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juushikaTitle: Garden Spells
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Published: New York: Bantam Dell, 2007
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 290
Total Page Count: 60,460
Text Number: 174
Read For: recommended by![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
delicatetruth, checked out from the library
Short review: The Waverleys are a strange family: each of them has a special gift and a prophetic apple tree grows in their backyard, imbuing the entire garden with magic. But when wandering Sydney escapes an abusive boyfriend and returns back home to live with her introverted sister Claire, the Waverley sisters must learn to step outside of their eccentricities and discover life, love, and happiness. Despite the dark elements—an abusive boyfriend, an abandoning mother—Garden Spells is unmitigated fluff. As long as the reader isn't looking for complexity, the book is a lighthearted and fanciful piece of escapism. I moderately recommend it.
A predictable plot, minimal conflict, some comical antagonists, simplistic characters, an an unbelievable happy ever after: this book has little depth and, on a technical level, not much to offer. In fact, Claire's homeless past and Sydney's abusive boyfriend are almost red herrings, foreshadowing conflicts that never quite arrive. Instead, this book is about self-discovery and love with perfect endings, containing impossible magic and set in a small town where the biggest conflict is a foolish family feud. There is no complexity, no hidden meaning or intelligent depth, and readers expecting it will be disappointed.
Garden Spells is fluff. Accept that the book is little more than escapism, and it actually becomes quite a fun read. There's something enjoyable and uplifting about uncomplicated self-discovery and romance, and the magic—unbelievable as it is—is colorful and entertaining. The conflicts of the small town remain vaguely irritating (and mildly sexist), but they're comical as well. So, while the book is simple and unmemorable, it's pure escapism which is surprisingly fun to read. I wasn't blown away by this book and I'll never reread it, but I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would. Exaggerated as it is, I like the magic. There's something oddly enduring about a playful apple tree with prophetic fruit, or the ability to influence memory or emotion by baking with the right edible flowers. All told, I recommend this book only moderately, and only to the reader looking for a lighthearted bit of escapism. It's a good book to borrow, because it won't stand up to rereads. But if you want simple fantasy and fun with a colorful twist, Garden Spells might be a good choice for an empty afternoon.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Published: New York: Bantam Dell, 2007
Rating: 4 of 5
Page Count: 290
Total Page Count: 60,460
Text Number: 174
Read For: recommended by
delicatetruth, checked out from the libraryShort review: The Waverleys are a strange family: each of them has a special gift and a prophetic apple tree grows in their backyard, imbuing the entire garden with magic. But when wandering Sydney escapes an abusive boyfriend and returns back home to live with her introverted sister Claire, the Waverley sisters must learn to step outside of their eccentricities and discover life, love, and happiness. Despite the dark elements—an abusive boyfriend, an abandoning mother—Garden Spells is unmitigated fluff. As long as the reader isn't looking for complexity, the book is a lighthearted and fanciful piece of escapism. I moderately recommend it.
A predictable plot, minimal conflict, some comical antagonists, simplistic characters, an an unbelievable happy ever after: this book has little depth and, on a technical level, not much to offer. In fact, Claire's homeless past and Sydney's abusive boyfriend are almost red herrings, foreshadowing conflicts that never quite arrive. Instead, this book is about self-discovery and love with perfect endings, containing impossible magic and set in a small town where the biggest conflict is a foolish family feud. There is no complexity, no hidden meaning or intelligent depth, and readers expecting it will be disappointed.
Garden Spells is fluff. Accept that the book is little more than escapism, and it actually becomes quite a fun read. There's something enjoyable and uplifting about uncomplicated self-discovery and romance, and the magic—unbelievable as it is—is colorful and entertaining. The conflicts of the small town remain vaguely irritating (and mildly sexist), but they're comical as well. So, while the book is simple and unmemorable, it's pure escapism which is surprisingly fun to read. I wasn't blown away by this book and I'll never reread it, but I enjoyed it much more than I expected I would. Exaggerated as it is, I like the magic. There's something oddly enduring about a playful apple tree with prophetic fruit, or the ability to influence memory or emotion by baking with the right edible flowers. All told, I recommend this book only moderately, and only to the reader looking for a lighthearted bit of escapism. It's a good book to borrow, because it won't stand up to rereads. But if you want simple fantasy and fun with a colorful twist, Garden Spells might be a good choice for an empty afternoon.
Review posted here on Amazon.com.
