"Thin Air" by Lynn Seresin

From Goodreads: "Alice Ayre is no ordinary teenager. She took her first name from a statue in Central Park, pulled her last name out of the air (literally), and she’s actually almost a thousand years old. In fact, the only “ordinary” thing about Alice is that she’s in love.

Alice was a sylphid—a winged air spirit—when she spotted Daniel Field camping in the Adirondacks and lost her heart to the handsome NYU student. Intangible to the human senses, her only hope of winning his heart resides in becoming mortal, even though transmutation is forbidden by Paralda, ruler of the air. Risking punishment, however, seems a small price to pay for a chance at true happiness.

Tracking down Daniel in New York City ends up being surprisingly easy. Getting noticed by him for all the right reasons is another story, especially when the human world keeps tossing challenges in Alice’s path. Just when she’s mastered zippers and buttons, she catches herself dropping a sugar packet into her coffee and mistaking a photo of John Lennon for one of Daniel’s relatives. Her eccentricities raise the occasional eyebrow with Daniel and his friends, but her quirky charm, sweetness, and sincerity win out. Before long, she lands a job, begins a relationship with Daniel, and starts settling into her new life—until her past comes after her.

Enraged over Alice’s departure, Paralda has sent transmuted assassins to pursue her into the human world. A near-fatal fire on a camping trip and the murder of a look-alike employee at the club where Alice works convince her they are closing in fast. Alone with her secret–who would believe her?—Alice must elude a nameless, faceless enemy sworn to destroy the happy, new life she’s risked so much to achieve."

When I first started reading this book and learning of the world of Elementals I couldn't help but be overwhelmed by its cuteness (sylphids, faerie-like creatures, flying about day in and day out, making clouds, rainbows, and the likes of)- there were countless times I literally "Awwww"ed out loud while reading the book. But then I was quite taken aback by something that happened in the book. Sex. 

Now don't get me wrong, I am not a prude when it comes to sex in books whatsoever- I think that there is a time and place for it/ for it to be successfully done but I don't think that it was entirely successful in this book and I think that it didn't fit the overall feel of the book. The cutesy-ness/ innocence of the book and its characters- elements which had completely defined the first bit of the book were gone, replaced by a borderline obsessive feel (basically Alice, as a sylphid, stumbles across Daniel, the boy that she falls in love with, having sex with his girlfriend. Being invisible Alice is able to watch the entire dealio and is able to position herself in a way that she feels/ thinks she is the one having sex with Daniel and not his girlfriend. I just found it all to be very awkward and borderline voyeuristic). 

*I should make note that the sex in the book wasn't overly graphic, like you would find in an adult PNR/ UF book, but I personally felt that it was more graphic than the large majority of YA books that do contain sex- ie. "Desires of the Dead" by Kimberly Derting or the "Vampire Academy" series by Richelle Mead AND I should make note that I am in no means getting involved in the 'should there be sex in YA books?' debate.*

Somewhat awkward sex scene set aside, I did quite enjoy the book overall because of it originality (it was unlike anything I have ever read before) and its characters. Alice was generally a very sweet, albeit naive, character, while Daniel was a true knight in shining armor- putting her safety before his own in every single instance. Furthermore, Dante, Wren, and Shane were the most well developed and likeable secondary characters I have ever had the pleasure of reading before.  

Rating: 8/10

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.