Wow! This book is AMAZING!

Burn-survivor Ava has scars – physical, emotional, psychological… the full set. The accident that took her parents also took her carefree teenage life from her. Her aunt and uncle, and her doctors, are determined that she can pick up where she left off – thankful for her survival against the odds, but is it really that easy?

School life is hard enough, without having to wear your differences right out there on your face for all to see.

Ava is convinced that her real life ended in the fire, and just wants to get through this ‘bonus time’ as unobtrusively as possible: hiding in corners and shadows, and under the covers. But life, and some schoolmates, has other plans for Ava. And it turns out that the scars we can see are only part of our story… it’s the ones that we can’t see that can kill us.

Ava tells her story with real heart and humour. There is sadness, anger and angst, but also hope, smiles and the occasional song. This isn’t about a tragedy turning someone into a hero or a saint. It is about how everyone has to learn to live with the hand they’re dealt and make the best of it; however good or bad it may be. I particularly love that there are no easy romantic ‘fixes’ but instead real relationships, that are messy and complicated, and take work.

In short: I cried buckets; smiled some; held my breath at times. I put the book down feeling drained, but content, and – I’m so sorry, Ava! – inspired.





One year after the fire, my doctor removed my mask and tells me to get a life.

He doesn’t use those exact words, of course, because he’s paid to flash around lots of medical-degree terms like reintegration and isolation, but basically, the Committee on Ava’s Life had a big meeting and decided I have wallowed long enough.

My postburn pity party is over.

– Erin Stewart, Scars Like Wings


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

I really enjoyed this book. Such a raw and powerful novel about a girl adjusting to her life after a house fire that leaves her with burns. In some ways, made me think of the book 'Wonder'. Loved the MC and really enjoyed going along on her road of self-discovery. Highly recommend.

I couldn't wait to read Scars Like Wings when I received it on Netgalley, I had read so many positive reviews and was eager to get reading.

This is an emotional whirlwind of a book, full of a 16 year olds thoughts and feelings after having survived a fire in which her family died. It covers survivor guilt, bullying, recovery, mental health, friendships, the list goes on. This book is jam-packed with important and poignant messages.

I flew through this book in one easy read feeling all the emotions under the sun. It was heart breaking, enlightening, emotive and so much more. I highly recommend it to everyone.

I have no words to describe this book apart from simply fantastic.
Thank you Erin Stewart for writing this unforgettable book.

I did not realise until halfway through this book that it is in fact a YA title. I am as far removed from the target readership as it’s possible to be, being retired for some time. It’s testament to just how good this book is, that it is one of the best books I have read in a long while, and utterly unforgettable. A full week after I’ve finished it, it’s still in my head.

To begin with, I wasn’t sure I could continue reading, as it has painfully graphic descriptions of 15 year old Ava’s burn injuries from the fire which claimed the lives of both her parents and her beloved cousin.
Then I became completely immersed in the story, and I am filled with admiration that the author had the ability to get inside the mind of a young burn survivor, and other damaged young people and describe it so well. I was at one stage, convinced the author must have been a burn survivor herself, till I read the acknowledgements.

The book is beautifully written, with amazing characterisation. Ava, Piper and Asad, and Ava’s aunt and uncle were so well portrayed, and the challenges they faced so convincing, it could have been a true story. It illustrates above all the redemptive powers of love and friendship, without ever being mawkish or overly sentimental.

It is warm, witty and heartbreaking in equal measure. The ending brought me to tears, (to the consternation of the young man sitting next to me on the plane I was travelling in at the time.)

I will look for more of this author’s work as this is outstanding.

My thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. I could so easily have missed reading this title.

This is a beautiful book, written for the teen market, but there to be enjoyed by all ages. The main characters were believable, going through the different stages of grief for what could have been – a life without scars. The full range of reactions to the scars from outsiders make the reader question how they react to someone with disfigurements. Despite the scars, the main characters go through the same teenage angst as everyone else of that age. This is an easy 5 stars from me. I wish I could read sequel after sequel on how the lives of Ava and Piper continue.

Scars Like Wings has been, rightly so, compared to Wonder, but instead has a female, older protagonist. This is by no means an insult or cop out - Wonder was amazing and the world very much needs more 'less than perfect' protagonists. This story is so realistic, from the characters' internal battles to their very real high school fall-outs; so much so that you can almost forget that Ava and Piper have their burns, injuries and disabilities to deal with on top of all that. I loved the three main characters - Ava, Piper and Asad - and liked their personalities so much more because they weren't perfect, in fact almost toxic in a way, because that is real-life - no one is perfect inside or out. The story started with such a hopeless outlook but ended so hopeful whilst still maintaining its realness. Sometimes that's what you need in a good read - a lovely, little, happy - if not perfect - ending! Scars Like Wings just missed 5 stars for me: I thought it was a bit of a slow starter, some things covered in too much detail but others not enough (e.g. we find out Piper's truth but move quickly onto a happy ending), but overall thoroughly enjoyed this and once I'd gotten into it, read within a couple of hours.

*I received an advance review copy of Scars Like Wings from the publisher through NetGalley.

I really enjoyed this book and will be recommending it to pupils.

It is an unflinching look at being a burns survivor and the scars both physical and mental which remain with the individual. It also examines the issue of disability and the feeling of having no validity in the able world - being ‘in valid’. I empathised with Ava who lost everything in a house fire and who has to rebuild her life wondering why she alone survived. She is found by Piper who is fighting her own demons.

This is a really life affirming book - to be heartily recommended.

What a story. I lived this tale with Ava it felt so realistic. I'm planning on buying the book for my teenage granddaughter.

Thank you to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book

I had to DNF this book. Sadly I didn't connect with the main character at all, and her constant whinging was just getting on my nerves, rather than making me emotional for her story. Also, I seemed to get quite far into the story before anything actually happened, and I don't have the time to commit to a story like this.

It took me a while to actually get to this book but as soon as I started reading I was kicking myself that I had left it so long! I read it in a day and a half because as soon as I had a break from work I had to find out what happened in Ava's journey next! You can tell Erin Stewart has done an immense amount of research into burn survivors and their stories. It is definitely a book that you need to come to armed with tissues but I always think they are the best type of ones!

Thank you for sending me an eBook copy to review!

Badly burned in the house fire that killed her parents and beloved cousin, Ava is determined to keep herself and her scars away from both well-meaning strangers and unkind comments. But when her aunt forces her to return to school, Ava is thrust into confronting her fears head on. 

When she meets a fellow burns survivor named Piper, Ava starts to feel like she's not alone. Encouraged by her new friend, Ava starts to reclaim a little of the girl she was before the fire - a girl who loved musicals and drama, and wanted nothing more to stand under a spotlight and sing. 

It seems the old Ava didn't die in the fire after all. And like a phoenix, she's ready to rise from the flames...
I loved this book. Everything about it drew me in - Ava's struggle, the realistic friendships she develops, particularly with Piper and Asad, the issues with the school's 'mean girls', and the overcoming of personal trauma. The author writes beautifully, and I found myself welling up more than once. I loved that the relationships Ava develops are both wonderful and flawed, and I loved that not everything goes her way in the end - I think that it was both hopeful and realistic, and I was so pleased the author chose to do that rather than just end on a syrupy note where everything was fine and she had triumphed over adversity through sheer persistence - we do see a stronger and hardier Ava, but also she's not just magically back to her former self, and we're well aware that she'll continue to face challenges and prejudice in the future, it's just that she has the tools to deal with problems now. 

I honestly can't rate this book highly enough. I do find a lot of YA novels talk down to their readers or try and fail to assume a 'young' voice for their narrator. The teenagers in this book were wicked smart, and the author got the tone spot on, with some very difficult themes. A full five stars from me, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what this author does next. 

Thank you to NetGalley, who provided me with a free ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I am blown away by this powerful book, it starts with an emotional letter from the author expressing her amazement at the determination and bravery of a young burn survivor she once met. The author is a survivor of heart failure and I think her true emotions as someone who has recovered from such a setback are evident in the writing of this book.

Our main character, Ava, is the sole survivor of a house fire that not only killed her parents but also her cousin. She now lives with her aunt and uncle, in the bedroom of her deceased cousin. Each character is tiptoeing around the others as they attempt to come to terms with the tragedy on their own.

This book solidifies the belief that to overcome such heartbreaking tragedies, friends are needed, someone you trust, someone who believes in you and your recovery. Without that daily positive encouragement we can so easily lose ourselves to the darkness.

Scars like Wings is such a beautifully written novel, divided up between scattered diary entries of Ava's personal experiences during her recovery. This is a novel of pure character development as Ava learns to believe in herself and see her true self again when she looks in the mirror.

I hope that readers will take in the information this book readily gives out, to be there for your friends now, to look past scars at the person within, to be kind at all times and to remember that you don't know someone's story just by looking at them.

When I read the synopsis I was instantly intrigued and when I was accepted as part of the bookstagram tour I was so excited! And I really enjoyed it, it’s such a heartfelt read.

When I first heard about this book it sounded like Wonder but for YA and honestly if you loved Wonder then you will love this book too. It’s a story of loss and grief, of losing yourself and finding yourself again, of overcoming your fears and accepting yourself for who you are.

"Everyone has scars. Some are just easier to see"

Reading this it’s easy to connect to Ava and understand how she feels, even if we haven’t experienced the loss and life changing event she has. She is struggling to cope with her life now, she has no-one in her life that she can truly open up to and is so lonely. She misses her parents and cousin and she has cut contact with her friends and old life because she doesn’t want them to see what she looks like now.

She goes through such a wonderful story arc of learning to accept herself for who she is now and grieve for those she lost. It felt so real to read her story as it isn’t just a she goes to school and suddenly everything is fine. She struggles, she grows, takes steps forward but also goes backwards at times. It’s an everyday battle that she goes through.

"When a wound’s that deep, it’s the healing that hurts."

She thinks that no-one will want to be friends with her because of how she looks but when Asad tries to talk to her, she ignores him, making assumptions yet he truly is trying to be nice and wants to get to know her. Each character has a specific label at the beginning of the book and it was wonderful to see how each of them are so much more than their labels and they all learn and grown throughout the story.

Ava’s friendship with Piper and Asad was so lovely to read, how they both help her in school and help her to accept herself and continue to do what she loves, especially theatre. Her friendship with Piper was especially important in helping her grow. Yet their relationship is also complex as they are both struggling but also showed how important friendships can be when someone is going through a difficult time.

Her aunt and uncle were also such wonderful characters to read about. They have also had to deal with the loss of their daughter and are looking after Ava. They need her as much as she needs them yet it takes Ava a long time to understand how much she needs them in her life. But they stick by her through everything and love and support her in everything.

Scars Like Wings is a powerful story about self-acceptance and learning to grieve and move on in life and filled with important lessons and I highly recommend you all read it.

"She conquered her demons and wore her scars like wings"

I cannot say enough good things about this amazing book. Life -affirming and heartwarming, Scars Like Wings is the story of Ava. After a tragic house fire that kills her parents and cousin Sara, Ava is left with severe burns over most of her body. Taken in by her Aunt Cora and Uncle Glenn who are also grieving for the loss of their daughter, they become a family united in their grief. Cora and Glenn want nothing more than to see Ava get back to school and living as normal a life as she can. Ava wants only to hide from the world as she can't even bear to look at herself in the mirror. She agrees to try a new school for two weeks and her first day is as bad as she imagines, with stares, sniggers and bullying. However, another wounded soul Piper, soon becomes her friend along with Asad who encourages and supports them both. This trio are so awesome and take on the bullies in epic style. Ava has always loved drama, and has an amazing voice. But having lost all her confidence she needs a massive push to find her voice again - with the help of her friends she auditions and is given a part in the school play, The Wizard of Oz. Scars Like Wings, is a powerful story of friendship, survival, depression and finding the good in the world when all seems lost. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll cheer at the final chapter.

I had got this book without realising it was a YA book but OMG was I blown away!!!!

The story in this was absolutely phenomenal! Ava gained my respect and adoration for her bravery and then later on her realisations about herself.

I would highly recommend this to anyone no matter the age.

BOOK REVIEW: Scars like Wings by Erin Stewart @erin_n_stewart

4.5 stars

Scars like Wings is about Ava, the lone survivor of a house fire that killed her parents and cousin. She was left with 60% deep burns and lost an ear and had lots of damage to her face and body.
The book shows Ava going back to school and navigating all the struggles and bullying that sadly comes with being visably disabled in a sea of abled young people. She meets and befriends the very forceful and seemingly confident Piper who had been a passenger in a car crash and has spinal damage along with burns. Piper is in her own words a phoenix and helps Ava to rise from the ashes and gain confidence. I won't go into any more detail as this is a spoiler free review.
This book was such an emotional ride and as someone that suffers from chronic illness, I connected with alot of the themes and struggles that Ava goes through. I enjoyed the story and thought the writing was really good and it was obvious that a lot of research, care and attention had been put into the knowledge of burn survivors. It is a fantastic YA read and I would highly recommend it as an easy to read yet hard hitting book. I could not put it down.

Trigger warnings needed for: Suicide attempts, drug misuse, burn victims, bullying and mental health issues.

Thank you to @simonkidsuk @netgalley for gifting this book in exchange for an honest review.

*4.5 stars!

This was such an incredible but heavy read. I laughed, I cried.. I actually don’t know what to say right now, except for: go read this!! It’s a story that I’ll surely won’t forget anytime soon. It gripped me so much, I just couldn’t stop reading!

I really enjoyed this tale of Ava, a burns survivor, trying to find her new normal after being the only one of her family to survive a fire. Living with her aunt and uncle, she risks becoming a recluse, too afraid of other people's opinions of her when she goes outside. However, when her aunt and surgeon persuade her to take a 2 week trial of high school, she meets Piper and Asad and her life starts to change.

I loved following Ava's evolution throughout the book, and how the dramas of teenage life played out with the added difficulty of standing out for 'all the wrong reasons'. There are plenty of emotional ups and downs, laugh out loud moments, but a few tearjerkers too. I'd definitely recommend it.

With thanks again to Net Galley for another amazing arc that I feel privileged to have been able to read
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Featuring two girls that change each other’s lives for the better, both having been through equally horrific experiences and both making the choice to fight, and win.
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Our narrator is a ballsy girl who braves the lack of human compassion from teenagers to show them the girl beyond the scars they see. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I laughed and cried in turn, Erin Stewart takes the reader on a journey that is worth every word.
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Ava’s story has been masterfully written in a way that she isn’t an unbearable paragon, she’s been through an immense amount of trauma and is just as human as anyone whose life changed beyond recognition.
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Recommended to anyone that loves humanity it all it forms and mostly when it shines its brightest in the darkest of nights