Destined by Aprilynne Pike

Wings series. HarperCollins, 2012. ISBN: 9780007358410.
Laurel, having believed she is just an ordinary girl, finally discovers that she is, in fact, a faerie from the realm of Avalon. Being swept off to discover the truth about her origins, she is simultaneously introduced to a whole raft of new characters, both friends and foe. In this, the fourth and final book in the series, she is confronted by the strong and determined Winter faerie, Yuki, and the bitter and power hungry Klea. Realising that the fate of her beloved Avalon is largely in her hands, she returns to the faerie realm, accompanied by her best friend, Chelsea and the two males for whom she cares most, David and Tamani. Their arrival, although welcomed by some is not well accepted by others and a major battle ensues. Two questions remain, who is strong enough to survive and will Avalon be saved?
Each of the characters who enter Avalon from our world faces challenges which they have to overcome. This includes making decisions on whether or not they should be fighting for the betterment of another world or for Laurel and overcoming fear to do so. Themes of love, loyalty, power, greed and passion, whether for one's own glorification or for the love of another are also important. There is something of a coming of age tale as well and the desire for all to work together for the greater good.
Having had the previous three books amongst our Year 7 library collection for some time, they have barely been on the shelf and, hence, I have not yet read them. Their obvious appeal is to the more mature female reader, largely thanks to the beautiful photographic images on their covers. Without having read the preceding titles, I probably cannot do justice to the series in this review. It took me a while to understand the various characters with all of their different skills and motivations. Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and will fight the students to borrow the rest of the series to read the whole in sequence.
Jo Schenkel