Reviews

Let's start with positive I liked magic mixed with Greek mythology and relationship even though rushed I enjoyed but pacing is biggest problem and villain is bland. Still I'm going to read sequel.

startjpw23's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This is a YA dark fantasy. The main character is Briseis. She lives in Brooklyn. It is summer. It appears to be between her junior and senior years of high school. Her mothers own a flower shop. Briseis helps out in the shop. She has special powers related to plants. She can revive almost dead plants very quickly. She can cause plants to reproduce very quickly. Plants are literally drawn to her. If she doesn't keep up her concentration, they noticeably bend toward her. This isn't a really bad problem while she is in Brooklyn because there are not that many trees and other plants in the locations she frequents. She can't let anyone besides her mom's know about her abilities. Her two friends have grown distant from her. She was adopted when she was really young. An estate lawyer informs her that she has inherited a house in upstate NY from her birth aunt (sister of her birth mother). She and her mom's move to the house for the summer. From there, Briseis learns more about her powers and heritage. The author does a great job revealing details. The last part of the book is thrilling and very tense. I really loved the book and the way it gradually revealed things. Briseis is an appealing lead character. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in a YA dark fantasy with an appealing lead character. And a book that keeps the reader wondering what comes next.

Content Warnings

emaer2's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

*3.25

thelesbianlibrary's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

okevamae's review against another edition

Go to review page

4.0

Briseis Greene is good with plants. It’s not your average green thumb, though – she has a mysterious magic that allows her to grow seeds into blossoms in seconds, and bring a wilted husk of a plant back to life. Her hold on this magic is somewhat tenuous, though, and the plants don’t always stay in her control. When she receives a message that her aunt – from a birth family she has had no contact with since her adoption – has passed away and left her a house in the countryside, she and her moms pack up to go and find out what exactly Bri has inherited. She soon finds herself entangled in magic and mystery, besieged by even more questions about the family she came from.

The magical world of this novel is a combination of magic and mythology, which I love. I also adored the spooky setting of the old house and its mysterious gardens. Bri’s relationship with her parents (her two adopted moms) was fantastic, as was the representation in this novel – aside from Bri’s two moms, Bri herself is queer (bi or pan) as is her female love interest, and most of the characters in the book are people of color. I wasn’t that into the romantic aspect, to be honest - I appreciate the wlw representation but it’s kind of insta-love-y. But that was one of my only minor complaints about the novel. I’m interested to explore this world more when the next book comes out.

I received an ARC of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

tasha5492's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

More...