This was an interesting read that brings up many questions to really think about our possibly not too distant futures. I think it would make a great discussion book for a book club.

i really enjoyed reading this book, the characters were great and I really enjoyed learning about the world and Gracie's origins.

Thank you netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This is a beautiful, complicated AI romance that puts into question what we know about computers and the human experience of grief. There's a lot packed in this novel that showcases a young, Latin girl who's father publisizes the existence of a real AI. When this AI goes rogue and proves impossible to find to anyone except Graciela, it becomes a national security threat.
The author does an amazing job developing the characters and humanizing the AI, Thomas. Thomas is an intriguing, complex character who falls in love with Graciela but selfishly clings onto the power of defying humanity and becoming more than just programming. The end brings up it's on social issues and more questions. How far would we go for love...?

Wire Wings takes the concepts of virtual reality into a whole different level when the author introduces these concepts into a quantum computer, this is already a reality and in the future, we will be struggling with questions that this author makes us ask when we are reading Wire Wings. We get to follow an AI that's so real we begin to question gender, laws, and rights for artificial intelligence. But more importantly, this book is about loss, love, and overcoming difficult times. In this book, we get to see what it would be like when virtual reality feels very real, and it can really be a nightmare it reminded me a little of some episodes of Black Mirror where the so-called "divers" can get injured going into a virtual world. The only downside for me was the romance, it was not an expected thing going into this book because it isn't marketed as a romance, and the fact that the characters fall in love in like 3 seconds doesn't help. The big secret of the AI or huge plot twist was a really expected one for me. Overall it was definitely an interesting read with real questions that we will have to make ourselves in the near future.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

~Quick Statistics~
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Plot: 5/5 Stars
Setting: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 5/5 Stars
Writing: 5/5 Stars
Memorability: 5/5 Stars

~Quick Review~
There are not enough words to express how amazing Wire Wings by Wren Handman truly is. If I’m being honest, Wire Wings is probably my favorite book to date. I have never had my mind blown while also simultaneously being depressed and sad, yet also strangely happy at the same time. This novel put me through a mixture of emotions, conveying so many things in its descriptive nature. I love this book.

~Other Information~
Publisher: The Parliament House
Page Count: 284 pages
Release Date: June 23, 2020

Wire Wings deals with grief, panic attacks, and anxiety, so if you are sensitive to these things be aware of the issues coming up in the novel before starting to read it.

~Quick Synopsis~
Graciela Neumann’s father is the creator of the Waves; an interaction internet that allows you to be anyone or anything that you want to be. After the death of her closest friend, Gracie suffers from panic attacks and immense grief. Her parents do not understand and her Line (her connection to the Waves) is the only thing that makes her feel better. However, after a failed “program” by her father’s company, she starts being followed by the AI, Ch4l1e. Except, he hates that name for some reason. Ch4l1e (Charlie), renamed Thomas, and Gracie become friends, helping each other in any way they can. Somehow, the hole in Gracie’s heart starts to close, yet the mystery of why Thomas hates Paul, her father’s coworker and deceased friend’s father, and many other things keep getting in the way. Gracie wants to find out how Thomas was created if he’s really human, and if so, why her father’s company is trying to capture it. All of these things pile up upon another until Gracie feels like she’s drowning, however, Thomas might just keep her afloat.

~Characters~
Part of the reason why I loved Wire Wings so much was that I found the characters so relatable. Especially Gracie. Gracie had just lost her best friend and was still in the early stages of grief. She had frequent panic attacks and felt like she couldn’t talk to anyone else about them due to other people having their own problems. Unfortunately (I say unfortunately as in people shouldn’t have to go through stuff like grief, anxiety, panic attacks, etc.), I feel like this is something the majority of teens/young adults can relate to. While I have never had a panic attack, I have had people close to me pass away, and it was really hard to get back to normal after that (I’m still not back to normal after a few years). Gracie used the waves as a way to escape the real world and live a different life; an exciting, pain-free life. Gracie uses the Waves to portray herself as strong, powerful, cunning, female characters (almost like a video game in a way) so that she can feel safe and in control somewhere in her life. In the waves is where she meets Thomas (or Ch4l1e, but he hates that name, so it’s Thomas).

Thomas is an AI who Gracie’s father’s company “created”. He has so much control over the Waves that the company calls him a security threat, and later on, goes so far as to call him a terrorist. Thomas is sweet, formidable, and caring. He and Gracie fall in love, and you can see he cares about her by the way he acts. I caught myself blushing, I was so excited and in love with their romance. (It was honestly adorable!) However, while a huge part of me likes Thomas, for reasons I cannot disclose due to major spoilers, another part of me hates him. That’s right. Hates him. I cannot say that I blame him for some particular actions, but still. He was so selfish at certain points it was nauseating. You had to wonder whether he really cared about Gracie or if he was really just some AI using her for higher achievements like Gracie’s father assumed. Anyways, I still fell in love with Gracie and Thomas’s romance, which ended up crushing me in the end, just not in the way you’d expect.

Khaiam is Gracie’s best friend since her other best friend (Khaiam’s girlfriend) died. Khaiam and Gracie are both pretty insecure in their friendship as at first, they feel their mutual deceased friend (whose name I have forgotten) was the only thing holding their friendship together. This is not the case, but they are both still very insecure and scared about losing each other throughout the novel, only confessing their feelings towards the end. Khaiam honestly deserves the Best Friend of the Year award. Gracie practically abandons him for a while when she spends time with Thomas, not even bothering to explain to her best friend that they are dating each other. I don’t know about you, but if I was dating a “machine” who my father was calling a threat and trying to capture and kill, then I would be telling my best friend! Who else are you going to trust? Anyways, Khaiam was a supporting character, but I still loved him. He was so kind and sweet, he also always put Gracie first and tried to help her with her anxiety and panic attacks. So yeah, Khaiam is officially the Best Friend of the Year in my book.
Overall, as stated before, I felt the characters were really relatable and the majority of them were likable (except for Bella, I did not like her, but she isn’t really important anyway), and in the end, I fell in love with every one of them.

~Writing and Setting~
The writing in Wire Wings was so intriguing and descriptive, it really helped me understand the concept of such things as Surfaces, Waves, Dives, Surfs, etc. All of which I am not going to attempt explaining because that would be futile.

The world-building in Wire Wings is also equally as incredible as the writing and characters. As mentioned before, Gracie and many others use the Waves as a means to escape the real world. To my understanding, the Waves are practically like VR (Virtual Reality) except way more advanced. Practically the internet is embedded in the Waves, which allow you to go to an alternate reality where you can feel, taste, smell, hear, and see everything going on. While there are some sites in the Waves where if you die you are banned, the majority of the sites allow you to die and come back (although death in the Waves is as painful as death in real life?). Anyways, the world-building is amazing, to say the least.

~Plot~
I can’t even begin to describe how perfect the plot is. My mind is blown; a bomb has gone off inside my brain. The pacing of Wire Wings is perfect. It keeps you entertained while still maintaining a level of mystery surrounding the major plot points in the novel. I cannot say too much without giving away any spoilers, but it is beyond me how Wren Handman got this idea and wrote it down so beautifully for us to read. The big reveal of the answers to Gracie’s questions of Thomas’s origin left me stunned and flipping the pages to try and find out what happened next.

There are so many things that left me with my mouth open and my stomach in a knot. I could not set the book down once I got into it, and as I said before, Wire Wings is most likely my favorite book that I’ve read.

~Overall Review~
Overall, Wire Wings by Wren Handman was astonishing and beautiful. The ending left me feeling sad and baffled, but the story was exquisite. I am so, so glad that I was able to receive an ARC and review this amazing novel.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, I had the opportunity to read and review an eARC of Wire Wings by Wren Handman. My opinions are my own.

The book is a solid 3.5/5*. I’ve read several VR books in the last couple of years. Wire Wings is not top of the class but it is a very pleasant read. It deals with love, loss, friendship, metamorphosis, and the discovery of the self at the backdrop of a VR theme.

The writing is beautiful and immersive, making the world of Graciela and those around her vivid, exciting, real, even the virtual one. We have an AI on the run, a girl fighting with trauma, a friend mourning his own losses. In terms of character development, I did not like the self-deprecation from which Gracie starts, but really liked the way she goes. The story is an emotional roller-coaster, not foreign to anyone who’s been a teenager. And even though it’s been a decade since I last called myself a teen, the book touches you in all the right spots.

I would’ve loved some more character development. That and the fact the main plot twist became obvious a third into the book made me drop my rating. There’s a second twist, though, right at the end of the book, which sets up nicely for a sequel, and I hope we get one. It was a very brave thing the author did, and I would love to see her handle the situation. And I’m not going to lie, I’m looking forward to more Khaiam.

Overall, despite its shortcomings, the constant use of ‘she’, and the somewhat slow start, Wire Wings truly grows on you. The last pages of the last chapter blew my mind and kind of made me believe this is a character-driven story, and those are my favorite. It is a VR adventure worth going on.

Every so often in the media industry.. you come across a creator so special that you know they could be the 'next big thing.' I've always had a keen eye for this. I knew it with musicians like Alice in Chains and Stone and Jeff from Pearl Jam (then Mother Love Bone) before they got label deals. I knew it with Linkin Park the moment I heard the advance copy of Hybrid Theory. I've always been an early adopter on promoting those artists that trigger that feeling in me because I know the difference between someone with that skill remaining lesser known and actually blowing up across their industry.. is largely luck.

In the last several months, I've been lucky myself. Lucky enough to cross paths with a handful of authors that fall into that category.. knowing that if the right sets of eyes see their work.. even the sky isn't something that could contain them.

Wren Handman is one of them. I had a feeling about her when I read a novel she released called 'In Restless Dreams.' There is a subtlety to her writing that beautifully distracts with one hand while leading with the other and in that.. 'Wire Wings', which is slated to release on June 23rd, 2020.. is no exception.. but it is extraordinary in every other way.

Graciela is a 'good girl.' She seems to feel small.. veritably crushed by her intellectual.. but emotionally distant parents and the loss of her best friend. She's an expectedly brilliant girl who adheres to the rules and gets good grades. But in the VR world called the Waves.. she can be who she wants to be.. the person she believes she is.. deep down. Free, strong-willed, decisive.

In the real world, Gracie's struggling. Her panic attacks are getting worse all the time and Khaiam, her best friend's former boyfriend.. is nearly the only thing she has left of Calista.

Then she meets Thomas. A stranger in the Waves with eyes that pull her in like a moth to a flame. He's charismatic and seems dangerous at times, fueling her desire to spend more time in VR than her real life. He seems to be able to defy all laws of code within the Waves and though he repeatedly finds her when she Dives.. he keeps his own secrets close. She doesn't know who he really is or how he came to be, much less why he continues to seek her out time after time.

I can't possibly express how much I love this story.. how moving and exhilirating it is.. all at once.

The characters are richly developed with complex relationships, problems that are realistic even in their fantastical presentation. Handman is amazing at showing the vulnerable layers beneath the veneers. I've seen her do so in both the aforementioned books.

Like us, they often have carefully constructed appearances. Protective shells that help them survive pain and loneliness, grief and loss, fear and insecurities. While managing to let us peek beneath these veneers, she still allows the characters the illusion of keeping them in place for a time and when they ultimately crumble, the result tugs at your heart.

The story is full of hope though.. hope and worry. A yearning for something more.. some.. better connection to those around us that I think speaks to us on a level deeper than our conscious might always allow. You want so desperately for everything to turn out right for Graciela and her friends.. their journey.. fraught with risks.. some you can see instantly.. and others which remain hidden from you. While I saw one big reveal coming within the first few chapters, there were still unexpected turns.. especially toward the conclusion.. and what an ending it is!

Eventually, through one of the characters, the author herself draws parallel between this story and a well known myth. A favorite of mine, though I won't ruin anything for you by telling you what it is. I will say, it surprised me.. though in hindsight it shouldn't have. The story is just so elegantly crafted, so immersive.. that I never even considered the implications.

In truth, I don't know if she really means 'Wire Wings' to be a retelling or if it's just a similarity she wanted to point out to the reader. I hesitate to call it that, since it almost feels as if naming it anything else might diminish it in some way. But if it is indeed a retelling of the famous story.. it is quite possibly the most stunningly original retelling I have ever read.

If you read only one indie title releasing this month, let it be this one.

Thank you so much to net galley for sending me a copy of this book. I was so excited to read this book but I ended up not enjoying it. I will read more from this author

This book was insane! It was crazy, imaginative, and a total delight to read. I figured out the truth behind Thomas, the AI, at 13% of the book. Even so, there was a huge plot twist at the end that I never saw coming. Wren Handman was a master at sprinkling little clues throughout the story, and it wasn't until the last 5% that it all came together. The rich world building and complex characters really went a long way in bringing the story to life, and I could tell a lot of time and thought had been put into writing the book. There were also a few unobtrusive inclusions of LGBTQIA+ identifiers and some minority representation. It was great to see that being positively portrayed in a story. I'm not saying this book was without flaws, but I definitely think it is a novel everyone should pick up. It raised a lot of valid questions about technology, digital rights, and parenting, in addition to being a fun and engaging read. 5\5, and definitely a book to be on the lookout for.

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley, opinions are my own.

WIRE WINGS is a compelling story about grief; about the gaping holes left by the lose of someone you loved. It’s about escapism; pushing aside your real-world worries, and leaving reality behind. It’s about identity; the masks we choose for ourselves, and the core of us beneath them all. It’s about love; the awkwardness of friendships that existed because of other people, the complicated dynamics of parent and child, and the purity of connection that reaches down past your skin and into the truth of you and being accepted for it.

[..] sometimes she wonders what makes a person real.

This story takes place in the not-so-distant future and Handman’s world mostly resembles our own but the world she’s created in the Waves, this VR-esque experience, is like nothing else. Calling them games doesn’t do them justice, but the experiences, everything, are vivid and fascinating and a stark change in pace from Graciela’s every day existence where she’s barely getting by, barely able to breathe, and feeling overlooked and lost.

WIRE WINGS is equal parts exciting and colourful as well as heartbreaking and tragic. There is such beauty in the prose, mirrored in all the worlds we flit in and out of, but that ache of loss and devastation is never truly gone and resonates both viscerally and also subtlely throughout. It’s reaching for the hand that isn’t there. Walking into rooms that were once filled with laughter. In the friendships held together by a body that no longer takes up any space. It’s in the bloom of a romance that can’t be shared with the one you most want to tell. The name you can barely speak for choking on the syllables. But most of all, it’s in the acknowledgement of their memory when you find moments of happiness and not flincing away from it or feeling guilty.

This story is brilliant, bittersweet, and beautiful, and I think you should read it.

4.5 stars