His Hidden Wings

His Hidden Wings
By Alexander Williams

Aidan is on the edge. It’s his 16th birthday and all he has to show for it is a bowl of microwaved ice cream. His parents are about to split up, his brother hates his guts and his best friend’s a film-nerd who’d rather re-watch the original Star Wars trilogy than talk about ‘feelings’. Worst of all, strangest of all, he suddenly sprouts a tiny pair of beautiful blue butterfly wings.

Desperate to hide his fast-growing wings from his family, friends and the bullies at school, Aidan’s shocked when the first person to see them turns out to be James, the scarily popular captain of the school football team. But what made James see them first? Can he be trusted to keep them secret? And does James in fact have secrets of his own...

His Hidden Wings is a captivating story of discovery and self-awakening, filled with humour and loveable characters. It’s a timely addition to the growing library of young adult fiction dedicated to sharing LGBT+ stories that speak to all audiences.

Available now in Kindle and paperback

'The best YA writing, like the best of any writing, gives you fresh eyes on the world you thought you knew. It can make you think more deeply about the people around you and about yourself. 'His Hidden Wings' does all this with warmth, wit and almost overwhelming wonder. It's bold and beautiful. It's stayed with me for a long time, carrying me on its wings.'

- Joe Craig, author of the Jimmy Coates series

'An engaging coming of age tale for YA audiences, in which familiarly awkward teenager Aidan discovers (to his shame and horror) that he has overnight grown butterfly wings. The wings’ metaphorical relevance becomes increasingly evident as the novel progresses, and lessons in authenticity, discovery, belonging and pride are learned along the way. Boasting a premise as poetic as it is profound, this book is a beacon for teenagers unsure of where they fit in, and learning that none of us, despite our apparent differences, is ever as alone as we might allow ourselves to believe. Highly recommended!'

- Gavin Brock, composer, lyricist and author of Alabaster Snowball 

'I read it over a Saturday and Sunday morning with my obligatory pot of tea for company and I really enjoyed it. It is very well written and the characters were so well portrayed that I felt as if I knew them and almost pictured them in the room with me telling the story as it unfolded. My absolute favourite was chapter nine where Aidan goes to see the librarian Miss Penny. No stereotypical librarian here! Instead a librarian who can connect with her readers on their level (using the odd bit of sarcastic wit - a lady after my own heart!) whilst distributing her passion for reading and knowledge onto others. Miss Penny is the librarian I aspire to be! I know there is a fantastical element about it but I almost forgot that it wasn't real and I can quite believe that we all have wings which show our uniqueness and originality but I guess in real life they display themselves in other ways.'

- Emma Scott, former Hertfordshire Librarian

Also available as an audio book via Calibre Audio

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