America’s a melting pot, or so it’s been said. After a few generations though, things start getting hazy around the edges. Tales of the Old Country start to fade from memory (if they were ever passed down at all), and who’s related to whom just doesn’t seem as important anymore. But what if your bloodline had a bit more oomph? Take Morgan (or Morganne) Rawlinson, a Junior in High School who found out she’s actually a half-goddess of the faery realm. It’s not all roses and pixie dust though, and in What I Wore To Save The World she may just be the savior of the human race, if she could only figure out the best thing to wear when you’re heading to a major faery throw-down.
After Why I Let My Hair Grow Out and How I Found The Perfect Dress, this new story finds Morgan bidding farewell to Junior year. With Senior year approaching and everyone making plans for after High School, Morgan hasn’t really thought about the future much. She’s been too busy obsessing over her Irish hottie, Colin, to give much thought about anything else. An email from Colin asking her to come visit turns into a disaster of mythic proportions, as the faery realm starts to put demands on Morgan that she can’t ignore. Well, not without letting the whole world down. And who needs that on their conscience? Oh, and in-between saving the world she’s got to figure out how to fit in her interview process at Oxford University. Piece of cake!
As a reader who came into this series at its newest installment, I had no trouble following Morgan’s story. There are things I’d like to know that are obviously covered in earlier volumes, like how did she find out her status, exactly? And if Titania is her faery mother, what does that make Mrs. Rawlinson? Not a real problem though, since I’ll be catching up as soon as I’m able. Ms. Wood’s prose is light and easy, tugging readers forward by the hand with her gentle style, making What I Wore To Save The World an enjoyable ride I’m sure is a continuation of the earlier stories. The mythology she creates is fun and kind of wacky (singing unicorns, anyone?) but works perfectly for YA fans.
What’s refreshing about this story is Morgan herself. An underachieving teen who is kind of coasting through her school years figuring it’ll all work out, but not putting any real thought into her future; sounds like just about anyone who is or has ever been a teenager. Readers can easily put themselves into her shoes, because she suffers from the same doubts and fears we’ve all had. That, and Ms. Wood has written Morgan so well that you can almost hear her breathing (and her love of out-there bands like Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head is a nice touch.)
Other characters feel like also-rans against Morgan’s fully-fleshed presentation, but every character sounds just as they should. Teens sound like teenagers, parents sound like adults, and befuddled old guidance counselors sound like…well, you get the idea. Morgan’s little sister Tammy is a kid who just wants to do her own thing on her own terms, just as any kid might be. There’s no changing any character’s personality to suit the story, and that gives What I Wore To Save The World enough groundwork on which to build the more fantastic elements. Y’know, like singing unicorns.
A very engaging story with a main character that is down to earth and not just an author’s wish fulfillment in prose form. This will be a fun series to follow in future volumes; Ms. Wood has provided just enough change in Morgan’s life — natural and supernatural — to keep readers hungry for more. I’ve no doubt her Senior year will be…magical.
(Berkley JAM/Penguin, 2009)
