Title: Wing Jones
Author: Katherine Webber
Year Published: 2017
Source: own copy
Goodreads link:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25909375-wing-jones

Synopsis:

“Jandy Nelson meets Friday Night Lights: a sweeping story about love and family from an exceptional new voice in YA. With a grandmother from China and another from Ghana, fifteen-year-old Wing Jones is often caught between worlds. But when tragedy strikes, Wing discovers a talent for running she never knew she had. Wing’s speed could bring her family everything it needs. It could also stop Wing getting the one thing she wants.”

Wing Jones is an outstanding debut novel about family, first love & freedom. After an accident rocks her family, Wing finds that she can push all the grief and anger out of herself is by running. This is a novel that has had hype brewing for a little while now and it’s as enjoyable and wonderful as fellow readers have declared!

I really loved the sport/fitness storyline. It’s so rare to find a book with a female lead character that’s into sport. I was incredibly sporty when I was younger and I would’ve benefited majorly from reading a book like this when I was younger. To know that it was okay to be female and to be sporty. And while Wing is spotlighted as “the star” of her school’s track team, the team she’s on are very close knit and supportive of each other, the girl power flies off the page.

I also loved any scene Wing’s grandmothers were in. They were fantastic. There’s Granny Dee who originates from Ghana and was the mother of Wing’s dad before he died. And then there’s LaoLao who originates from China and is the mother of Wing’s mother. They have a competitive nature between them over who loves the grandchildren more, but I liked that they were able to push the competition aside for their friendship that lied beneath it.

And there’s a seriously cute relationship that blossoms between Wing and Marcus’ best friend Aaron. He supports her immensely when Wing begins to run. But he starts to become a distraction between Wing and her love for running. And there’s this amazing scene towards the end when she asks him to step back and let her focus on her running. And I loved that there was a scene like this. I thought it really demonstrated the trust between them.

Wing Jones is such a delight. It’s worth all the rave reviews you’ve read of it. A wonderful diverse, strong & powerful novel with hints of magical realism thrown in too. And I’m glad I read it!

Thanks for reading & until next time,