She’d never even heard of this magical, imaginary place hundreds of miles off the coast of Madagascar until her mother was killed and the father she’d never met took her there to live with him. For protagonist Rue, there might be a bullet waiting for her, since she’s upset the Chancellor of Ghizon. Elle heard her grandmother say these words so often when she was growing up in Houston that they became the beginning of her debut novel, Wings of Ebony. Wings of Ebony is a must-read.Ī copy of this book was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster, for review.“Bullets don’t have names.” Writer J. Rue embraces and loves who she is, and it’s incredibly powerful. Most importantly, it shows a young Black girl who is fiercely proud of her heritage and her neighborhood. This book has everything young adult readers love – mystery, action, romance, fantastic characters, and magic. Rue refusing to abandon her home and her friends contributes to both her characterization and the plot, and it’s very meaningful watching her stand up for her neighborhood – especially when the main villain insists that there’s nothing redeeming about it or people who look like Rue. Everything she does is motivated by her love for her sister and their neighborhood.
She had absolutely no desire to leave Houston’s East Row and resents her father for taking her to Ghizon.
My favorite thing about this book – and, I think, what sets it apart from other stories of this nature – is Rue’s devotion to her home. Watching her grow and change throughout the book is extremely satisfying. She’s tough, fierce, loving, and protective. While the story includes some interesting secondary characters (Bri’s arc and motivations are very well-written, and you’ll fall in love with Tasha), Elle’s characterization of Rue is fantastic. Elle expertly uses flashbacks to fill in the story and tell us what’s happened in Rue’s past, adding dimension to all the characters. Wings of Ebony is a fast-moving book set in both the magical Ghizon and today’s Houston. I’m happy to say that I was completely wrong. When I first picked up the book, I was expecting a story about a girl discovering her magical abilities and acclimating to her new home. Elle, is about Rue, a teenage girl who’s whisked away to the magical country of Ghizon after her mom’s death.
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