Short review: A boy, trapped in a desperate situation, is given a chance to exchange his life with the life of the "loblolly boy", a mysterious winged spirit... but he finds out that the life of the loblolly boy is not all he had hoped. I have very mixed feelings about this book... despite that it suggests that being human is the best way to live, it's full of the joy of flying and very fun to read. It's worth reading for just how beautiful some of the descriptions are.
Writing: Very good! It's so fun that even though I felt it was very human-centric, I enjoyed reading it anyway and didn't ever feel bored for a page. The story takes lots of good twists and has fun ideas.
From a winged person's perspective...: The descriptions of wings and flight are enchanting and ethereal feeling and all through the book. You can really feel like you're flying, and appreciate the wonder of the world up high through the descriptions. At the same time, this story has its roots in the horror of being not what you really are identity-wise... and that "being who you really are" is presented only from the perspective of humans. Just once I'd like a book about being who you really are as a winged person! The only character who seems to enjoy being the loblolly boy is shown as using the power for cruelty. There is still some joy here for the winged I feel though.
Trigger warnings: A person's wings being touched against their will, and the person showing they are uncomfortable with this. Also, when people changed bodies they are called by the pronouns of their body, not their self inside; no one seems to mind this or feel uncomfortable with it, though that also might bother some people.
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