Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
Feel good... mostly...girl friendship tale. Lovely quick story about three friends who need each other more than they think. Mercy needs a story, though.
Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and links and everything. https://lainahastoomuchsparetime.wordpress.com/2025/04/07/things-ive-read-recently-178-that-one-book-might-be-weirder-than-that-werewolf-book/
I think I would have loved this when I was like fifteen to twenty and that’s not an insult to the book. Sometimes I am just not the intended audience for young adult literature as an adult in my thirties. But, this is a really cool world. I like this kind of story where there are paranormal elements but they aren’t really what drives the plot.
Overall, I liked the characters, but they aren’t the deepest. It’s nice to see girls with such a good bond and actively trying to be good, supportive friends, but I almost think this would have worked better if it had all three girls’ POVs. It would have helped with making the other girls stronger characters and honestly probably making the plot a little more exciting. It’s not a boring book, but the plot isn’t the strongest and there are some plotholes that bothered me. (You have a character who can find lost things and a missing person. Okay, she can’t find lost people – find that person’s shoe or something. That’s also lost.) It can be a little predictable at times.
Overall, I’d say that if you like a YA that leans paranormal, this one is fine. I would be interested in reading more books from the author, and I might actually pick up the companion book to this one.
Representation: Lux is a lesbian and I think Mercy might be Latina, but it’s a bit vague imo.
Content notes: Sexual assault, men being creeps, gun violence.
Other notes:
– When that character goes missing, the police tell their parents that they can’t be declared missing until twenty-four hours. This character is sixteen. There is no waiting period for missing children. That’s a federal law in the US because when a child goes missing, the first 24-48 hours are the most critical.
– There are characters in this book called Lux, Mercy, Neveah, Malaki, and Vidalia and the main character, named Rome, thinks the boy named Jett has a weird name. What.
I think I would have loved this when I was like fifteen to twenty and that’s not an insult to the book. Sometimes I am just not the intended audience for young adult literature as an adult in my thirties. But, this is a really cool world. I like this kind of story where there are paranormal elements but they aren’t really what drives the plot.
Overall, I liked the characters, but they aren’t the deepest. It’s nice to see girls with such a good bond and actively trying to be good, supportive friends, but I almost think this would have worked better if it had all three girls’ POVs. It would have helped with making the other girls stronger characters and honestly probably making the plot a little more exciting. It’s not a boring book, but the plot isn’t the strongest and there are some plotholes that bothered me. (You have a character who can find lost things and a missing person. Okay, she can’t find lost people – find that person’s shoe or something. That’s also lost.) It can be a little predictable at times.
Overall, I’d say that if you like a YA that leans paranormal, this one is fine. I would be interested in reading more books from the author, and I might actually pick up the companion book to this one.
Representation: Lux is a lesbian and I think Mercy might be Latina, but it’s a bit vague imo.
Content notes: Sexual assault, men being creeps, gun violence.
Other notes:
– When that character goes missing, the police tell their parents that they can’t be declared missing until twenty-four hours. This character is sixteen. There is no waiting period for missing children. That’s a federal law in the US because when a child goes missing, the first 24-48 hours are the most critical.
– There are characters in this book called Lux, Mercy, Neveah, Malaki, and Vidalia and the main character, named Rome, thinks the boy named Jett has a weird name. What.
I really give this book 4.5 stars. I enjoyed so much of this book. It portrayed such a great friendship between the three girls. Hell, all the female characters were written so well and were given so much strength. They all felt real and relatable. Despite this having a bit of magic, so much of this was believable and readers can definitely connect with the circumstances and attitudes of the characters.
If I had to critique the book on anything, it would be the climax. Or more specifically, the "villain" of the climax. I personally don't feel like that was necessary. Also, the resolution to that conflict was a little too neatly wrapped up. The actual ending was beautiful and had me tearing up, but that particular part didn't feel as strong to me.
Overall, though, this was a wonderful book. The romance didn't even bug me that much, as it wasn't really the focus of the story. The focus was on these women-- both the main three and others before them-- struggling to survive and the strength they show in enduring despite all their hardships. You want a feminist story? Read this book.
If I had to critique the book on anything, it would be the climax. Or more specifically, the "villain" of the climax. I personally don't feel like that was necessary. Also, the resolution to that conflict was a little too neatly wrapped up. The actual ending was beautiful and had me tearing up, but that particular part didn't feel as strong to me.
Overall, though, this was a wonderful book. The romance didn't even bug me that much, as it wasn't really the focus of the story. The focus was on these women-- both the main three and others before them-- struggling to survive and the strength they show in enduring despite all their hardships. You want a feminist story? Read this book.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Classism
Ah goooosh, could we possibly get like a sequel? I want more!
(REALLY strong 4 stars, in fact.... 4.5 is more accurate, I think)
“The Deepest Roots” is a debut novel and follows three (I want to say 16 yr olds but I’m not sure if that’s true) young women who all have special talents. Rome, our main, is a Fixer so any object she touches, she can fix with the sheer power of her will. Lux is a Siren and considers her talent of persuasion to be a curse rather than a gift. Mercy is an Enough which means that you can never run
out of essentials or whatever you need, if she’s around.
Our girls aren’t the only ones. In fact, the entire female population of Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas is gifted with the aforementioned or other talents; and usually these things make their lives easier or more manageable but not everyone sees them this way. Often, they are cause for a lot of the neighboring town’s residents to call Cottonwood Hollow women freaks as the good ol’ “we fear what we do not know” truth is alive and well in their narrow minds.
All three girls struggle with something in their lives. Rome fixes objects but can’t fix the fact she and her mom are living in a trailer barely scraping by. Lux has a secret she finds unbearable. Mercy, whose life is the most perfect of the trio, even if an amazing friend, can’t get her friends to confide in her.
What initially sold this novel to me was the label “magical realism”. Believe me, be that a movie or a book, for me it is the ultimate magnet. In this case it was a gift that kept on giving as none of the magic related things disappointed, more than that: I couldn’t have imagined this story to be any better than it was.
The origin of the “gifts” of the women of Cottonwood Hollow is obscure. Supposedly a grief stricken heiress many decades ago unleashed them on the town at the time of her death and thus they have prevailed. The fact we don’t know where they came from exactly is fine though. Magical realism doesn’t need much explanation… it just is, an interwoven part of an every day life. When a tornado hits the town and upends the known routine of our heroines as they find a box of letters from the late heiress and within them a promise of a treasure that could possibly end their troubles, that bit of magic they unwillingly possess and a whole lotta wit and cunning are needed to beat the odds, claim the prize and change their lives forever.
I loved the writing of this novel. It didn’t read as someone’s debut; it was fresh but also just very well structured, very well written, it felt real to me as if described situations were drawn from experience or I don’t know, maybe just that well researched.
Bonds of sisterhood were what made that book. It wasn’t the romance (although, somewhat present in “The Deepest Roots”) but how the girls learned to trust each other with their problems and insecurities and how because of that lives were changed. Their talents, once considered curses more than anything else, slowly became gifts. That sprinkle of practical magic made things more colorful for me as a reader but it wasn’t the tale’s most important point.
The characters were well fleshed out and extremely relatable, both in mishaps that have befallen them and their reactions to some of the problems they faced. I really appreciated how realistic it was in that particular regard. As a contemporary YA enthusiast I would say this is a really strong addition to this vast genre and it shouldn’t be overlooked. Certainly won’t be forgotten by me!
**massive thank you to the publishers at HarperTeen and Edelweiss for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
(REALLY strong 4 stars, in fact.... 4.5 is more accurate, I think)
“The Deepest Roots” is a debut novel and follows three (I want to say 16 yr olds but I’m not sure if that’s true) young women who all have special talents. Rome, our main, is a Fixer so any object she touches, she can fix with the sheer power of her will. Lux is a Siren and considers her talent of persuasion to be a curse rather than a gift. Mercy is an Enough which means that you can never run
out of essentials or whatever you need, if she’s around.
Our girls aren’t the only ones. In fact, the entire female population of Cottonwood Hollow, Kansas is gifted with the aforementioned or other talents; and usually these things make their lives easier or more manageable but not everyone sees them this way. Often, they are cause for a lot of the neighboring town’s residents to call Cottonwood Hollow women freaks as the good ol’ “we fear what we do not know” truth is alive and well in their narrow minds.
All three girls struggle with something in their lives. Rome fixes objects but can’t fix the fact she and her mom are living in a trailer barely scraping by. Lux has a secret she finds unbearable. Mercy, whose life is the most perfect of the trio, even if an amazing friend, can’t get her friends to confide in her.
What initially sold this novel to me was the label “magical realism”. Believe me, be that a movie or a book, for me it is the ultimate magnet. In this case it was a gift that kept on giving as none of the magic related things disappointed, more than that: I couldn’t have imagined this story to be any better than it was.
The origin of the “gifts” of the women of Cottonwood Hollow is obscure. Supposedly a grief stricken heiress many decades ago unleashed them on the town at the time of her death and thus they have prevailed. The fact we don’t know where they came from exactly is fine though. Magical realism doesn’t need much explanation… it just is, an interwoven part of an every day life. When a tornado hits the town and upends the known routine of our heroines as they find a box of letters from the late heiress and within them a promise of a treasure that could possibly end their troubles, that bit of magic they unwillingly possess and a whole lotta wit and cunning are needed to beat the odds, claim the prize and change their lives forever.
I loved the writing of this novel. It didn’t read as someone’s debut; it was fresh but also just very well structured, very well written, it felt real to me as if described situations were drawn from experience or I don’t know, maybe just that well researched.
Bonds of sisterhood were what made that book. It wasn’t the romance (although, somewhat present in “The Deepest Roots”) but how the girls learned to trust each other with their problems and insecurities and how because of that lives were changed. Their talents, once considered curses more than anything else, slowly became gifts. That sprinkle of practical magic made things more colorful for me as a reader but it wasn’t the tale’s most important point.
The characters were well fleshed out and extremely relatable, both in mishaps that have befallen them and their reactions to some of the problems they faced. I really appreciated how realistic it was in that particular regard. As a contemporary YA enthusiast I would say this is a really strong addition to this vast genre and it shouldn’t be overlooked. Certainly won’t be forgotten by me!
**massive thank you to the publishers at HarperTeen and Edelweiss for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
A magical book detailing the inseparable bond of friendship.
4.5 stars*
I loved this so much! I never felt bored; the pacing was perfect. I connected to all the characters and was sobbing at the end (happy tears!). The vibes were also immaculate.
Only complaint is that I wanted more of the girls and their gifts showcased, and I would have loved to have more of the gifted girls involved in the ending to really bring it full circle. Honestly, I’d be totally down to read spin off stories of other girls in the town with different gifts!
Overall this was fun to read and also elicited strong emotions, so I call it a winner.
I loved this so much! I never felt bored; the pacing was perfect. I connected to all the characters and was sobbing at the end (happy tears!). The vibes were also immaculate.
Only complaint is that I wanted more of the girls and their gifts showcased, and I would have loved to have more of the gifted girls involved in the ending to really bring it full circle. Honestly, I’d be totally down to read spin off stories of other girls in the town with different gifts!
Overall this was fun to read and also elicited strong emotions, so I call it a winner.
4.5 stars rounded up. I liked the author’s second book better, but I still loved this one too.
Nice young adult-friendly story about friendship and family. The middle dragged a bit - just solidifying information we already knew without adding much. And all the characters were a bit trope-y. But overall a nice feel-good read with a little mystery.
Oh - and no harm comes to the dog!
Oh - and no harm comes to the dog!
This book really surprised me, in many ways. It was surprisingly dark. It was surprisingly good. I didn’t actually think I was going to love it when I started it. But, thank god, it surprised me.
I think my main beef with this book is actually just a weird grudge thing? It opens with a tornado, which made me assume it was a Wizard of Oz retelling which made me angry. The only books I can usually find that take place in Kansas are wizard of oz retellings so I’m actually SO glad this wasn’t one.
This whole book is really really dark, which was unexpected for me but I’m okay with that? It centers on an amazing group of best friends, has some adorable romance, but it also deals with some really tough issues.
I think overall it was really good! I loved the mood of the story.
TW: emotional abuse, physical abuse, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, attempted rape, mental manipulation
I think my main beef with this book is actually just a weird grudge thing? It opens with a tornado, which made me assume it was a Wizard of Oz retelling which made me angry. The only books I can usually find that take place in Kansas are wizard of oz retellings so I’m actually SO glad this wasn’t one.
This whole book is really really dark, which was unexpected for me but I’m okay with that? It centers on an amazing group of best friends, has some adorable romance, but it also deals with some really tough issues.
I think overall it was really good! I loved the mood of the story.
TW: emotional abuse, physical abuse, domestic abuse, sexual abuse, attempted rape, mental manipulation