she didn't get it right, he will be angry and will give her a punishment. They are an expat family who live in that oasis because of her father's job as an architect. They have been in that country for six years and trying to adapt to the place, before that they have lived in many countries.

Later, she found a cat in the souk market, the seller throw the cat away because it's being sick, she took it and brought to her home despite her parents chiding and refusal. Turned out the cat is a shape shifter and turned into a boy with wings and introduce her to freedom. The cat or should I say a boy call himself a Free person, it's a race who can shape shifting into everything, which all the rules and boundaries aren't applicable to them. The boy takes her to many places where she has never been to with his wings and they fly together to get there.

This book is about a struggling teenager who dreaming about freedom and hoping to have a less restraining parents and neighbourhood. Sounds familiar, right? yes, It think everyone has passed that phase in their life.

The author has a very great talent to weave words into great sentences and phrases despite her young age, not too flowery but enough to keep me captivated and reading her book. This is a beautiful story about dreams and adventures, which I will recommend to Young Adult fans.(less)

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Mar 18, 2013 Jeanatte rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young adults, romance lovers, fantasy lovers, my friends

Shelves: favorites

This book was amazing and I feel that no decent review would give this book adequate justice.... I just can't explain how much feels this book gave me.

I read young adult books/romance books all the time.....and at times it is hard to feel the relationship with the characters besides the physical. However, this book is one of those rare books that has what many romance books are lacking-which is that the characters should have a connection with the reader. If the reader doesn't feel the emotion...more This book was amazing and I feel that no decent review would give this book adequate justice.... I just can't explain how much feels this book gave me.

I read young adult books/romance books all the time.....and at times it is hard to feel the relationship with the characters besides the physical. However, this book is one of those rare books that has what many romance books are lacking-which is that the characters should have a connection with the reader. If the reader doesn't feel the emotion between the characters then it's almost like it wasn't even there. So yea, a romance book should take over your emotions, which this book did. And no, I'm not going to categorize this book as another "Y/A fantasy romance novel" because it is not just that.

This book isn't only about the romance but Frenenqer breaking free from what she's expected to be.
The main character Frenenqer goes through a passage in finding herself, and breaking away from the norms and what society, her family, and practically her life has told her to do. There is a quote that I liked, when Frenenqer describe herself to a dog that has been trained not to eat the dish of food, and even without its owner in the room it still obeys and doesn't eat the dish. In the end this quote pretty much sums up her life. Even if one is given the chance to leap and be free it doesn't mean that they will take it. I think that Frenenqer is very strong especially for someone who was brought up to be "meek" and "modest," and I can relate a lot to her due to her sheltered life.
Another Quote:"I am not yours, you do not own me, I practically don't own myself."- Frenenqer. (This was not taken word for word but you get the gist.)

Sangris, oh how I love Sangris. He is the opposite of Frenenqer, he is a "free person" but he is not so free. He needs a belonging in his life. At times he wears his heart on his sleeve, while Frenenqer keeps it inside. Sangris is just so adorable and acts so much like a cat- He is very territorial, and can get jealous when he doesn't get attention, which leads him to go astray for a period of time. However, he keeps coming back to his home (like a cat does when he wants food), because he knows who is owner is and in the end he wants to be petted and loved.
A quote I liked: "I can take you away. Anytime you want, whenever you need it, I'll never be far. I'm the ladder out of the desert, my dear." - Sangris.

By the way, thumbs up to Anju who pretty much made this ending happen. She may be quiet and studious but Anju was always looking out for Frenenqer all along. She's a great supporting character and it would be interesting if the author made a spinoff story about her life in Qater, because I feel that it would be nice to get to know Anju's inner character better.

Also, the author's writing style is amazing. I often had to reread the passages because they felt so poetic and almost magical. Yes, that's the best word I could use to describe this book; magical. This is honestly one of my favorite books of the year and I'm so glad I randomly picked it up one day at the library.I look forward to this author's future books and if the next is anything like the first book then I will definitely be hooked.

This pretty much summed up how I felt at the end of the book:
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Sep 01, 2012 Erin Stuhlsatz rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book.

The main character, Frenenqer, lives in an oasis in the middle East somewhere. She's an expat, but you'd never know it. She wears clothes to her wrists and ankles, and when a man catches sight of her bare shins one night as she spends the night with a friend, she wishes she could die of shame.Her entire life is minutely controlled by her father, who claims that he invented her completely. When she acts imperfectly (gripping her fork the wrong way, closing the door with a 'thud...more

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Aug 25, 2012 Octobercountry rated it 4 of 5 stars

I've just finished reading "The Girl with Borrowed Wings"---isn't that a lovely title?---by Rinsai Rossetti.

How to describe this? It's a rather odd story, no doubt about it. At once we're plunged into a description of this terribly restricted life in a small middle-eastern town, bound and dominated by the harsh desert. But when the heroine rescues an unusual cat trapped in a cage and dying of the heat at a crowded animal bazaar, then the magic begins. Because it turns out this is no cat at all--...more I've just finished reading "The Girl with Borrowed Wings"---isn't that a lovely title?---by Rinsai Rossetti.

How to describe this? It's a rather odd story, no doubt about it. At once we're plunged into a description of this terribly restricted life in a small middle-eastern town, bound and dominated by the harsh desert. But when the heroine rescues an unusual cat trapped in a cage and dying of the heat at a crowded animal bazaar, then the magic begins. Because it turns out this is no cat at all---Sangris can take many forms, though one of his most common is as a impossibly wild and beautiful winged young man. And together they begin a journey down a sometimes difficult road to friendship---and something more?

I confess that I wasn't particularly taken with the heroine. She was so repressed and cowed, so emotionally and socially stunted and inhibited, that I really did lose patience with her. Okay, I know her difficulties in relating to others was kind of the POINT of the entire story, and a quite natural result of her extremely restricted (and frankly emotionally abusive) home life. (Her father really is awful, and the mother isn't much better.) So---I did feel for her, but at the same time I just wanted to say "Snap out of it!" (Yes, not very helpful I know.)

However, the enigmatic Sangris helped make up for a certain lack of interest in the female lead. Many aspects of his past and the world he comes from really did remain a mystery right through the end. I found myself wanting to know much more about him, though I can't say the ending (with its lack of full disclosure) was disappointing at all. To the contrary, it was quite satisfying.

The book is beautifully written, but to be honest I can't quite guess how other people will react to it. But as for me---yep, in the end I did like it and will recommend it.

I had to think about the cover image a bit---at first I thought they could have come up with something more imaginative for the dust jacket, given the content of the story---something much richer. But on the other hand, I do like the symbolism---and there's a mysterious bit of the image on the back that doesn't show up in this scan. (less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Barbara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: animals, families, fantasy, friendship, reading, school, romance

Living in an oasis with her very controlling father and her detached mother, seventeen-year-old Frenenquer Paje watches her life growing ever more restricted by the day. Because of the notice men pay to her when she ventures outside, she hardly goes on walks anymore. Much of her free time is spent reading and rereading the stacks of books she has in her room. Her father has been molding her to fulfill his idea of perfection almost since birth, and often behaves quite cruelly toward her, at one p...more

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Jul 19, 2012 Liviania rated it 5 of 5 stars

Right now, I feel very unaccomplished. Rinsai Rossetti is currently twenty one and wrote the first draft of THE GIRL WITH BORROWED WINGS when she was eighteen. I'm twenty three and have yet to write anything as beautiful or as wonderful as Rossetti's debut.

Frenenqer Paje lives the way her father wants her to live. He dreamed of a perfect, submissive, quiet daughter and Frenenqer will be that girl no matter her natural inclinations. He keeps her in her room except for when she goes to the local E...more Right now, I feel very unaccomplished. Rinsai Rossetti is currently twenty one and wrote the first draft of THE GIRL WITH BORROWED WINGS when she was eighteen. I'm twenty three and have yet to write anything as beautiful or as wonderful as Rossetti's debut.

Frenenqer Paje lives the way her father wants her to live. He dreamed of a perfect, submissive, quiet daughter and Frenenqer will be that girl no matter her natural inclinations. He keeps her in her room except for when she goes to the local English-speaking school where she gets a low-quality education. She couldn't really go out if she wanted to, since the streets of the oasis (in an unnamed Middle Eastern country) aren't safe for a lone teen girl. Frenenqer tries to stay within the bounds, escaping only through her books and a dream that she was supposed to be born with wings and she can feel the phantom of them on her back.

Then she meets a boy without a name, a Free person, unbound by any rules. He can shapeshift and travel between worlds and he can take Frenenqer flying. Soon she names him Sangris and he calls her Nenner, a name much lighter than the one of her father's expectations. But as the two grow closer, they become quarrelsome. Frenenqer is afraid to step outside of her father's rules, as well as the rules of society, and Sangris pushes her to ignore them all. Above all else, Sangris is free, and he fears the limits of Nenner's affections.

It's girl-meet-boy filtered through the fantastical lens of magical realism and told in Rossetti's gorgeous, poetic prose. But in addition to the romance, it's Frenenqer's discovery of herself.

"I'm young!" I shouted at him in exhilaration.
"What?"
"I'm young!"
His gaze flickered over me. From my free-flying hair -- I became very aware of it as soon as he looked at it; I felt it lifting off the base of my neck where the spine is tender, and streaming out behind me in tendrils -- to the tightness of my stomach -- I realized for the first time that I had a narrow waist and hips rather than the straight lines of my childhood; when had that happened? -- and down to the legs. At that point he pulled his gaze back up to my face. "Yeah," he said. "Didn't you know?"
-p. 63-4, ARC

I liked that Frenenqer's dialogue, as well as that of her long-suffering friend Anju, are in a modern vernacular unlike the narration. It emphasizes her youth and that she's not truly a prim lady, even before Sangris (and Anju) force her to stop denying her dreams for herself. It complements the narration rather than clashing with it.

THE GIRL WITH BORROWED WINGS is one epic romance. One moment the atmosphere is cramped and stifling; next, there's a lush description of Nenner and Sangris's travels. There's sophisticated storytelling and a heroine who is just seventeen and well aware of own immaturity. It's the struggle between control and chaos. Do not miss Rossetti's debut. THE GIRL WITH BORROWED WINGS is a story of startling power and beauty.(less)

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Sep 04, 2012 Sasha rated it 1 of 5 stars

This book struck me as the sort of thing I would have written when I was 13 and feeling particularly emo. The ridiculously controlling and emotionally abusive father, the girl who thinks she's ugly even though she's obviously drop-dead gorgeous, and the over-the-top boyfriend who pretty much sings "I can show you the world" in between sessions of begging to be allowed to kiss her feet (no, I am not making this up)...oh, the melodrama! Not to mention the way that the main character's lifetime of...more

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Jan 09, 2013 Elissa rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are a reader who enjoys books that are heart- touching, gut wrenching, that leaves you wanting more at the end, this would be the perfect book for you.

It all started when Frenenqer Paje's father sat down one day and dreamed her up. You see, she wasn't born from her mother's womb, but in the brain of her father (Rossetti 1). That's how Frenenqer's crazy, restricted life came to be.

Her father is like God, or so she thought because no one was allowed to stand up to him, not even his wife. H...more If you are a reader who enjoys books that are heart- touching, gut wrenching, that leaves you wanting more at the end, this would be the perfect book for you.

It all started when Frenenqer Paje's father sat down one day and dreamed her up. You see, she wasn't born from her mother's womb, but in the brain of her father (Rossetti 1). That's how Frenenqer's crazy, restricted life came to be.

Her father is like God, or so she thought because no one was allowed to stand up to him, not even his wife. He has her whole life planned ahead of her and won't let her do anything. He even set up laws for her to follow. Frenenqer thinks that her father doesn't love her one bit. She knows she doesn't love him either because of the way treats her and her mom.

Ever since Frenenqer went to the Souk with her father and saved a dying cat stuffed in a cage, her life has never been the same (21). When she brought the cat home, he suddenly turned himself into a human. He was a FREE PERSON. That means a shape shifter with no rules, no attachments, and no family. That sounds like the good life to Frenenqer because her life is so restricted that she can't make plans with her friends unless she has permission from her father(78).

However, Sangris owes her a huge favor for saving him at the Souk market. He asks her to fly with him because she's never been allowed to go anywhere else besides stay in the terrible desert. She rejects him at first but ends up going with him because she can't live with the fact that she passed up an amazing, once in a life time chance. So he flies her to the places she lived before coming to the the dry, waterless desert. He also flies her to his past places he lived. These two learn about each other's past and realize there isn't much difference between a Free Person and Frenenqer because they both lack at least one thing. Sangris wants a family and belong somewhre where as Nenner wants no rules and be able to fly anywhere she wants.

As they spend more time together, Nenner doesn't know if she has feelings for him or if she is just "borrowing his wings" to go places. She needs to figure it out, but has a hard time loving someone because her father and mother had scarred her once. In the Paje family, no one is allowed to show affection and love.

These two go on a thrilling,fun- filled adventure that no Free Person and "a bound person" has ever gone on. However, if Frenenqer wants to keep living her double- life, as her father's idea of her and be free, she needs to be courageous and confront her isolation, her father, and break all the rules that would get her into a lot of trouble.

I honestly just fell in love with this book after a few couple pages because this book was unique in it's own way. It takes place in the Middle East and it's a book you would call "exotic" in a way because it's just different from most book you would read. (less)

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Jan 03, 2013 Jen Sainty rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had already checked other person's reviews before starting the book, and I saw rave reviews, and some mediocre. I must say I'm not disappointed and I found it to be a great book. It ended on a happy note, so that may have upset some who love tragedy. While the romance in the book did get a bit melodramatic at some points, I din't find it largely overdone; in fact, it appealed to my inner romantic female.
I loved Rinsai Rossetti's writing style. She has the gift of lovely, flowery, descriptive l...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Stargirl (Shoujo and YA Banter/Vocaloid Fanatic) rated it 4 of 5 stars

This book...was beautiful.

Frenequer is isolated in the desert, somewhere in the Middle East. Her father is a dictator. He controls her every move. He even made her up in his mind, before she was born. She goes to school, her home, and her father's car. Lather, rinse, and repeat. But that all changes when she resuces a cat from an animal souk, and he transforms into a human boy. He is a Free Person, who can transform into anything he wants. He takes her from her lonley life in the desert, to wor...more

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Sep 01, 2012 Emily Ever rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: angry-young-people, anthropomorphic, bad-ass-females, excellent-writing, fantasy, favorites, magic, romance, shapeshifters, ya

I honestly fell in love this with book. It was such a departure from what you normally see on the YA market that it was like a breath of fresh air.

Let's start with the style because that's the thing that got me reading in the first place. Rossetti's style is... I guess the only way I know how to describe it is that it's similar to the style a lot of Indian authors take on - kind of a mix of metaphor, magic, and reality.

The story was great. A simple fresh romance made complicated by emotional han...more

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Jul 25, 2012 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is my favorite book ever! I think it may be one of the best Young Adult books ever written. I'm so impressed by the author. I can't believe this book is only her debut. Her book has the literary skill of a master and she deals and develops her characters beautifully.

Her characters are really unique and realistic. Unlike most books that try to create overly sympathetic protagonists, Rossetti's book develops strikingly complex characters. Moreover, through Frenenquer's relationship with her...more

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Mar 27, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was quite impressed by this book. It was a beautiful, well written novel about a young girl coming out from under her father's controlling nature. Her journey to come into her own self, to learn to love, trust and care about others was passionate, and memorable. I enjoyed the descriptions of the places she has been, in comparison to the dull drab world she resides in.

Often in books geared to the YA genre there is a love interest, and it either falls under the category of instant love, or a gr...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Anne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, fantasy-sci-fi, young-adult

Frenenqer has an extremely controlling father - and a mother who will not (or cannot) interfere. Since they are living in the oasis in a middle eastern country, where Frenenqer attends boarding school, it is not all that unusual that her father dominates so much of her life and makes so many of her decisions for her, limiting her activities and friendships. One day, however, she meets Sangris who is one of the Free People. Sangris has the ability to take almost any shape he wishes, but best of a...more

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Aug 13, 2012 Jen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that readers will either love or...not. It's well written with fully developed characters who are interesting and engaging but the overall story itself was a tough one.

Frenenqer, or "Nenner" is a prisoner in her life and while she has a quiet strength, she's so walled off emotionally that she's unable to really "live". She has her father to thank for that and the man gives new meaning to the word, "over-bearing". He's abusive emotionally (and eventually physically) to...more

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May 02, 2013 Kate rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to Kate by: Teen Book Club

Shelves: 2013, age-ya, teen-book-club, fantasy

Frenenquer (what a name) lives in an isolated oasis in the Middle Eastern desert, under the iron rule of her father. Her father has put her into a little box and she is not allowed to do anything remotely immodest. Then one day she rescues a cat. A talking cat. A cat who turns out to be a shape-shifting, flying "free person" - someone not even bound by the rules of staying human.

She names the boy Sangris, and despite everything she finds herself enjoying her time spent with him. He takes her to...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Dreamer rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: be-still-my-beating-heart

Frenenqer, a girl living in the desert, is controlled by her father. From where she goes, what she does, and how she speaks, he watches everything she does. The only time she's left to herself is up in her room as night begins to fall, which she spends reading.

When she saves a dying cat, she has no idea that it's actually a Free person - a shapeshifter. He offers her small grasps of freedom where, in those moments, the itch of her father's control washes away.

As the stakes get higher, Nenne...more

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Oct 05, 2012 Clementine rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, ya, fantasy

For Frenenqer Paje, life is stifling with its sameness day in and day out. Books are her only escape from her overbearing father and the stifling heat of the desert oasis in which they live. One small act of rebellion leads to her meeting a boy named Sangris–a boy who can shapeshift–and this spins her life into a different direction. At night, Frenenqer and this boy travel to distant lands where she can barely feel the tug of her father’s commands. If she can learn to let go, Frenenqer might jus...more For Frenenqer Paje, life is stifling with its sameness day in and day out. Books are her only escape from her overbearing father and the stifling heat of the desert oasis in which they live. One small act of rebellion leads to her meeting a boy named Sangris–a boy who can shapeshift–and this spins her life into a different direction. At night, Frenenqer and this boy travel to distant lands where she can barely feel the tug of her father’s commands. If she can learn to let go, Frenenqer might just be able to finally live as she wants to.

Rossetti’s fantasy novel provides a neat twist on the genre that a lot of readers won’t see coming. Instead of providing mere escapism for readers, Rossetti forces the reader to accept the fact that her fantastical world also has a grim reality to it. The harsh environment in which Frenenqer is raised comes to life with Rossetti’s lush prose. The scenes where Sangris and Frenenqer travel to distant lands are particularly well-rendered: the use of color to describe nature and their surroundings is often breath-taking.

Rossetti’s characters also subvert a lot of the usual tropes found in a fantasy novel. Although Frenenqer and Sangris have feelings for one another, it takes a good long while for those feelings to develop, and even longer for the characters to admit it. Frenenqer is a strong heroine who is also deeply damaged from her upbringing. An easy read this is not: there’s a lot of emotional turbulence to be found here, but Rossetti’s excellent characterization and good pacing keep the pages turning.

There are a lot of issues explored within the pages of Rossetti’s book. She writes about ex-pats with a kind of familiarity that hints at her own background and makes Frenenqer’s displacement palpable. The concepts of love, trust, and self-identity are all here, but Rossetti doesn’t push and never gives her readers an easy answer. Deeply affecting and deeply satisfying, this is a must-read for fans of YA. Highly recommended.

The Girl with Borrowed Wings by Rinsai Rossetti. Dial: 2012. Library copy.(less)

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Nov 02, 2012 Jasmine rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 09, 2012 Melissa Garrett rated it 5 of 5 stars

I don't often give 5-star reviews, but THE GIRL WITH BORROWED WINGS is one of the most heart-touching, gut-wrenching, beautifully written books I've read. Ever. And I've read a lot of books. It will be one of those books I read again and again until the cover is worn and pages tattered. The chapter, IN WHICH I JUMP OUT THE WINDOW, is what totally did me in. Throughout the book I vacillated between feeling extreme sympathy for Frenenqer "Nenner" Paje because of the repressive conditions under whi...more

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Jul 28, 2012 jo mo rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: paranormal, family, young-adult, shapeshifters, 3-stars, 2012, animals, non-caucasian-character, reviews, magical-realism, fairytale-folktale-myth-legend, 2012-faves, make-scrapbook, makes-good-gift

3.5/5
really, really different. original.
bit too corny, but cute nonetheless.
how she finally seperated her strings to her father (view spoiler) as simple and difficult as that.

[ read nafiza's review ]

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Aug 27, 2012 Esmeralda rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 5-stars, favorites, realms

(sigh). This book left me with warm happy thoughts. I'm sure many of you know the feeling; reading a book that ends just right, leaving you smiling like a crazy person for days even though you already finished the book.

Words right now seem very limiting to tell you how much I loved this book.

It's amazing how Frenenquer Paje and Sangris two pole opposites can be so alike.If I had a father like Frenenquer (lord save me), I would rather jump willing into a active volcano.

Honestly, I liked Sangris...more

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Jul 16, 2012 Basil rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, real-world-fantasy, books-i-wish-i-had-written, favorites

Gorgeous prose. Painfully realistic characters (even the ones with wings). And the setting? A desert oasis, somewhere in the middle east, whose aggressively conservative and misogynistic culture provides the backdrop for the main character's coming-of-age story.

More than anything, this book is an exploration of intimacy, and what happens when someone who has been taught that "love" is dirty and messy and shameful realizes, through small touches and large gestures of friendship (and tastes of fre...more

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Jan 16, 2013 Wise Cat rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: teens and adults alike

Recommended to Wise Cat by: L.A Times Book Review

Shelves: fantasy-young-adult

I read about this in the L.A. Times Book Review, and it sounded like something I'd enjoy! And I did, immensely. I loved the sci-fi/fantasy element to it, of the shape-shifting boy she meets who literally shows her the world. Turns out that being a "Free person" isn't all its cracked up to be, and it gets "old" as he says.

Poor Frenenquer's father gives a whole new meaning to the word "strict" and "controlling". Rossetti's style is very concise, yet detailed. You still get a good sense of the char...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Rosy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, travel

I've waited so long to review this that I'm afraid I won't do it justice-- it's the kind of gem of a book that is very much worth reading, but just isn't strong enough to make a lasting impact. As far as I can remember, it's about a girl living somewhere, presumably, in the Middle East with a severely dysfunctional family (and a complete tyrant of a father) who gets involved with a sort of beautiful, shape-shifting being. The first half to three-quarters was great-- pretty writing, very interest...more

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Jul 15, 2012 Soumi(in love with Puck) Roy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned-arcs, signed-copies, owned-copy, shapeshifters, fantasy-others, books-i-reviewed

"I am unlike most other people because I began, not in the body of my mother, but in the brain of my father. He invented me, you see. He sat down one day and dreamed me up. I started out as no more than a figment of his imagination”

The Girl with Borrowed Wings is completely different from any other books I have recently read. I found the book thoughtful work of young adult literature where we see a soul is caged on her own body, controlled by her father. The Girl with Borrowed Wings is story of...more "I am unlike most other people because I began, not in the body of my mother, but in the brain of my father. He invented me, you see. He sat down one day and dreamed me up. I started out as no more than a figment of his imagination”

The Girl with Borrowed Wings is completely different from any other books I have recently read. I found the book thoughtful work of young adult literature where we see a soul is caged on her own body, controlled by her father. The Girl with Borrowed Wings is story of Frenenquer Paje, a sixteen years old girl who wants to fly away with her imaginary wings and be free of her father’s strict control. Her father wants her to be the daughter he always dreamed off, a daughter who will follow his footstep and be the most obedient one. As an act of rebellion, she brought a sick cat home and the cat turned out to be a shape shifter boy with wings and who can really fly. The closer they got, the more Frenenquer got taste of a life without fear, a life out of her father’s control and soon she started questioning herself about the life she lived, about her feelings and newly grown friendship.

The Girl with Borrowed Wings is the story how Frenenquer found her wings and learn to fly, how she learn to fight back against everything that has hold her back. She learned to confront her isolation, showing her emotions. Her whole life has been something only planned by her father and I liked her transformation from a puppet to a girl. I adore the author’s imagination power, I must say reading the from Frenenquer’s perspective, it feels like all real, not a story I’m reading. We see the joy of first love and fear of accepting her feelings.
Always obedient Frenenquer lived a restricted life, now when she broke free of parental bond she realized what freedom mean and what the person who gave set her free means to her. The romance was not overdone; it was rather smooth and sweet.
It was really a pleasure to witness the girl with imaginary wings finally broke free.I felt Girl with Borrowed Wings is not only a fantasy, it’s actually reality told behind mask of a fantastic fantasy.
(less)

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Aug 20, 2012 Q. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Unlike other children, Frenenqer Paje was conceived as an idea in her father's mind. A humble, meek daughter; the epitome of obedience and a robot that could respond to his beck and call. Living in a claustrophobic environment with books her sole link to sanity somewhere on the oasis of middle east, Frenenqer gets a chance to make a best friend. What follows is a inner battle between who she is and who her father wants her to be.
I absolutely loved this book and devoured in a single sitting. The...more

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Mar 04, 2013 Deborah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: magical-realism, young-adult

Frenenquer is very lonely. She lives in the desert with an overbearing, perfectionist father, and a meek mother who doesn't stand up to her father. "Nenner's" father would have her be the perfect daughter, someone who he fully created not only physically but also mentally and emotionally. She must close the door quietly, hold her fork correctly, and make just the right amount of eye contact or else practice these ridiculous "rules" until her father is satisfied she has learned them. One day at m...more

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Jan 28, 2013 Jordan K Bell rated it 5 of 5 stars

Brilliant Freshman piece. Upon starting this novel, I was pretty confused. The back jacket cover says something along the lines of, 'I wasn't formed in the body of my mother, I was formed in the mind of my father'. As the book goes on, this mentality is continued. I was thinking, "what on earth does she mean? Is she like children of Athena who are literally formed from a piece of her brain? Does her father have the mental ability to create something by thinking about it? Iamsolost." Within a few...more

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About Rinsai Rossetti

My first day on earth was spent in a huge tropical storm which cut the power lines and brought century-old trees crashing down. I hope the two events weren't related.

After that auspicious start, I spent many years sitting in an Emirati desert staring at the moon. My first book is The Girl With Borrowed Wings.

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“I frowned. Evidently, Sangris wasn't a cat who could shape-shift. It was more difficult than that. He was a nothing who occasionally pretended to be a cat. "I wish I could know what it's like for myself, that's all," I said. I felt rather the way a jail inmate would if a bird flew up and shouted through her window bars: This freedom thing? Yeah, not so great.” — 4 people liked it

“He had an extraordinarily casual air about him. I'd noticed that before, when he had tossed himself out the window.” — 2 people liked it

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