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Wildwing

3.46 of 5 stars 3.46 · rating details · 826 ratings · 148 reviews

When Addy is swept back in time, she couldn't be happier to leave her miserable life behind. Now she's mistaken for Lady Matilda, the pampered ward of the king. If Addy can play her part, she'll have glorious gowns, jewels, and something she's always longed for the respect and admiration of others. But then she meets Will, the falconer's son with sky blue eyes, who unsettl

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Hardcover, 359 pages

Published September 21st 2010 by Greenwillow Books

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Dec 02, 2010 Cara rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: for the romantics at heart

Shelves: 2010, historical-fiction

The idea of this book is what intrigued me. It's a historical setting within a historical setting. Okay let me explain that.

We have this 15 year old girl, Addy, that lives in the the early 1900's. Addy has always felt like she deserved more than what she was born into, but it seems she is destined to work with her hands just like her mother. Luckily for Addy she gets to be a maid servent for Mr. Greenwood. Addy doesn't think this is necessarily lucky, but it's better than being a scullery maid....more The idea of this book is what intrigued me. It's a historical setting within a historical setting. Okay let me explain that.

We have this 15 year old girl, Addy, that lives in the the early 1900's. Addy has always felt like she deserved more than what she was born into, but it seems she is destined to work with her hands just like her mother. Luckily for Addy she gets to be a maid servent for Mr. Greenwood. Addy doesn't think this is necessarily lucky, but it's better than being a scullery maid. Mr. Greenwood lives with a sad story. His son one day got lost and the town searched high and low, but could never find him. Since then Mr. Greenwood has never been the same. Addy and him start talking about books and things seem to be going fine, but one day Addy enters the room that's been locked up ever since Mr. Greenwood's son disappearance. Housed there is a time travel contraption that will send her back to medieval England. There she will be mistaken for Lady Matilda, learn to train falcons, how to ride a horse, and fall in love with a boy whose eyes are as blue as the sky. It's not all rosy though, in the end she will end up having to make some hard decisions.

I could see lots of the "twists" coming and in all actuality I don't think the author was trying to make it a surprise to the reader, but I thought Addy was kind of dense not finding out sooner. When you read a lot you tend to see what the author is going to do, so it's really hard to make an avid reader really surprised. That's okay though, that's not what bothered me. What irked me was how Addy was in the beginning of the book. She seems kind of naive thinking status and owning things is what you need in life, and she doesn't give her mother enough credit for her sacrifaces. I do understand why she was presented this way because she needed to learn something, and shows tremendous growth.

Will, the love interest, and Addy's relationship is romantic and one of the strengths of the book. I was afraid I was going to hate the ending, but I can honestly say I liked it. The story shows how having status and money come at a price, and it's sad if that's all you have to your name. You need more than that.(less)

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May 26, 2012 Annie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: sci-fi, young-adult

I had a cup of coffee as I reached the half way mark of this book, which naturally set my heart racing and got me all jittery. So there's a chance some of my enthusiasm for this story is a matter of all the intensity colliding with coffee.

But that doesn't change that this is a really well written book. At first I thought it was a little closer to middle-grade than YA because of Addy's simple point of view despite Emily Whitman's descriptive and interesting writing. But as Addy settled into her...more

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Dec 31, 2010 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

Why do I not read more historical fiction? It seems like every time I read one, I end up loving it, yet it is not the genre that I usually seek out. (Although I'll be changing that next year. I've already joined the YA Historical Fiction Challenge to help spur that action.)

I have to admit that it was the cover that first drew me to this story and then when I read the summary I knew I had to read it. When I first discovered it, it was shortly before the release and I was surprised that I hadn't s...more

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Sep 28, 2010 melissa1lbr rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arcs, review-copy, young-adult

I enjoyed this sweet and passionate historical fiction with a smidgen of sci-fi. I thought that Addy was a fun character who was so full of life and wanting more than what she was given. I admired her and the difficult choices she eventually makes. It was fun to have a time travel twist to keep the historical setting from getting too dull. I also liked the romance :) Full review at One Librarian's Book Reviews.

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Apr 06, 2013 Liralen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2013, fiction, ya, reviewed

Conceptually, I love this book. I mean, I loved Caroline B. Cooney's Both Sides of Time when I was younger. Addy went back quite a ways, too, which is also great conceptually -- that much more for her to figure out.

But Addy was, forgive me for saying this, an idiot and a total brat. And okay, maybe that's realistic for a fifteen-year-old girl, but when she's supposed to be both 'smart as a whip' (page 65) and a good actress, you'd think she'd get it together to question things a little bit soone...more

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Jan 25, 2012 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Wildwing by Emily Whitman

I do not know if I like the fact that the author wrote a time-travel novel that basically ignored the fact that going back in time changes the future. Fun to enjoy her historical medieval world without worrying about complications of a distorted time-line, but on the other hand how can you not logically assess the implications of telling people about agricultural innovations that happen 50 to 100 years later? Eh, I’m sure opinions will vary widely on the treatment of tim...more

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Oct 09, 2011 Dorine White rated it 3 of 5 stars

Last month I went to KidLitCon in Seattle. I had a great time and met lots of wonderful writers and bloggers. I came home with lots of great books and ideas. One of those books, given to me by the author herself, is a YA historical romance that I’d love to share with you. So I’m giving away the signed copy that she gave me to review.

Wildwing is a 359 page YA novel written by Emily Whitman and published by Greenwillow.

The Story- Addy lives in 1913 and is very uncomfortable with her social standi...more Last month I went to KidLitCon in Seattle. I had a great time and met lots of wonderful writers and bloggers. I came home with lots of great books and ideas. One of those books, given to me by the author herself, is a YA historical romance that I’d love to share with you. So I’m giving away the signed copy that she gave me to review.

Wildwing is a 359 page YA novel written by Emily Whitman and published by Greenwillow.

The Story- Addy lives in 1913 and is very uncomfortable with her social standing. Forced to leave school and take a job as a day maid, Addy wishes she could leave her miserable life.

Enter Mr. Greenwood, Addy’s new employer, a kind old man who isn’t quite right in the head after losing his son years before. Addy and her boss share a remarkable kinship and Addy despairs when her mother forces her to quit the job. In a moment of pique, Addy enters Mr. Greenwood’s forbidden library and discovers a time machine that takes her into the past.

Mistaken for Lady Matilda, Addy starts to find out what life is like on the other side of the street. With jewels, gowns and even hunting birds, Addy accepts the life and a future marriage to the lord of the keep.

Of course, things get a little messed up when she falls for the falconer’s son Will and Mr. Greenwood actually comes back into the past to rescue her.

My thoughts - I graduated with a BA in Humanities, thus I love all things that show history and culture. This book does a wonderful job of including great historical facts to spice up the story. I enjoyed reading about the people in both 1913 and in the 1500’s (I was never sure of the date). The character of Addy is the most vibrant in the book. From the very beginning she feels she deserves more in life than what is decided by her birth status. I also liked the way that the author worked in Addy’s lack of knowledge of the past. By feigning an injury, she is able to learn about customs and traditions before she has to use them and not look like an imposter.

SPOILER*** The romance between Addy and Will is simple and more of a subplot. I for one figured out who Will was right away, it just seemed kind of obvious, but it was fun reading about Addy figuring it out. Of course at the end when they are separated you hope things will work out. Then we come to the one part of the book that stretched a little too far. I love fantasy and could totally believe that Mr. Greenwood built a time machine. However, in the end, I could not believe that he was able to make one in the 1500’s with wood and metal. There just isn’t the technology to make it work. That being said, I let it slide because I was happy to have Addy and Will back together.

Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a great read and had great touches of history with a twist of fantasy. I’d judge it good for readers 12 and up.
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Feb 15, 2011 Novel Novice rated it 3 of 5 stars

I don’t know about you, but one of the main reasons I love reading is the escape it provides from my everyday life. A book can transport me to another world, envelope me in a story and let me get away for a few hundred wonderful pages.

With Wildwing by Emily Whitman, the escape is twofold — because in this case, both the reader and the protagonist find themselves transported to another world.

Wildwing tells the story of reluctant housekeeper Addy — who feels shortchanged by her lot in life as the...more I don’t know about you, but one of the main reasons I love reading is the escape it provides from my everyday life. A book can transport me to another world, envelope me in a story and let me get away for a few hundred wonderful pages.

With Wildwing by Emily Whitman, the escape is twofold — because in this case, both the reader and the protagonist find themselves transported to another world.

Wildwing tells the story of reluctant housekeeper Addy — who feels shortchanged by her lot in life as the bastard child of a single woman living in 1913 England. But her droll and drab life is soon changed dramatically when she travels back in time to the 13th century, where she is mistaken for the ward of a wealthy and powerful lord.

But Addy soon learns that life as a pampered princess isn’t all she’s fantasized about … especially when her forbidden romance with the Falconer’s son threatens the precarious life she’s established for herself. Soon, she must make some difficult decisions — about her life; her future; and her role in the past.

Wildwing is escapist fantasy at its very best. It has all those elements that satisfy us, as readers, at our very simplest — adventure, intrigue, forbidden romance. But Whitman tells it all in a unique way, without making it feel contrived or trivialized.

I especially loved the way Whitman managed to masterfully weave together the two time periods. It’s not just a story about traveling back in time; there are layers to the story that unfold like petals on a flower, each one delicate and beautiful individually — but even more perfect when combined.

I also have a particular fondness for the time machine itself — a contraption that feels as if it came right out of an H.G. Wells novel, or maybe Jules Verne. It’s like a tiny little dose of Steampunk inserted into the middle of this historical fantasy.

And while Wildwing is, at its very heart, a romance — it’s also a story about embracing yourself and making your own happiness — rather than waiting on others to create happiness for you. (less)

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Jan 27, 2011 Cleverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

I need to start out by saying this cover does not do this book justice. It actually doesn't fit the book. Your imagination can be free in Wildwing. The tale is more then star-crossed lovers. It's more like time-crossed lovers. Descriptions and details were well placed and fed the story into magical world. I wish Will had a bigger part in the book to get a better idea of his personality. As for Addy, I didn't care for her much. She was kind of an ungrateful girl. Towards the end she had better qu...more

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Dec 12, 2010 Skedatt rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: did-not-like-at-all, young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Warning: Rant ahead.

It started off OK, but I ended up really not liking it. I am soooo tired of those stories of "poor me, I'm so picked on, there is nothing good in life, blah, blah, blah." And instead of having some sort of self-discovery that helps her overcome her issues in life, she totally falls into the same pattern that her mother did, which is the life that she hated. Yeah, she went back to school and wasn't cowed by Caroline or whatever her name was, and that was great, but while in th...more

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Dec 01, 2010 Small Review rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: published-2010, historical-fiction, historical-fantasy

Summary:

Being the daughter of a poor single mother in 1913 is a difficult role to fill, as fifteen year old Addy can attest. Constantly ridiculed by her peers and treated like she is sub-human, Addy longs for a change in her circumstances. When her mother pulls her out of school after yet another fight with a wealthy classmate, Addy finds herself working as a maid for the mysterious Mr. Greenwood. Haunted by his own sad past, Mr. Greenwood unwittingly offers Addy a chance at a new life when she...more Summary:

Being the daughter of a poor single mother in 1913 is a difficult role to fill, as fifteen year old Addy can attest. Constantly ridiculed by her peers and treated like she is sub-human, Addy longs for a change in her circumstances. When her mother pulls her out of school after yet another fight with a wealthy classmate, Addy finds herself working as a maid for the mysterious Mr. Greenwood. Haunted by his own sad past, Mr. Greenwood unwittingly offers Addy a chance at a new life when she stumbles across a time machine he has hidden away in a locked room. When she is transported back to the thirteenth century and mistaken for a great lady, Addy couldn’t be happier, that is until she realizes that life as a lady can be just as difficult as the life she left. Torn between love and duty, Addy must choose between the life of privilege she thought she wanted and the pull of her heart.

Review:

Wildwing was my first exposure to Emily Whitman and it will not be my last. Whitman’s writing is well-paced and flows nicely. I found myself immersed in the world she created and I was fully engrossed in the story. There isn’t really any mystery here and all of the events and “reveals” are pretty obvious. Also, a lot of things are a little too convenient to be completely realistic, but I’m a sucker for happy resolutions and so this didn’t bother me at all. I enjoyed the book despite the obviousness, finding myself pushing off other things in order to spend more time reading. The scenes about falconry were so well-drawn that I felt like I was there with Addy. Whitman also did a really good job in capturing the “personality” of the falcon Pilgrim. Watching as Addy tried to figure out the customs and reading about her blunders from both her perspective and through the letters of the steward made for some amusing scenes.

Whitman’s characters were a nice mix of modern and historical, making them easy to like while still retaining the feel of historical fiction. I call this historical fiction “lite” in that the characters follow the surface level customs and cultural rules, but they have the mental abilities and attitudes of much more modern people. I generally prefer this because, honestly, people from the 1200s were kind of stupid in a lot of ways. And grubby.

I enjoyed all of the characters except Addy and her mother. I understood where Addy was coming from, so I’m a little torn. She suddenly appears in the 13th century as a lady with no idea how to behave so she tries to model the “great ladies” of her own time.* Her perspective on them comes from how they treated her as a poor fatherless child, and it’s true, they were not nice to her. Even with this understanding, I had a hard time warming up to Addy. Her haughty and cruel attitude sometimes didn’t seem like an act, and instead it seemed like she relished talking down to people and making demands. Perhaps that’s part of her immaturity, she is only 15 after all, but it did make her more difficult for me to like. She also seemed very selfish to me, though she did improve in this area a lot by the end of the book.

*(A complaint on that? She planned on traveling back in time and she at least had the foresight to get an appropriate dress. But that's it? She couldn't have spent an hour or two reading up on the time period? Didn't cross her mind to bring something of value with her? Sure Addy doesn't have a lot, but even a little something of worth from the 20th century could go a long way in the 13th century. Savannah from Janette Rallison's My Fair Godmother was a lot more quick thinking in this regard than Addy.)

The other characters were a different story entirely. Will (the guy Addy falls for), Beatrix (her lady’s maid), and Mr. Greenwood are all admirable people who I found very easy to like. They made me smile and reading about the way they treated Addy made me feel all warm and happy. They each also had characteristics that made them stand out beyond their kindness. Will and Mr. Greenwood each possessed impressive skills, and Beatrix had a keen insight and an approach to life I appreciated. These characters are the strength of the story, for me.

There were a few possible endings, and while Whitman didn’t ultimately pick the one I wanted, I was satisfied enough with the one she did choose. There was one event that was leading up to possible action, and I wish that action had been realized more than it was. I think Whitman would have written it well. The main character keeps me from adoring this book, but if she had been different then this would have probably been one of my favorite books. As it is, I did still enjoy the reading experience and I do recommend Wildwing to readers who enjoy medieval fantasies. Refreshingly, this is a standalone book.
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Oct 06, 2010 Margo Tanenbaum rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: middle-ages-historical-fiction, time-travel

Teenage fans of historical romance and time travel books are sure to love this new release by novelist Emily Whitman, whose first book, Radiant Darkness, was a #1 IndieBound pick.

Addy, a fifteen-year-old servant in 1913 England, dreams of a life she'll never have--a life of luxury, where people won't be constantly reminding her of her lowly place in society. But when she finds a mysterious old elevator in the dusty attic of her eccentric employer, Mr. Greenwood, she can't help herself and goes...more Teenage fans of historical romance and time travel books are sure to love this new release by novelist Emily Whitman, whose first book, Radiant Darkness, was a #1 IndieBound pick.

Addy, a fifteen-year-old servant in 1913 England, dreams of a life she'll never have--a life of luxury, where people won't be constantly reminding her of her lowly place in society. But when she finds a mysterious old elevator in the dusty attic of her eccentric employer, Mr. Greenwood, she can't help herself and goes inside--pushes the button--and winds up in the 13th century.

When she's mistaken for the lord of the castle's fiance, the noble Lady Matilda, ward of the king, Addy doesn't bother to correct anyone, and despite many faux-pas in the beginning, begins to enjoy her role as future lady of the manor. Her fiance is away, and she is able to spend her time with the handsome young falconer, Will, "the lad with the eyes," learning to train Pilgrim, her very own falcon. Will's beginnings are shrouded in mystery, since he showed up lost as a toddler, with no trace of his parents to be found, a mystery that will be solved by the end of the novel. The reader is not surprised to find that Will and Addy fall in love, but what is our lovely heroine Addy/Matilda to do? Sir Hugh is soon home, eager to wed Matilda, get her in his bed--and receive the generous dowry the king has promised to bestow on Matilda's husband. Addy lives in fear that someone will recognize that she is not Matilda--should she try to take the lift back to her own time, leaving behind her beloved Will, the one she loves?

Whitman makes Addy a very appealing heroine, and this book is full of romance--not only the relationship between Addy and Will, but other elements of romance literature--from shipwrecks to dungeons to golden wedding gowns fit for a fairy princess. The secondary characters in the book are lots of fun as well, including Beatrix, who serves as Lady Matilda/Addy's maid and reminded me of the nurse in Romeo and Juliet with her earthy ways. Lord Hugh, Lady Matilda's fiance, is a blustering warrior, a contrast to the gentle Will who coaxes falcons--and young girls--to do his bidding. The story has its share of surprising twists to keep the reader turning the pages, which culminate in the requisite happy ending (at least for this genre!)

This book would be a good addition to school and public libraries as well as a very entertaining read for any teens or even adults who enjoy historical romances. The gorgeous cover should help attract teen readers, who I'm convinced with be quickly engaged by Addy's story when they start reading.
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Sep 13, 2010 Proud Book Nerd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: do-not-have, historical-fiction, fantasy, ya

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This is one of those books that I fall in love with by the end. I love how everything played together, and was so happy with the ending that I almost had happy tears! LOL And that almost made me give this book 5 stars. But, before the end it was more of a 3- or 4-star book. (I'll get to that in a bit.) But, knowing how it all plays out, I loved this book overall.

So, why not 5 stars? It was quite predictable. I was able to figure out halfway through the book (close to when we first meet Will) tha...more

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Jan 29, 2012 Cici rated it 4 of 5 stars

Near the end, I thought it was going to be one of those books that doesn't have a happy ending, but then somehow it all got fixed so it was a good book after all.
This book is about a girl named Addy who lives in 1913 and she has to drop out of school and work for an old man making his meals and stuff, because she and her mom don&'t have a lot of money. The old man's name is Mr. Greenwood, and he is an inventor. His wife died and then later his son disappeared. Then Addy finds this elevator-...more Near the end, I thought it was going to be one of those books that doesn't have a happy ending, but then somehow it all got fixed so it was a good book after all.
This book is about a girl named Addy who lives in 1913 and she has to drop out of school and work for an old man making his meals and stuff, because she and her mom don&'t have a lot of money. The old man's name is Mr. Greenwood, and he is an inventor. His wife died and then later his son disappeared. Then Addy finds this elevator-type thing that turns out to be a time machine in a room in the old man's house. So she travels back in time and gets mistaken for a queen there. It turned out that the queen everybody thought Addy was had died in a boat crash, so nobody in the kingdom (except for this one falconer boy named Will and Addy's servant Beatrix) realized that Addy was not the true queen. Also, the queen (the real one who died) was supposed to marry a Sir Hugh and so Addy has to marry him instead because she is pretending to be the queen even though she loves Will. Sir Hugh needs her dowry money to pay off Sir Giles that he owes. And if Addy, pretending to be Lady Matilda (the dead queen) does not marry the lord and give him the dowry money, it will be disaster for all of the lord's townspeople. She does not marry the lord because she likes him! Before the wedding, Mr. Greenwood comes to Addy through the time machine. (This is possible because the time machine can be set to go back and forth between times). Mr. Greenwood finds out that Will is his long lost son who accidentally took the time machine back in time when he was little. So after Addy and Sir Hugh marry, she can then take the time machine back home. And Addy was going to take Will with her back in time, but she didn't want to make it look like she ran away with him, so she promises that she will bring the time machine back to get him soon. Then, of course the time machine breaks once she gets back to 1913 and she is really sad. Then Will makes his own time machine and comes to the future where Addy is. And they all live happily ever after! (less)

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Sep 11, 2011 Amanda (GoodChoiceReading) rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own

I’m not typically a fan of historical fiction. In my experience, the language used often feels forced. I find it distracting and it rarely manages to hold my attention in the long run.

Occasionally there are exceptions to this, and Wildwing was one of those occasions. I will admit, I went in with the “Oyy, historical fiction :/” mindset, but within a few chapters, I had completely forgotten why I was so apprehensive.

Wildwing takes place in two different time periods, neither of which is now. Th...more

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May 21, 2011 Kimberly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Addy lives in 1913 England, a servant girl who hates her life. Then one day she stumbles across a time machine and is taken 700 years in the past, where she is mistaken for nobleblood. Now she must decide where she really wants to be.

I keep going back between three and four stars on this one. I enjoyed it, but I can't put my finger on why, because all I can think of is things that bothered me about the book.

Nothing in this book came as a surprise, least of all William's origins. I had that one f...more Addy lives in 1913 England, a servant girl who hates her life. Then one day she stumbles across a time machine and is taken 700 years in the past, where she is mistaken for nobleblood. Now she must decide where she really wants to be.

I keep going back between three and four stars on this one. I enjoyed it, but I can't put my finger on why, because all I can think of is things that bothered me about the book.

Nothing in this book came as a surprise, least of all William's origins. I had that one figured out back when Addy was first introduced to Mr. Greenwood and told about his family woes, based on what I had read in the book jacket.

Other things that bothered me:

* The way that Beatrix and William just instantly bought her story about being from the future. Sure, it was obvious she wasn't a noblewoman, but come on...the future? I'd be calling her a crazyperson.

* The mental image of a 15-year-old girl getting all hot and heavy with William.

* "Oh, you've been nice to me for a few weeks. Here, let me immediately change my will and let you have everything."

* I kept waiting for a letter to show up at the end, a la Back to the Future II: "Dear Addy, If my calculations are correct, you will receive this letter a week after leaving me. First, let me assure you that I'm alive and well. I've been leaving happily these past 8 months as consult to the Sir Hugh and his new wife, Lady Hildegard..." Et cetera. After all, a medieval time machine was built, just like in the third movie. And by the way, how many years older was William by the time this machine got hammered together, because I doubt Mr. Greenwood invented "wiring" and put it together in a few months.

* The overdone story of "I thought I knew what I wanted but I realize I had it just fine and now I'm going to be nice to everyone."

However, the medieval descriptions were well-done. I learned things about the time period that I didn't know (bread-plates?). And I was entertained enough that I never had the urge to stop reading.(less)

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Nov 23, 2012 Anne Osterlund rated it 3 of 5 stars

Addy has never learned her “place.” At least that’s what her mother believes. And when Addy returns home after a fight with the snootiest girl in town, her mother yanks her daughter out of school. And hires her out as a maid for Mr. Greenwood.

But Mr. Greenwood isn’t ordinary. Maybe because of his love of Shakespeare. Or invention. Or his grief following his son’s disappearance. Either way, working for Mr. Greenwood doesn’t exactly teach Addy her place.

What it does is provide her with a time mach...more

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Oct 21, 2010 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, books-i-own

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

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Sep 20, 2011 Angie rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Synopsis: "When Addy is swept back in time, she couldn't be happier to leave her miserable life behind. Now she's mistaken for Lady Matilda, the pampered ward of the king. If Addy can play her part, she'll have glorious gowns, jewels, and something she's always longed for—the respect and admiration of others. But then she meets Will, the falconer's son with sky blue eyes, who unsettles all her plans.

From shipwrecks to castle dungeons, from betrothals to hidden conspiracies, Addy finds herself i...more

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Jan 04, 2012 Helene rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE!

Shelves: favorites, own

This book is AMAZING. It's just amazing. Just read it, you will not regret it!

PLOT: It's basically about this girl named Addy and she lives in 1913, in England. She lives with her mother and has always been pushed around at school because she has no father to speak of, since her mother never married her father, and she is therefor a bastard, as they say. Not only that, but her family is also poor. The story starts the day Addy has to stop going to school, because she gets in yet another fight be...more

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Oct 01, 2010 Princess Bookie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read2010

My Thoughts: Another historical read. I usually tend to stay away from these because I don't like many. Yes, there are some I like. But the majority, I don't enjoy as much as other romance books.

We are introduced to Addy, who is basically a peasant. She gets picked on by the other girls, she walks with her head down, she wants to just fit in and if she can't just be ignored completely. Addy lives in England in 1915. One day after an incident with another girl her mother threatens to send her awa...more

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Mar 09, 2011 Jackie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, adventure, bildungsroman, chick-lit, fantasy, science-fiction, fiction, romance, young-adult, historical, review

The idea of a historical setting within a historical setting is a unique one. The passion that Whitman has for both time period shows since tidbits of research is occasionally inserted.

The book had quite a bit of elements: fantasy, a dash of science fiction, adventure, and romance. However, I felt that some points in the story dragged on for a bit, especially parts where Addy/Matilda learns hawking. I understand Whitman loves the subject, and that the romance between the two love interests need...more

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Dec 04, 2010 Aylee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Wildwing by Emily Whitman tells the story of Addy, a girl born out of wedlock in 1913 England. Because of this, she is mocked by her peers and is forced to be a lowly maid. When she finds a time machine in her employer's home she doesn't hesitate to leave her miserable life behind and go to live in the 13th century where she's treated as a grand lady. Once there she meets Will, the falconer's son. The actual identity of Will was very obvious. Although in the author's defense, I don't think she r...more Wildwing by Emily Whitman tells the story of Addy, a girl born out of wedlock in 1913 England. Because of this, she is mocked by her peers and is forced to be a lowly maid. When she finds a time machine in her employer's home she doesn't hesitate to leave her miserable life behind and go to live in the 13th century where she's treated as a grand lady. Once there she meets Will, the falconer's son. The actual identity of Will was very obvious. Although in the author's defense, I don't think she really meant it to be a big surprise reveal at the end or else I believe she would have tried harder to make his identity a mystery.

Throughout most of the book I wasn't sure what to make of Addy's personality. There were times that I felt sympathetic towards her and her crappy life as a bastard child in the early 1900's. But my empathy quickly dissipated once she assumed the role of Lady Matilda and became horribly selfish. Her desire to have people serve her and be rich was a big character turn off for me. In one scene, she decides not to stand up for a kitchen boy who was beaten and threatened because she worries it will hurt her position as a grand lady. Also, I found it strange that never once did she worry about the life that she left back home, her mother specifically. When she plans on spending the rest of her life in the 13th century, her thoughts are never that she will miss her single mother who raised her, only her concern that she won't be able to be with Will in the way she would like.

Two thirds of the way into the novel, the story starts to pick up and Addy redeems herself mostly when she realizes her priorities in life. I really did enjoy the last part of the story as the plot reaches a peak and the story becomes a bit more interesting. I really responded to Whitman's writing style; it was very strong I thought. I also really enjoyed the scenes where Will was teaching Addy the art of hawking. It was fascinating learning about how birds of prey were used to hunt in the 13th century. Speaking of which, Novel Novice posted an interview with Whitman in which she admits to some historical inaccuracies that she had to allow for the sake of the story. I found that I really don't have a problem with any of the changes she had to make. I understood she had to do what she had to for the plot to progress.

There's just one last nitpicky thing that I feel like I have to mention and yet it probably is only a big deal to me. When Addy travels to the past she lands in the same spot she left, just 670 years earlier. Whitman describes the land in the area and the bluff leading down to a river as being familiar to Addy, not having changed any. WTF? This would simply not happen. The processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition are ALWAYS in effect and the land and river and slope down to the river would be very much different almost 700 years later!!!! Sorry, this just really bugged me O_O

ETA: I've thought of something else that bothered me and the more I think of it, the more it gets to me. SPOILER COMING UP. My problem is that wouldn't the future have been altered once Addy returned from the 13th century (Back To The Future style)? Even just a small change can change the course of the future and more than just a small change was made. Addy's employer, Mr. Greenwood, also goes back in time to meet Addy when he finds out she's gone. Once there, he educates the people on technologies that are advanced for the time. How would this not change the future? ...I'm probably overthinking this, aren't I?.

In short: Wildwing by Emily Whitman was an interesting look into 13th century England but I found I could not relate to the main character and her motivations.(less)

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Feb 18, 2011 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: clean-romances, fantasy

I gave this book three stars for a couple different reasons. I didn't like the main characters much until the book was about 3/4 of the way threw. I hoped all the way threw that she would see reason and wake up. I know she was only 15 and we are all a little stupid at that age so I held on and hoped.There is a way of writing that keeps things like kissing and lustful men tame. This writer was a little more blunt about things and I was expecting a squeaky clean young adult book and got more of a...more

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Nov 20, 2011 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

I finished this book before I started the blog, but wanted to have something to post about.

I liked this book enough to continue reading it, mostly because I really wanted to know how she was going to get out of her mess. The problem with this book was the main character, I didn't like how selfish and stupid she was. Also it's a tad bit obsessed with falconry. Which, if you like that sport, great, but I thought the constant explanations and demonstrations got old. Another thing was the ending. I...more

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Dec 26, 2010 Scarlett rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed

I really like historical romances and this book was no exception! I was able to picture things really well. The scenery, the characters, the situations, the suspense. Once I started reading it was difficult for me to want to do anything else. I read this about 2 days, but only because I couldn't just sit there the whole time and read.

Though I was able to guess fairly accurately how things were going to happen, at one point I didn't know if I was right because I couldn't think of how things were...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Sarah rated it 2 of 5 stars

Well. It's a YA book.

Adelaide (called Addy) is a "nobody" in school because she has no father. The character of her mother didn't feel realistic to me, though, because she doesn't seem to care at all for her daughter's sufferings. However, Addy herself seems not to care about her mother's situation (which isn't described very much during the novel) either which makes Addy's feelings seem rather forced and sometimes exaggerated.

I didn't feel very engaged in the story mainly because the characters...more

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Mar 02, 2012 CαthεεBooks rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: EVERYONE!

Recommended to CαthεεBooks by: Goodreads!

Shelves: beautiful-covers, great-reads

Come by my blog, Forever Lost in Books, for MORE reviews, giveaways, interviews and memes!

A good book!

Wildwing is a historical fiction (which I don't read enough of). I actually only picked up the book because of its great cover (like I normally do). I was pretty happy to get into some historical fiction, even more since it's historical fiction plus time travel to another place and time (isn't that awesome!?!)

So, the main character, Addy really hates the time she's in (which would be the 1910s)...more

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Jan 08, 2012 Drianne rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, fiction, ya, sf

Addy, a 15-year-old girl from 1913, travels back in time to medieval England, where she impersonates a noble lady. She steps into the life of Lady Matilda, engaged to be wed to Sir Hugh, but finds herself falling for William, the falconer's son, instead, and must decide where (and with whom) she belongs.

I always like time travel romance stories, although this was not one of the most (let us say) meticulous in its period details ever. Addy's headstrong behavior would be barely excusable in a mode...more

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Feb 01, 2011 Savannah (Books With Bite) rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is just something about historicals that bring me to life. I love reading them. Addy is swept back in time when she mess with a time machine. She is then mistaken for a lady and is taken back to the castle. She meets a falconer who has striking eyes that she remembers but just can not place it. In time she falls in love, hides secrets and discovers how this falconer really is...

I like this book. Addy life was uncomfortable and painful. She dealt with the constant teasing for her peers as w...more

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About Emily Whitman

Emily Whitman grew up in Boulder, Colorado in a household overflowing with kittens, hamsters and books. Her mother read her endless books and poems, her father tirelessly told stories into a reel-to-reel tape recorder, and her two sisters joined in perpetual games of make-believe. After inhaling all the Sendak, E. Nesbit, C.S. Lewis and Tolkien she could find, she went to Harvard and studied compa...more

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“An alder tree can't become an oak at will. A maple can't pick up its roots like legs, and stride, step by powerful step, along the shore to find the sun. And everything that ever said otherwise--all those years of school, and the plays and moving pictures that promise you can be someone else, something more--they were all lies.” — 1 person liked it

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