A Fast and Brutal Wing [Hardcover]

Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 9, 2004

She leapt, a perfect arc, lithe muscles propelling her through the air, leaving what was human behind, clothes fallen to the ground. She was cat, claws unsheathed, teeth bared. Loving the hunt, the chase, the pounce and the strike, her teeth sinking into flesh, blood spurting in her mouth.

Animal justice: ruthless and swift. And totally satisfying.

A provocative, richly layered, and utterly compelling novel that asks the answerable: what is truth, and what does it mean to be human?

Niki and Emmet are siblings with a secret: their ability to change from human to animal, and back-their ability to transform-she to a cat, he to a hawk. Their mother is clueless, but how much does the elusive writer Slanger know? Is their classmate Doug as superficial as he seems? Is the psychiatrist a caretaker or an enemy? And what did she have to do with their father's disappearance?

Alternating 4 voices, paralleling the transformations of adolescence itself, this book is also about the transformative power of great literature, on the border between the darkest fantasy and our own reality.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up–Vaguely reminiscent of The Blair Witch Project, Johnson's novel explores memory, fear, and imagination. Niki, her brother Emmet, and their friend Doug narrate the somewhat fantastical story via journal entries, e-mails, and newspaper clippings. What REALLY happened on Halloween night in the woods when all three teens awakened to find themselves naked and bloody? As the plot disjointedly unfolds, readers gradually learn that the siblings' father left the family two years earlier, supposedly with his mistress. When their mother begins dating the famous, secretive, and somewhat sinister author Nicholas Slanger, he disappears as well. Puzzle pieces begin to fall into place as readers realize that Emmet has since been institutionalized and Niki claims that she is able to transform into a cat, while her brother can turn into a hawk. They both have strange dreams of blood and hunting, but what is the reality? Whose story is reliable when even Doug, Emmet's psychiatrist, and Slanger seemed to turn into animals that fateful night? There are no absolute answers in this powerful and disturbing blend of fantasy/mystery/study of mental illness. Teens will either love it or hate it, but they won't forget it.–Susan Riley, Mount Kisco Public Library, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Gr. 8-11. This clever, beautifully written tale stretches the boundaries of the imagination. Disparate perspectives describe the aftermath of a Halloween night in which a famous author goes missing after reportedly attacking local teens. Letters and a teenager's writing assignments are among the devices that reveal the magical element (characters can transform into animal form) as well as deep, realistic hurts: a family haunted by the disappearance of a father. The characters' increasingly frequent need to alter themselves and the thrill of their animal transformations are compellingly described. The subtle feline and birdlike qualities central to the human characters make the transformations believable and serve as a demonstration of Johnson's talent. Although the story's conclusion is a bit too swift and neat, this is a novel that readers will remember long after turning the final page. Frances Bradburn
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (September 9, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596430133
• ISBN-13: 978-1596430136
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,701,378 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Complex and fantastic, August 4, 2007

By 

Fanny Sultan "YA book lover" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Fast and Brutal Wing (Hardcover)

Although not technically a "difficult" read, this book is wonderfully challenging in that the multiple narrative perspectives offer different versions of the chilling events that happened to three teens one Halloween night. Johnson constructs the plot masterfully, and reveals information at a pace that keeps you reading and maintains the tension. I can't quite understand how the librarian who reviewed this book would be confused by it. It's not your standard, linear narrative, true; but Johnson makes it very clear what each of the narrators' perspectives on the events is. The only confusion is which one of them you want to believe -- a choice left up to the reader. A great, great book for upper level teens.

5.0 out of 5 stars A fast-paced story highly recommended as a leisure read for high school teens., May 13, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Fast and Brutal Wing (Hardcover)

A brother and sister are bonded not just by the usual sibling relationship but by the fact they can change from human to animal and back... or is it a lie? A broken family, a series of bizarre encounters, and seemingly supernatural abilities lend a swift and unique action to a fast-paced story highly recommended as a leisure read for high school teens.

4.0 out of 5 stars A must read!, March 10, 2006

By 

George Low - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Fast and Brutal Wing (Hardcover)

Niki and Emmet have a secret that not another soul knows about besides them, so they think! Their secret is they are able to transform into animals. But something totally goes wrong when a school assignment asks to do "The Father Project", and more is exposed than what is wanted. This is a great mystery story that shows a longing to be free and have no worries or cares. This is a must read for all teens ages 14 or higher.