Reviewed by Timea Barabas
If you are looking for a soulful read that will make you tear up with joy and sadness (in no particular order), look no further than Tessa King’s “My Wingman.” A refreshing young adult romance, this debut novel beautifully captures the complex dynamics of friendship, love, loss, and self-fulfillment. Purchase Here.
The book reveals Clover’s tangled life, filled with grief, love, and uncertainty. After losing her mother at birth, learning that her grandmother has dementia, and mourning the tragic death of her soulmate friend Elliot, she feels overwhelmed and lost.
Encouraged by her vibrant college friend Reese, Clover escapes to the charming town of Franklin, where she makes new, meaningful connections like Sadie, a warm-hearted single mom and her new best friend (and Sadie’s daughter), Poppy. Everett, Elliot’s brother, also re-enters her life.
As she navigates grief and new friendships, Clover’s life path splits and she must choose a future for herself. While Chicago’s warm familiarity is a comfortable choice, she feels an alluring magnetism of building a fresh start in Franklin. She faces a life-changing decision, and things only get more complicated when she begins seeing visions of Elliott’s ghost, leaving her to question not just her choices, but her sanity.
While the book deals with many big topics, these are seamlessly woven into the fabric of the narrative, creating a smooth texture. The fictional lives of the characters feel tangible and relatable. To different extents, we all experience these big, life-changing events, and live within their shadow.
Tessa King takes a very detailed and introspective approach to growing out from under the shadow of loss. Although no longer physically in your life, lost loved ones are incorporated into your essence, forever companions.
What makes “My Wingman” truly stand out is the depth of feeling woven into every page. It’s clear that a great deal of heart went into crafting this story, and even more powerful is the range of emotions it stirs in the reader. Just as the main character, Clover, brings luck to those around her, Tessa King offers something just as profound to her readers: hope.