The book follows Ava in the aftermath of a tragic fire that left her disfigured and orphaned. Ava's voice carries this story from first to last page, in this readable YA that will appeal to anyone who loves a story of self-acceptance and family love. It packs particular appeal for theater-lovers and had my house listening to Judy Garland all weekend. Or to put in another way Ava's voice will reach out to you and keep your listening until the curtain drops on the last page.

Erin Stewart delivers with an engaging look at what it feels like to wear pain on our bodies and learn to fly anyway. Besides the delightful musical theatre references and fantastic voice, Stewart's story will captivate you form the first page. You'll want to re-read this as soon as you reach the end.

A raw, real, and unflinching portrayal of a teen burn survivor’s struggle to find a new normal.

What I loved 🖤🖤🖤:
1. The power of language. Dr. Layne explains the difference between seeing yourself as a “victim” or as a “survivor.” The words we choose to say about ourselves either give us power or take it away.
2. Ava’s struggle to find herself in her scarred skin is heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful. She reintegrates back into high school despite rude stares and mean comments.
3. Her friend and fellow burn survivor, Piper, helps Ava to laugh at her struggles while hiding her own pain. Their friendship is poignant and probably my favorite part of the book.
4. I learned so much about burn survivors. Their surgeries, including “harvesting” skin and even toes from other areas of their bodies. Compression garments and masks to keep their new skin from bulging. The tank and other methods to help their new skin.
5. Ava’s aunt and uncle are beautifully supportive while still mourning the death of their own daughter.
6. Before the fire Ava loved theatre, and after the fire Ava has to find her old voice and new dreams. I loved how the high school theatre group ultimately rallied around her.
7. As the title states, our scars don’t have to define us, but can be our wings. This book shows that the deepest scars are often on the inside. The scars that no one else can see.

Grab a box of tissues and prepare to be entirely immersed into Ava’s world.

This book was so amazing. I don’t usually read contemporary, but Scars Like Wings was so hauntingly beautiful that I couldn’t help but love it. The characters were all so real, strong sometimes, weak sometimes. I loved Ava as a character and really enjoyed reading her story. I also loved Piper.

This book was so amazingly good. Ava was the best character: strong, smart funny brave and so real. She survived a fire in which her parents and cousin died in. She had burns over 60% of her body. Now a year later, she is attempting to try and get back to a normal life (somewhat) and go back to high school because her aunt and uncle (her dead cousin's parents who she now live with) and her therapists/doctors) want her to try). She does not look the same--she has tons of scars and scar tissue all over her body including her face. She is self-conscious about how she looks but she also keeps it real with an amazing sense of humor and a no-too-serious grasp of what her reality is now that her life is so different that it was pre-fire. High school sucks for normal kids and she knows is but she goes anyways. She meets Piper who was in a car accident and is also a burn victim and in a wheelchair because of spinal damage. They become close friends and really begin to need each other, push the other to get involved and really start to live again. unbeknownst to Ava, Piper is merely making the motions and not really following through. Ava even has a crush a fellow crew member once she joins the stage crew (she used to be on stage in her former life as a performer but being backstage is close enough for her to at least be involved). So many things happen that in this amazing story that I do not want to ruin for other readers. Ava funds strength inside herself and really does come back to life in a truly beautiful way. I absolutely loved this book, the characters, the writing--it is clever, funny, honest and so real. Definitely do NOT miss this absolutely brilliant story of a teenage girl who thought her life was over after a terrible disaster but finds strength and love and beauty in herself and those around her to begin to live again. This book deserves more than 5 stars!!!! Thanks so much to NG for the ARC!!! DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!!!!