Wings in the Wild
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This romantic contemporary novel-in-verse tells the love story of two teens fighting for climate action and human rights.
Winged beings are meant to be free. And so are artists, but the Cuban government has criminalized any art that doesn’t meet their approval. Soleida and her parents protest this injustice with their secret sculpture garden of chained birds. Then a hurricane exposes the illegal art, and her parents are arrested.
Soleida escapes to Central America alone, joining the thousands of Cuban refugees stranded in Costa Rica while seeking asylum elsewhere. There she meets Dariel, a Cuban American boy whose enigmatic music enchants birds and animals—and Soleida.
Together they work to protect the environment and bring attention to the imprisoned artists in Cuba. Soon they discover that love isn’t about falling—it’s about soaring together to new heights. But wings can be fragile, and Soleida and Dariel come from different worlds. They are fighting for a better future—and the chance to be together.
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This novel in verse tackles a lot. A political/climate refugee and the musical child of telenovela stars work towards a more sustainable future. Some of the scenes are honestly harrowing, but the verse helps deliver hard truths. There is also a very sweet love story, which provides a bit of hope through the rest of some weighty (and realistic) circumstances. I think teens interested in climate justice will really appreciate these two strong characters who show that taking action and choosing hope is not impossible.
