Defect

by Will Weaver

Maybe it was bad karma. Maybe it was just bad luck. Whatever the reason, fifteen-year-old David was born defective. His bug eyes, pinched face, and hearing aids are obvious, but there is a secret David keeps from everyone, even his foster parents. Because of a thin layer of skin hidden under each arm, David can fly―well, glide is more like it. Terrified of doctors, wary of letting down his guard, David is determined to hide his secret at any cost. But then David meets Cheetah, a girl whose own defect doesn't diminish her spirit, and suddenly his life begins to take wing.

In this arresting new novel, Will Weaver creates an unforgettable character on the path to discovering that some blessings can be a curse―and some curses a blessing.

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Teen, Realistic Fiction, Romance

208 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2007

About the author

I grew up in the Midwest, and had no idea I'd become a writer one day. However I gradually felt a need to tell my own stories. To explain, in writing, how I saw the world.

Today I'm a full time writer with 13 novels, many short stories, and two movie adaptations. I enjoy visiting schools and libraries, and sharing what I've learned about writing.

My newest novel POWER & LIGHT (Sept 2023) is now out. The first of a two book adult saga, it follows the arc of a Norwegian emigrant family to the Midwest–their hardships and ultimate triumph.

Reviews

[Dracolibris · Rating 3 out of 5]

If Bat Boy (from US Weekly World News fame) had a sensitive young adult author to write his story, it would be something like this...

[Zach Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very interesting and the reason why i picked this book is because it looked very intersting and it seemed from the back cover it was like a superhero book. I thought he would be on the news when his friends found out he had wings and he had to go join a circus somewhere. It was a ficton book because I thought it was a sci-fi movie based book. The main characters are David, Cheetah, The Trotwoods, and Dr. remesey. The main problem in this book was he had wings and he can fly but is to afraid what people might think if he told them he can fly. He flew off of Barn Buff and his friends from his old school thaught he died and they were to blam. The other problem is when he tryed to fly and hit the sevral branches and ended up in the hospital and told cheetah he can fly and flew out the hospital window to get away from reporters and his friend that he dont really care about video taped it and told david he was gonna put it on the news and make money off of you. David decided to have the surgery done so he can make a fool of matt and before the surgery he meets a boy that is dieing from a desis and spends time with him and the boys parents likes david. david took cheetah to meet this boy and david tells the boy to tell his girlfriend cheetah what his dream is and the boy said to fly and cheetah tells david to show the boy his wings before he gets them clipped and david tells the boy dont tell nobody and in the moring look out a certain window and he could see david fly. david follow through and made the boys dream come true and has his makeover done.

[Terri · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wonderful surprise! When I learned that this book was being considered for a big reading project, I had to read it. It is a quick, easy read!

David suffers from a rare malady, avian dactylicism (don't bother looking it up - it is entirely of the author's imagining), which includes hyper-sensitive hearing, large eyes, small chin, large ears, an appetite for insects, and wings (a secret which he keeps hidden). To escape bullying and to hide David's secret, his mother sends him away from New York City to foster care in Minnesota. In Minnesota cruel bullying also becomes a part of his life. He is sent to an alternative high school where he meets Cheetah, who has medical challenges of her own. They develop an open relationship where they accept each other's flaws. Eventually, David's secret is revealed and he learns that by accepting himself as he is, he can truly be free.

The book is beautifully written. Minnesota author, Will Weaver, successfully blends realism and fantasy to create a believable, page-turning story. The climactic scene is moving beyond words! The cover captures the nature of the story perfectly. You can judge a book by its cover sometimes!
The book deals with themes of bullying, foster parenting, what makes us all "special," challenges and how we deal with them, self-acceptance, religion, and more. "Defect" is recommended for middle-schoolers to adults! There are some mild sexual references but nothing objectionable. Highly recommended!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

David is not a normal boy by the standards of society. He is bullied at school because of his appearance and disabilities (or are they abilities?), so he changes to a school for others like him who are not “normal.” David befriends Cheetah, who has epilepsy. He struggles with his “defects,” wondering if they are a curse or a gift. He questions what God has done to him and if, perhaps, God might have a plan for his defects.

Defect explores issues of disability, self-acceptance, and personal choices from the perspective of a young man who experiences these matters on a daily basis. Weaver showcases these subjects in a realistic world with a fantastic situation. Defect would be an excellent book to introduce a class or reader to the experiences of teenagers with disabilities.

[Justin Maupin]

Main characters are David, cheetah, and his parents. It's about a kid that has wings and some people call him a freak and some call him an angle. He has the option to get his wings cut off. I conclude that he won't be called a monster anymore.

[Johnny Weyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Will Weaver’s novel titled, “DEFECT”, is an adventurous and eventful story. It's about a boy born with multiple disabilities but also born with a gift. The gift was wings. He lives throughout the story being scared and terrified of anybody finding out until he meets a girl with a gift as well. The whole novel is essentially about the boy figuring out how to use his gift in a way to not be judged. This girl he meets is named cheetah. The boy learns a lot from Cheetah. She slowly shows him how to use his gift rather than hide it.
I personally enjoyed this story as a teenager especially because it follows a teenage boy's story and goes really in depth about his life and his problems. The whole “keep it a secret” aspect to the story really makes the beginning suspenseful and entertaining. It builds up importance to the meaning of the boy and his wings and how society is viewing them. I loved how the boy meeting Cheetah brightened him up. It really shows the impact of friendship. The second half of the novel is where it starts to get adventurous and really pick up. As the two teenagers learn to use their gifts more efficiently, they face challenges that are really emotional. These were great aspects to the novel that I really enjoyed. However, there are also some problems I have with this novel.
I have a few little issues with the novel, but it was overall still a good book. These things are small details that I believe would have just made the book better. The first issue i have is the lack of interaction between the main character and his school life. The novel does a great job of showing us his relationship with his parents, but more school scenes would have been better. The main character is a teenage boy. It would just make sense to have a little more details on how highschool was for him, especially having wings. The other problem I have with this novel is that the part where he goes to a circus is very short and not that detailed. I would've liked for more character to be builded during his times at the circus. Overall, this novel was great and I highly recommend this to anyone to read.

[Erin Hudgens · Rating 4 out of 5]

P.S. I feel like this would be AMAZING as a graphic novel!

I actually REALLY liked this book. It’s pretty simple, but the characters are well done, and I loved the story. It has kind of a modern folktale feel to it. I feel a lot of affection for the main characters, and I even got a little choked up in a couple parts. I am not sure if everyone would enjoy this book, but I definitely recommend it.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

So freaking entertaining! I loved this book, it came as quite a surprise! I never would have expected enjoying it so much going into it. This book deals with heavy topics such as a dark self-perception and the experience of being a social pariah. Captivating, dark and despairing, but also very funny and sweet!! Highly recommend!

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand that this is YA, but it was written at a lower level. This would be a good story to read at the end of elementary or early middle school about how it’s okay to be different.
The ending wasn’t just an ending. The book just stopped like it’s missing a few paragraphs.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This bookk is great for people who like mysterys I give it 5 stars

[Paige Woosley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, make sure you are age-appropriate though!

[leela ⚡️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was kind of weird. The end was good though

[Unique Morris · Rating 1 out of 5]

Do you wish that you could fly and be "free"? The main character in Defect flies all the time. The genre for Defect is fiction which really intrigued me. My opinion of this book is that it is a good one but I would like to change a few things if I could.
Defect starts off with the main character-David-on a country farm. David is an orphan , but he ends up with the Trotwoods who take him in and raise him as their own. David's days at school are mostly hell and he tries anything to get out. When he finally gets dropped , he goes to an alternative school for people with all types of problems. While he's at this school he meets new friends and a very special "lady friend" named Cheetah. As life progresses , say three months , David's big secret is about to be exposed because some weird things are going on in town. The conflict would be person vs. person most times because David has a bully who would do anything to have the townspeople think that David is a freak. David is about 17 years old and he has big elf ears , a distorted face , and "hearing aids" which he uses everyday because he has almost bionic hearing. Mr. and Mrs. Trotwood are a nice older couple who are David's foster parents , and they also own their own hog farm. They think of David as their own son and will stand up for him if they feel like someone is doing him wrong. Cheetah is David's "lady friend" who has a disease which causes her to have seizures uncontrollably. She's around 17 and she's short. Her real name is Meagan but she hates that name. She is also a very strong person. Kael is David's bully and he is short , muscular , and pretty dumb. He's the worst to David throughout the story. All in all, David's friends and family encourage him the most.
My favorite part of the story is when David and Cheetah are together because they are so cute together. The author really caught my attention when David finally lets his wings loose because it was a real shocker to me. The main character is like me in some ways because we both are shy, and we both enjoy being around friends. I believe that this book could be changed by having less conflict towards David and himself , and have more conflict towards David and Kael because everyone loves a good fight whether you admit it or not. I also like the way the author gives David a kind of mysterious character. This book reminds me of the book Double Helix because they both pertain to surgeries and the two main characters go through similar relationships like their boyfriend or girlfriend. Defect could also remind me of my life because growing up I would get teased because of my ear size and David goes through some of the same things with his face.
I thought that Defect was a well written book that gives the reader a little taste of entertainment. I would have to give this book a 7 out of 10 because it was entertaining to myself but some points in the story you would just like to skip ahead. I would recommend this book to young adults who like fiction because it does have a little bit of dirty jokes and remarks , but it is also somewhat a serious tone. So check the book out and find out "Is it a monster or a miracle?".

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book. It was, in a nutshell, different.

David is a fifteen-year-old with a few mutations; he's 'ugly,' has 'hearing aids' and has this really bad smell (which, I have to say, was the only defect of his that I could imagine myself being slightly put-off by. That sounds shallow of me, but I'm just being brutally honest with myself). But what he hasn't told anyone is that there's one more mutation; his wings. Or rather, flaps of skin under his arms that allow him to glide and are probably the source of the humid, pungent odor he gives off.

What I absolutely LOVED about David was how much his personality surprised me. People who are ostracized or taunted for being different are usually angry or depressed or meek or some combination. But David was hilarious. He was witty, smart, not afraid to play tricks on those who bullied him. He was admittedly kind of shut-off, but he definitely broke any stereotypes I had set in my brain for the typical 'outcast.'

Cheetah was...okay. Very flat. She wasn't explained at all. So she just...didn't make an impression on me. David's foster parents seemed cool. The perfect balance between saints (because they could love him for who he was) and flawed humans (because they were still a bit weirded out by him, which is only normal). Doctor Ramaswamy was okay, too. Very flat. And any other character is just too boring or inconsequential to mention.

The plot wasn't really a plot, so much as the sequence of events of this kid's life. It was a life-story, not a beginning-middle-end story. And I can appreciate those. It felt more real.
And it dealt with more realistic issues. He feels kind of isolated from his friends and foster parents, which is understandable. He doubts the existence of God, which is understandable (his whole THERE IS A GOD revelation was the only part of the book I didn't really like. It was just weird for me). And he has doubts as to whether or not he should get corrective surgery for his face and wings. All of this is understandable, and it creates a sort of exaggerated version of the feelings 'normal' teenagers might be feeling. So it was a creative medical fiction as well as a relatable realistic fiction. Which is awesome.

The writing was great. Perhaps one of my favorite styles I've ever seen. Weaver managed to be descriptive without prattling on. And I say that about a lot of writers, but this guy perfected the technique. If he had a metaphor to give, he only used a sentence or two and then moved on. But it worked perfectly. That sentence or two conveyed a beautiful simile or whatever in such a way that I was left thinking I wish I could be that deep and thoughtful.

Overall, very good book. A nice short read, nothing too overwhelming or lengthy, which is nice. I definitely recommend this to people who enjoy personal or moral gray areas, or contemplating the debate concerning beauty's increasing importance in our society (although it deals more with David than it does with society and beauty). This book is definitely worth your time.

[Jamie Dacyczyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book very much at all. It was a concept that perhaps could have worked out well (boy born with a birth defect that basically gives him wings and super-hearing like a bat)...but instead it sort of flopped.

The writing felt sort of amateurish. For example, I think this book was supposed to be something of a "coming of age" story, because the main character would experience some *ahem* "male reaction" to interactions with a certain female. And then, of course, he ended up getting together with said female....only all of those intimate scenes just felt awkward and rushed, like the author wanted to include them but didn't want to dwell on them too much.

I was also creeped out by the main character's descriptions on himself. Like, we probably could have managed without the detail of his musky odor all the time. Thanks, but I think as a society we agree that stinky people are not endearing...so I think that detail only serves to turn off the reader.

ALSO, could have done without the preaching nature of certain aspects of the book. For example, the main character meets a kid in a wheelchair with a terminal illness. When Make-A-Wish contacts the kid for his wish, he tells them that he wishes someone could prove to him that there is a god. At this point I would have high-fived the kid and said, "You're right. This people are all bull-shitting. If there was a god, and if he cared, then you probably wouldn't have this terrible illness right now. Congratulations on figuring out what most people never understand in their lifetime." Nope, instead, Mr. Bat Boy Main Character (I cannot remember his name) devised a scheme to portray himself as an angel to Terminally-Ill Boy. Aww, it's like a Christmas miracle. Somehow a winged birth defect is supposed to be proof of a god? Wouldn't that be proof of...genetic mutations? At an earlier part in the book the author made reference to Jesus being some kind of ultimate birth defect. Alright, we get it. Your logic is flawed.

Ugh, overall I was unimpressed by this book. I finished it, hoping it would redeem itself, but between the awkward writing, the proselytizing, and the stinky protagonist...

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading books by Will Weaver, because the setting is so familiar to me. I know (and have been to most of) the towns that he mentions in his books. He's from Bemidji, Minnesota, and all the towns that he mentions are either Minnesota or North Dakota towns. I met him at a Young Authors Conference a couple years ago. I sat in the class that he taught to students from my school and other neighboring schools.

Anyway, what can I say about this book? It's the most recent of his books that I've read, and I think, the best that I've read. It came out just before I started student teaching in Hawley, Minnesota, and the classroom teacher that I was working with recommended it to me. This was before I landed a job teaching in Erskine, Minnesota (much closer to Bemidji) and found out that my colleague in the English department went to Bemidji State University while he was a professor (and her advisor) there.

But I digress. Back to the book! Defect. It's a book about freaks. About people (kids) who are different. Who are abnormal for whatever reason. Who don't fit in. And about how society treats them. And about how that makes the "freaks" feel. Because, obviously, the "freaks", despite their deformities, despite their DEFECTS, are human beings with human feelings nonetheless. I felt just as torn as the main character: did I want him to have the surgery in the end or not? But, in the end, I was happy that he made the decision that he did. People needed to see him for who he really was--not to hide from it.

It's a quick read--I finished in a few hours this morning--but very good. It makes you think. I already use a Will Weaver book as required curriculum for my junior's American Literature class (while we talk about local Minnesota authors--since, you know, Minnesota is part of America), but perhaps I should be using this one instead. It's different. It's strange. It's quirky at times. But that's what makes it good.

[Jennifer Wardrip · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

David is more than just odd, or strange, or different. David is kind of a genetic anomaly, truly a freak of nature. His "hearing aids" actually minimize sound, under his hat are bat-like ears, and under his sweatshirt, well, that's the craziest part of all. David actually has wings. Not big feathery things, but a thin layer of tissue that allows him to coast through the air if he jumps from a high point.

Anybody in high school knows that being different isn't usually a good thing. Even the wrong haircut can lead to months of torture. For David, his differences could be life threatening. He's already been shipped from foster home to foster home, from school to school. When he gets in trouble at his most recent school, he prepares to start all over, again, somewhere else. This time though, the only thing that changes is the school. Amazingly, this time he might actually be okay. Sure, he's still not telling anybody about the hearing and the wings, but he's not getting beat up, either. And, he might actually have a girlfriend!

David accompanies his maybe girlfriend, Cheetah, to the Mayo clinic, and finds out some surprising information about himself. Along with a few creepy flashbacks. With this new information, David is going to have some very tough choices to make, and some harder lessons to learn.

I was expecting something completely different from this story, but I couldn't have been happier to be completely wrong! This story is incredibly touching and powerful, and honest. All of the characters are amazing and strong and realistic. The choices David makes may not be the ones you would make, but you feel the weight of them right along with him. And the lessons he learns are the simple but huge kind that everyone needs to be reminded of from time to time. It's a beautiful, simple, incredible thing.

[David Segura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Defect
By: Will Weaver

Age Recommendation: 14+
Genre: Fiction
Theme: That everyone is different. No matter what’s going with them in their lives doesn’t mean anyone has it worse.

Quotes: “I really liked this book. It was, in a nutshell, different. ” - Karen Kaiser
“A very emotional book, and something all teenaged should read. ” - Sarah

What would you do if you had wings and a hearing of a bat?

There is a kid named David who gets bullied like every teen goes through. Nobody liked David because he had such a weird feature. Bug-eyed, big eared, small jawed, tall and skinny. But that's not his biggest difference - he has wings. When he was little his mother ran away and took him to an adoption home and there he went, family to family. This period he is with the Trotwoods and they love him. They are farmers also. So one day, he has this fight that he will have at the hill in Barn Bluff after school in the dark. When he was about to fight - he jumps off. Everyone was scared thinking he was dead. But, the next day they saw him at school perfectly fine. They tell the principle that David is creeping them out so he sends him to an alternative school. He meets this girl name Cheetah and soon have a relationship. Well, people started figuring out that he has wings. He is “The Ugly Angel”. Well this doctor that has done research about David before his mom left him found him and talks to the Trotwoods and David. David has an option of doing a surgery to get his wings off and a face surgery.
This book is actually very unique. I can’t really compare it to any book because so many things in this book happens. It has won an award which is the 2008 Minnesota Book Award. I think people who like descrpitive details and who like odd things would be interested in reading this.
Will David take the surgery or live as “The Ugly Angel”?

[Harley · Rating 3 out of 5]

It began like most YA novels do. Gripping social disorder and some sort of trouble--even had the high school bully, but this ended with a twist. David, or should I say Charles LeBattier, jumps off a cliff in order to scare the bullies. They don't know that he has crazy wings that extend from his armpits, also a strange woody smell protrudes from there as well. Through a crazy twisting story of love, bug eating, and exposition, David ends up in the Mayo clinic with three doctors from his past--determined to cut away that which offends. The religous elements to this book are overshined by the battle between self image and social image. David must decide whether he will adorn the New Guy face and risk becoming a different person, and possibly lose his love Cheetah. In the end he decided to keep his "God given" blessing and life his life as he had been doing, but this time live proudly for who he is.

The teacher in me sees this book as an amazing example of how people react to something that is unknown, unexplained, or simply different. The exaggerated features of David translate to physical deformities of all kinds and the presentation of them will allow teachers to tackle the subject of acceptance. Not simply acceptance of having the deformities, but also treating those with them with compassion. I think that this book should be taught in middle school grades especially, because from my experience that is the time when people are most critical of differences.

[Karen Ball · Rating 4 out of 5]

David is a foster kid who is different. He has a genetic defect which has given him flaps of skin from his back to his arms (sort of like bat wings), oddly shaped ears, a face that doesn't look quite normal, and extraordinary hearing. He wears hearing aids which actually block out most of the sounds for him. He can't really fly, but with his "wings" extended, he can jump off a high place and glide safely. Because of his appearance, he is bullied and transferred through many foster homes and schools. He finally ends up at an alternative school, where he meets Cheetah (Megan). She is an epileptic, and suffers from seizures. David goes with her to the Mayo Clinic, and discovers doctors who have known about his case, and who can surgically make him more normal. When word of his "flying" gets out, David is targeted by the media and religious fanatics who call him an "injured angel", and David must choose between staying different and dealing with all of these people and their expectations, or altering himself to fit in with the world. What would he gain or lose?

[Stephanie S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really interesting. It was about a boy named David who was born really ugly, but also with super good hearing and skin under his arms that can stretch out like wings. He likes to use them to cliff jump so he can Glide through the air as if he is flying. He spends a lot of his time trying to keep people from finding this out. He ends up getting kicked out of his school because (since other kids bully him all the time) he is a "disruption". He is instead sent to an alternate school, where he meets a girl named Cheetah, who becomes his good friend and girlfriend. Because of an accident that lands David in the hospital, everyone find out about his "wings" and a doctor offers to surgucally remove them, and at the same time give him facial reconstuction because he's ugly. However, David comes to realize that his loved ones like him just the way he is, and ends up not going through with the surgery. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very emotional book, and something all teenaged should read.

David, along with face deformaties that make him 'ugly', has a rare syndrome that causes him to have extra skin flaps from his armpits to his ribcage, which create 'wings'.

This book followed David through his struggles of missing his mother, being bullied, and coming to face his 'defect'. He meets friends along the way, Cheetah, a friendly girl with seizures, and Brandon, a kid with bone cancer who is dying and enjoys making jokes about his condition. In the end, it is Cheetah's support and Brandon's wish that help David finally come to terms with his face and wings.

Okay, back to my first statement: every teenager should read this. Every teenage who feels different, or not cool, or ugly, or who isn't self-confident, needs to read this book and follow in David's footsteps to come to terms with the faults they or others see in themselves, and make peace with who they are. This book could save them.

[Alysha Speer · Rating 3 out of 5]

To put it plainly, this book is weird. It is a good book, nonetheless, and the ending was awesome, but while I was reading it, I couldn't help but think how strange it was.
David has wings. He's not a vampire, not any kind of strange creature, he's just a normal teenage boy (albeit a very ugly boy, with amazing hearing and the ability to fly). But he's an outcast, a freak. He has no friends, and people make fun of him.
So one night David fakes his own death. A few days later, he comes back to school, scaring the crap out of the people who thought he was dead. Then he is transfered to another school where he meets the epileptic, Cheetah.
Cheetah is amazing, and David thinks he loves her. But when he has the choice to get an operation to make him "normal" he can't decide if it's good to be like everybody else, or if his defect isn't really a defect at all.

[Grant Hollenbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

MY book is called Defect by Will Weaver.He's not a vampire, not any kind of strange creature, he's just a normal teenage boy but with wings! He's an outcast, a freak he and has no friends,people make fun of him. So one night David someone challenges him to a fight on barn bluff(redwing MN)he goes there but instead of fighting him he fakes his death and the kid he was going to fight(with his friends) freaks out. He gets them all messed up that he is causing trouble at his school. He is transfered to another school called oak leaf where he meets the epileptic, Cheetah. They become good friends. Cheetah is amazing, and David thinks he loves her. But when he has the choice to get an operation to make him "normal" he can't decide if it's good to be like a normal teenager. His defect is the reason that he meet cheetah and all of the things that changed his life.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

David has an interesting defect. Born with an excess of skin; especially under his arms and a distict odor; David is not well accepted by his peers. After one too many hazings; David is moved to an alternative high school where he meets Cheetah; a girl with epilepsy. Cheetah and David form a strong friendship that eventually turns to love as they grow closer; when David is faced with a choice. Remain a freak; or take an elective surgery to have his extra skin removed and become "normal."

I hate to admit it; but David's creepy skin and distrubing smell kept turning me off his character as someone I could like. Cheetah was also a little too bleeding heart for me. I guess I just can't face the harsh reality!

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy who is also somewhat like a bat does his best to hide his deformities, but can't resist going gliding now and then. He gets discovered, of course, and there's a media frenzy. He then has to decide whether he should get "corrective" surgery to look normal or not.

Several of the characters were flat and I couldn't keep them straight, but the main character was interesting and his dilemma was decently explained. I found myself getting impatient with his lack of reasoning about what it would really mean to get the surgery, though. There were several aspects of him that were strange that could not be cut out by doctors.

[TheSaint · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason, there’s been a “winged person” meme among young adult authors lately. The most recent addition to the sub-genre is Defect by Will Weaver.
David was born with a skin deformity that had doctors itching to make their careers out of “curing” him. But David’s mom was in no way prepared to take on such a task and shipped him off to live with relatives and kindly strangers while she drowned her sorrows in drugs. Naturally, David was bullied mercilessly where ever he went. Until he decided to fight back. Unfortunately, his little winged demonstration led to a level of celebrity that he was not willing to endure.

[Librariann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ages 12+ (a few sexual references, one "shit") Sixteen year old David is different. Bug-eyed, big eared, small jawed, tall and skinny. But that's not his biggest difference - he has wings. Wings that he's carefully kept hidden from everyone in Minnesota, where he was sent to live by his mother at age 12. Torment from his classmates leads him to an alternative high school, where he meets Cheetah, a girl with epilepsy. Are David's deformities a gift or a curse? And if he had the chance, would he give them up and be normal? Fable-like with strong emotional impact, and good message about accepting who you are. Strongly recommended!

[Trevor Oakley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching narrative about David, a boy who either holds the key to human evolution or is the product of errant amino acids. I'm very impressed with Weaver's treatment of David's foster parents. Often, they're portrayed in literature and opther media as these leeches taking on kids just to get a check from the state. Here, the Trotwoods are very supportive and loving even though there's a bit of emotional space between them and David -- David came into their care later in his childhood. It's a quick book that will give most readers something to think about.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

David's a bully-magnet: bad skin, badder smell, and baddest bug-eyes. Still, he's doing his best with his foster parents, growing up in rural Minnesota, far away from his drug-addicted New York mother. He finds himself in an alternative school with other outsiders, including Cheetah, a girl with a truckload of health issues. But David's holding out on everyone about his biggest secret; he has wings. When he's outted, a 24/7 news cycle media circus erupts, while inside David faces his own turmoil, wondering if the gift of flight for a human is a blessing or a curse?