Wing Haven, by Naomi Shibles, is a beautifully imagined fairy tale that feels both timeless and new. It tells the story of Almond Nettlesworth, a reluctant fairy who doesn’t quite fit into her messy, mossy world. After being outshone and betrayed by her younger sister, who suddenly becomes queen, Almond is thrust into an adventure that forces her to confront danger, friendship, and her own sense of belonging. Alongside unlikely allies like a chipmunk named Nutsie, she journeys through the wild forest in search of purpose and freedom, discovering a forgotten dollhouse that becomes a kind of refuge. Beneath the fantasy, the story hums with ideas about independence, family, and what it means to find beauty in imperfection.

What I liked most was how the book blended the charm of childhood imagination with the weight of adult emotion. The writing is lush and cinematic, full of textures like glittering wings, sticky sap, and the smell of damp moss. Shibles has a gift for description that makes even tiny moments feel alive. Still, it’s the heart of the story that got to me. Almond’s frustration with her world, her yearning for cleanliness and order in a place ruled by chaos, hit closer to home than I expected. I found myself rooting for her even when she stumbled, even when her pride made her prickly. The relationship between Almond and Pepper, sisters bound by rivalry and love, felt raw and real. Their clash mirrors the kind of quiet wars siblings fight when one grows up too fast and the other gets left behind.

I felt the pacing sometimes slows under the weight of its detail. The world-building is rich, like a garden that needs a little pruning. Yet, I didn’t mind walking through that garden. The story invites you to pause and notice the small wonders that are hiding. I also admired how the author used the natural world not just as a setting, but as a character. The forest breathes and sighs, both nurturing and cruel. It reminded me of how nature holds contradictions, beauty and decay, danger and shelter, and how those same tensions live inside us.

Wing Haven left me with a quiet ache and a deep sense of wonder. It’s a story for readers who still believe that magic exists just out of sight, for dreamers who feel out of place in the noise of the world. I’d recommend it to anyone who loved The Secret Garden as a child and now wants something more grown, more tangled, and more tender.

Pages: 219 | ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FQBXFWPQ