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druzyquartz's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Grief, Abandonment, and Addiction
mimmixoxo's review
3.75
Graphic: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Addiction
Moderate: Body horror, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Vomit, and Chronic illness
sab_rose's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Abandonment, and Mental illness
Moderate: Blood and Cursing
a_ab's review
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I don't think I could have suffered through the abuse of the main character's internal "magic" voice for all those 15 chapters. It was revolting and infuriating to me, but it would be extremely triggering for anyone who ever had to live through even a fraction of that kind of emotional abuse.
In that vein, I found the ending rather questionable in the proposed "happiness" of it. And there's no way I am going to revisit the chapters I skipped, - as far as I am concerned, nothing is worth putting up with the abusive BS, however internalized it is: get therapy or whatever it takes to weed it out until nothing but a detached clinical memory of it remains, and even that memory is there only so that it could be quickly recognized and weedkilled on sight if it ever sprouts again.
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Blood, Abandonment, Drug use, and Drug abuse
sophs_mood_reading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
When she accidentally curses her father (more flowers, poisonous ones) she finds the only person who will help is her estranged best friend/childhood love the ever angsty Xavier.
Xavier had changed from the boy she knew, he’s distant, grumpy and clearly hiding something and in return for his help demands a high price.
The story not so subtly focuses on the issue of depression in society, how sufferers seek any cure they can find and how little aid their may be. It was a strange theme to run through a cottage core fantasy and at sometimes seemed forced. Such as our main FMC having “melancholy” for one whole day and therefore can suddenly commiserate and understand the blight of other sufferers.
I did enjoy the LGBTQI inclusion throughout the book which is a welcome inclusion in these types of novels.
Graphic: Mental illness and Drug use
Moderate: Blood
Minor: Abandonment
jamiebrito's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug use, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Body horror, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
brontesauruses's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
A solid four stars, but probably not much more than that. 4.25??
It felt like it needed to be longer? Everything moved so fast sometimes! There were a lot of great ideas, but they needed more room to breathe. (Reading it as quickly as I did probably did not help, but still.)
That said, I had a lot of fun with this one. Loved the queer rep! Our protagonist is bi/pan (and isn't thin!)! There's a transwoman and a nonbinary person who are important to the plot! Characters are just casually, cheerfully queer, and it made me so happy. I also like what the book had to say about mental health! Also also: flower magic!!
If you're looking for readalikes, Dreams Lie Beneath by Rebecca Ross came to mind a lot while I was reading this. Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson too, to a lesser extent. Very different, uh, happenings, but something about them is similar? Is it the magic? Is it the dark-haired sad lads?? Who knows.
Side note: I went into this one thinking it was kinda sorta an Anne of Green Gables retelling? I think I mixed it up in my head with The Grace of Wild Things by Heather Fawcett (which is a banger btw)? Anyway, it's not, but I think if you like Anne, you'll probably like the Vibe of this one.
Moderate: Drug use and Mental illness
Minor: Abandonment and Blood
ezwolf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
In particular I really adored the relationship that Clara has with her father. The backstory of Clara and Xavier’s relationship didn’t feel as convincing as the obvious love and affection that Clara and her father have for each other.
The casualness of the queer characters was also handled very well I think. Labels aren’t given to everyone but Clara herself is bi or pan or etc, her beloved teacher is trans, and her teacher’s apprentice is trans as well and uses they/them pronouns. It’s only briefly touched on as an actual subject but it’s not in terms of discrimination only in how having a trans teacher can be helpful for a trans student.
Thank you to NetGalley for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Blood and Vomit
lastblossom's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
tl;dr
A gentle book about magic and flowers with a soft romance and a hopeful message.
About
Clara's magic is wild and uncontrollable, a fact that has kept her from being granted the official title of Witch, a position that will grant her recognition amongst her peers and the community. When her uncontrolled magic nearly kills her father, she makes a risky bargain with her childhood friend Xavier - his help, in exchange for her magic. But Xavier is different these days, and her bargain might be more dangerous than she knows.
Thoughts
Well, I was going to read a few chapters before bed, and wound up reading the whole thing in one sitting. Oops (but in the good way). The writing flows very naturally from one chapter to the next, and the pacing make it easy to just keep going. Compared to a lot of YA fantasy, this is a fairly low-stakes book, but that didn't make me care any less about what was happening. The world building and magic systems are only lightly described, but clearly defined and easy to understand. Full descriptions of flowers and nature abound, perfect for anyone looking for some cottagecore threads. Clara is a multi-faceted protagonist with a lot of heart, and I appreciated that her flaws and strengths were both written with honesty. Her journey learning to accept herself and build confidence was a very hopeful one to read. Xavier is a nice opposite for Clara, and the chemistry between them was very natural. In the center of all of this is a surprisingly frank discussion about mental health. Although the exact words aren't used, Clara's anxiety is a major character unto itself, portrayed very honestly as an extra voice that whispers lies. A brief discussion about depression (or something like it), and society's reluctance to face it, is also present, and appreciated. Overall, a very pleasant story in a beautiful magical setting with some likable leads.
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders