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Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. They were terrifyingly beautiful--too beautiful for words.

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings.

In this extraordinary tale of... read more

Summary edit see section history

Laurel, a very strict vegan but otherwise normal girl, has been homeschooled her whole life and is now starting high school at a public school. At first she hates it, but once she makes friends she starts to like it more.

One morning, she notices that she has her first pimple, it's... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)

Laurel, a very strict vegan but otherwise normal girl, has been homeschooled her whole life and is now starting high school at a public school. At first she hates it, but once she makes friends she starts to like it more.

One morning, she notices that she has her first pimple, it's right in the center of her back. At first, Laurel just ignores it, thinking that it will go away, but then it continues to grow until it is impossible to hide. Laurel fears it might be cancer but when she wakes up one morning to find that the bump has turned into a giant flower blossom, she realizes that this problem wont go away. She eventually tells her best friend David about the flower blossom and he helps her discover that there is, in fact, a flower growing out of her back!

When she visits her old property she runs into an interesting man named Tamani. He claims to be the same as Laurel but he doesn't have a flower growing out of his back. When Tamani tells Laurel that she is a faerie, she doesn't want to believe him, but later she realizes that there are no other explanations. Laurel must now fight to keep the land her parents are trying to sell when she finds out she must keep the faerie realm away from the trolls that are trying to buy it from her parents.

Characters edit see section history

  • Laurel Sewell: Main character in this story. Shy, beautiful, petite blond.
  • David Lawson: Laurel's cute best friend, possibly more. He helps her through everything. He knows her secret.
  • Tamani de Rhoslyn: A handsome faerie Laurel meets in the woods that shows a possesiveness and attraction towards Laurel. (Spring Faerie) He happens to be a childhood friend, and is also like a guardian.
  • Chelsea: One of the first people Laurel meets when she goes to public school. She is always honest, sometimes a little bit too honest for some peoples taste, but she is very nice.
  • Jeremiah Barnes: The "person" who's trying to buy Laurel's parents property. Every time he comes near, Laurel gets an uneasy feeling.
  • Shar: Friend of Tamani.
  • Sarah McLachlan: This is Laurel's mother. She is a strict vegan and a naturopath. Sarah has cared for Laurel ever since she was dropped on her doorstep when she was three years old.
  • Mark Sewell: Laurel's dad, and he dreamed of owning a book store. He found one in Crescent City and moved his family there.
  • King Oberon: Add a description of this character.
  • Maddie
  • Mr. James
  • Shakespeare
  • Merlin
  • Arthur
  • Jen
  • Bess
  • Ryan
  • Red
  • Jamison
Show all 19 characters
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Quotes edit see section history

  • “"Laurel, David? Would you like to share the joke with the rest of the class?" <Mr. James> asked, one hand on his skinny hip. "No sir," David said. "But thank you for asking." David one, teacher who wishes he was as smart as David? Zero.”
    Mr. James, David Lawson, Laurel Sewell
  • “"What does it take, Laurel? I've done everything I can think of. I got shot to protect you! Tell me what else to do and I'll do it. Whatever it takes, if you'll just stay."”
    Tamani
  • ““Whatever you need, I'll be. If you need the science geek to give you answers from a textbook, I'm your guy; if you just want a friend to sit by you in bio and help you feel better when you're sad, I'm still your guy." "And if you need someone to hold you and protect you from anyone in the world who might want to hurt you, then I am definitely your guy.””
    David Lawson
  • Popular Highlights from Kindle Customers
  • “And if you need someone to hold you and protect you from anyone in the world who might want to hurt you, then I am definitely your guy.”
    Highlighted by 28 Kindle customers
  • Typical mother advice. Sweet, honest, and completely useless.
    Highlighted by 25 Kindle customers
  • As if their kiss bridged the gap between two worlds, even if only for that one brief, sparkling moment.
    Highlighted by 21 Kindle customers
  • “Never.” Tamani winked. “Pollination is for reproduction—sex is just for fun.”
    Highlighted by 16 Kindle customers
  • Heat swirled through her as she pulled his face closer, tighter. His arms wound around her and their bodies melded with a rightness she didn’t bother to question.
    Highlighted by 16 Kindle customers
  • Tamani stared at her for several seconds. “So the position’s open?” Laurel rolled her eyes. “We are so not having this conversation.”
    Highlighted by 16 Kindle customers
  • David, one. Teacher who wishes he was as smart as David? Zero.
    Highlighted by 16 Kindle customers
  • “You don’t have a heartbeat, Laurel. You probably don’t even have a heart.”
    Highlighted by 15 Kindle customers
  • He was so…was beautiful the right word? It seemed like the right word. Whatever he was, she could hardly pull her eyes away from him. That’s the part that really made her wonder if he had been some sort of mirage. A super-realistic dream.
    Highlighted by 10 Kindle customers
  • Maybe being lost and scared was something you got used to after years of public school. Homeschooling had worked just fine for Laurel over the last ten years;
    Highlighted by 9 Kindle customers
Show all 13 quotes from this book

Setting & Locations edit see section history

  • Crescent City, CA: This is the town that Laurel moves to and has to attend public school for the first time.
  • Orick, CA: Laurel's family had cabin outside of Orick that has been handed down through several generations on Sarah's side of the family. They move to Crescent City when Jeremiah Barnes offers to buy the land.
  • Del Norte High High School: Laurel Sewell's new school. It's Laurel's first time attending public school (home-schooled before)

First Sentence edit see section history

Laurel's shoes flipped a cheerful rhythm that defied her dark mood.

Table of Contents edit see section history

One
LAUREL’S SHOES FLIPPED A CHEERFUL RHYTHM THAT defied her dark…
Two
THE BELL SOUNDED IN BIOLOGY AND LAUREL HURRIED TO stow…
Three
THE NEXT FEW WEEKS OF SCHOOL FLEW BY FASTER THAN…
Four
SATURDAY MORNING, LAUREL’S EYES FLUTTERED OPEN at sunrise. She
didn’t…
Five
SATURDAY MORNING DAWNED COOL, WITH ONLY A light mist that…
Six
A FEW MINUTES LATER, LAUREL HAD HER CHAIR WEDGED under…
Seven
LAUREL WAS LOUNGING ON THE COUCH WHEN THE doorbell rang.
Eight
LAUREL’S HAIR WAS WILD AND TANGLED WHEN THEY arrived. It…
Nine
THE NEXT DAY, LAUREL FELT LIKE A ZOMBIE. SHE didn’t…
Ten
LAUREL WAS SITTING ON DAVID’S PORCH WHEN HE walked out…
Eleven
LAUREL’S WHOLE BODY WAS SHAKING NOW. SHE FELT David’s arms,…
Twelve
“STILL NOTHING?” DAVID ASKED WHEN LAUREL CALLED him Saturday
afternoon,…
Thirteen
LAUREL STARED INTO THE MIRROR OVER HER SHOULDER at her…
Fourteen
“DID WHAT?” LAUREL’S VOICE ROSE.
Fifteen
IT WAS FOUR O’CLOCK WHEN LAUREL PARKED HER bike in…
Sixteen
“JUST IN TIME,” MOM SAID AS LAUREL WALKED IN THE…
Seventeen
AFTER SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, LAUREL GRABBED HER blue apron and…
Eighteen
DESPITE DAVID’S OPTIMISTIC WORDS, ONE WEEK turned into two, and…
Nineteen
LAUREL THREW HERSELF AWAY FROM THE WINDOW. “IT looked at…
Twenty
IT WAS SEVERAL MINUTES BEFORE EITHER WAS ABLE to move.
Twenty-One
TO HIS CREDIT, DAVID HANDLED THE MEETING FAIRLY well, especially…
Twenty-Two
DAVID’S CIVIC ROLLED SLOWLY INTO THE SEA CLIFF cul-de-sac. “It’s…
Twenty-Three
A SHRILL, DEAFENING SCREAM REVERBERATED IN LAUREL’S head as
the…
Twenty-Four
IT SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE THAT THE DRIVE BETWEEN Brookings and
Orick…
Twenty-Five
“ARE YOU SURE YOU DON’T WANT ME TO COME WITH…

Glossary edit see section history

  • scion: a plant that's taken from one plant and grafted into another

Series & Lists edit see section history

This is book 1 of 4 in Laurel. (standard series)

Followed by Spells.

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

  1. Aprilynne Pike (Author)

Other Contributors:

  1. Ray Shappell (Cover Artist)
  2. Mandy Siegfried (Narrator)

First Edition edit see section history

Original Language: English
Publisher: HarperTeen
Country: United States
Publication Date: May 5, 2009
ISBN: 0061668036
Page Count: 360

Awards edit see section history

Notes for Parents edit see section history

Reading Level: Young Adults

Recommended for age +14.

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

More Books Like This edit see section history

   
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  • Tithe
  • Lament
  • Glimmerglass
  • Nightshade
  • The Tree Shepherd's Daughter
  • The Abandoned Edge of Avalon

Books Cited by This Book edit see section history

   
  • A Midsummer Night's Dream

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