Reviews with content warning for Gun violence - Garden Spells

Title: Garden Spells
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Series: Waverley Family #1
Genre: Magical Realism
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: August 28, 2007

T H R E E • W O R D S

Enchanting • Delightful • Atmospheric

📖 S Y N O P S I S

The women of the Waverley family -- whether they like it or not -- are heirs to an unusual legacy, one that grows in a fenced plot behind their Queen Anne home on Pendland Street in Bascom, North Carolina. There, an apple tree bearing fruit of magical properties looms over a garden filled with herbs and edible flowers that possess the power to affect in curious ways anyone who eats them.

For nearly a decade, 34-year-old Claire Waverley, at peace with her family inheritance, has lived in the house alone, embracing the spirit of the grandmother who raised her, ruing her mother's unfortunate destiny and seemingly unconcerned about the fate of her rebellious sister, Sydney, who freed herself long ago from their small town's constraints. Using her grandmother's mystical culinary traditions, Claire has built a successful catering business -- and a carefully controlled, utterly predictable life -- upon the family's peculiar gift for making life-altering delicacies: lilac jelly to engender humility, for instance, or rose geranium wine to call up fond memories.

Garden Spells reveals what happens when Sydney returns to Bascom with her young daughter, turning Claire's routine existence upside down. With Sydney's homecoming, the magic that the quiet caterer has measured into recipes to shape the thoughts and moods of others begins to influence Claire's own emotions in terrifying and delightful ways.

As the sisters reconnect and learn to support one another, each finds romance where she least expects it, while Sydney's child, Bay, discovers both the safe home she has longed for and her own surprising gifts. With the help of their elderly cousin Evanelle, endowed with her own uncanny skills, the Waverley women redeem the past, embrace the present, and take a joyful leap into the future.

💭 T H O U G H T S

Sarah Addison Allen's debut novel Garden's Spell was one of my 12 recommendations from 12 friends for 2023. I honestly didn't know what to expect, yet the magical atmosphere and vibes made October the ideal time to pick it up.

The descriptions of the garden, the beautiful old house and the food instantly drew me into this magical world. I loved learning about each of the flowers and plants. Sometimes authors try to insert too much magic into their stories, but that was not the case here. In fact, I loved how the apple tree was such a huge part of the story, and it was definitely my favourite character. I became invested in the characters' lives, and appreciated learning about their past in order to understand everything.

My main issue was the ending. It was all a little too quick, which felt like a bit of let down after such a whimsical journey. I think things could have easily planned out in a slower fashion and served the same purpose, especially with the way the rest of the novel is paced.

Overall, Garden Spells is the perfect cozy, rainy day read with just the right amount of magic. Perfect for readers in need off being whisked away from reality for just a little while. I'll be looking to pick up more of this author's novels in the future.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of Southern fiction
• readers who likes sister stories
• magical realism devotees

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"When you're happy for yourself, it fills you. When you're happy for someone else, it pours over."

"Memories, even hard memories, grew soft like peaches as they grow older."

"Love always hurts. That’s one thing I know you know. But it’s worth it. That’s what you don’t know. Yet."

Content Warnings

gaby_readsss's review against another edition

Go to review page

emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Garden Spells was an interesting book.
I didn’t know what to expect when I first picked this book; I chose it because I adored Other Birds and had to read more books by this author.
I enjoyed this book for the most part. However, I kept expecting for something bad to happen so I couldn’t fully “relax” and enjoy the more “lighthearted” aspects in the story. I think knowing the backstory of Sydney and her abusive husband made me uneasy and I was expecting him to show up at any time.
The side characters weren’t my favorite. I didn’t like Emma’s character and her whole family to be honest. She had zero personality other than being good in bed, which I thought was odd. In the end when she called Sydney and tried to warn her I did like her a little bit.
Tyler was also giving me creep vibes at the beginning and I was fully expecting him to be a serial killer or something lmao. Also the fact that he’s still “friends” with his ex was a red flag to me.
My favorite characters were Sydney, Bay, and the apple tree! <3
At its core, this is a book about family and I thought the magical realism aspect added a nice touch to the story. I loved the descriptions of the garden, how all the different flowers are meant to do something to the person who consumes them, and the magic each of the Waverley women each have. This was very a unique read and the house felt so whimsical and “homey”.
I’m not sure how to rate this book yet but I’m between 3.75 and 4 stars.
I think that if I were to reread this book, I would enjoy it more knowing how everything unfolds.

Content Warnings

galaxies's review

Go to review page

4.0

A magical, whimsical story whose characters you’ll fall in love with.

I wouldn’t really describe it as cozy because it does contain some descriptions of domestic violence, abuse and rape.

Content Warnings

More...