Scan barcode
sol_journal's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Posted to: Goodreads and The StoryGraph
Posted on: 7 September 2023
3.8 (rounded up to 4) out of 5 stars.
This was such a cute read! Catherine Bakewell described this as being the ‘book of her heart’ in the FaeCrate letter and honestly- it was such a loving novel with kind words tucked between each page. This book has a lot of low reviews for the reason of it being compared to ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ a lot. I have the bad habit of holding books to other book expectations as well, but I’ve been trying to get better at not doing that. So taking Howl’s off the mind while reading this, you get a little comfort story about a girl just trying to heal and find kindness in a world that hasn’t exactly been very kind to her.
The magic system is very simple and basic. There’s no need to understand how the ins and the outs of it work to a T. It just *is* the way things here are working- every witch having a different specialty, how the Council is the commanding order here. There were a few loosely tied connections and pieces of the story that didn’t fit quite seamlessly in as it could have been done though.
Character wise, it was okay too. If you see yourself in the always anxious, always nervous Clara, then the characters will easily find a home in your heart. If you aren’t as insecure or shy, then it may be a bit harder to find that connection because Clara’s story is based on this insecurity of her magic and herself. Her story is built on the solid support and love from her father, and how she’s desperate to fix it after accidentally placing a curse upon him. This story also features a plus-size main character, a hispanic character, and just the bundle of depression and anxiety that even the kindest of hearts can hold. This book was certainly a love-letter into healing oneself and finding oneself done in a way that could be reminiscent to Ghibli movies with its style and prose. But again, if you can’t really relate/see this and feel this, it’s a lot harder to enjoy the book.
The writing style wasn’t my favorite, but it was nice! It read a bit simpler, but I also wouldn’t entirely knock it down to middle grade/younger YA level just because of it. Again, this is a nice and easy read because it’s not so fleshed out and detailed, it makes it almost a comfort novel when you need a pick-me-up.
All in all, I can see how others weren’t entirely happy with ‘Flowerheart’. I think there was too much a standard held up to it to be just like Howl’s Moving Castle- or other Ghibli movies/inspired books in general that when it fell a little short, people were too critical against it. Catherine Bakewell delivers a beautiful novel about simply quelling that angry little voice in your head that likes to tell you doubts over and over. It’s a beautiful novel about friendship, parental love, and just feeling comfortable in one’s own skin! I totally accidentally skipped over the content warnings for this book though, but that was entirely a self-fault. The book in its entirety beyond that little scene that threw me off was like finding acceptance and self- it’s not too often that plus-sized main characters are featured in fantasy novels so it was certainly a taste of home that made me love this book all the more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror and Medical content
bohemianhermit04's review
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Body horror, and Abandonment
49moths's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
flowers!!!!!!! and magic!!! i loved it, comfort book fr :((( /pos ALSO THE COVER ART!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror
Moderate: Medical content
body horror’s limited to flowers growing in skin which isnt too bad, i just get uncomfortable easily with anything like thisdexkit10's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Body horror
libriinks's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Body horror, Drug use, and Injury/Injury detail
blacksphinx's review
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book is a puff of cotton candy. Light, sugary, quickly consumed.
This book has a strong "fanfic author's first original fic" vibe. There is very little world building in this novel, and things you might think warrant an explanation (like the magic system) are glossed over, like we're already supposed to know. It's partially centered around a variation on a fanfic trope - hanahaki disease - and there's a small scene lifted directly from Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle movie. In fact, our protagonist's two-syllable name, her light blue and light green dresses, her long hair plaited into a braid, and our wizard love interest's black hair kept me wondering... If this started life as a HMC's fanfic I would not be surprised.
Overall, this is a book that comfortably fits in the YA section and would probably be a delight in most middle school or high school libraries. (This book also needs an LGBT+ tag on here, it's a queernormative setting.)
This book has a strong "fanfic author's first original fic" vibe. There is very little world building in this novel, and things you might think warrant an explanation (like the magic system) are glossed over, like we're already supposed to know. It's partially centered around a variation on a fanfic trope - hanahaki disease - and there's a small scene lifted directly from Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle movie. In fact, our protagonist's two-syllable name, her light blue and light green dresses, her long hair plaited into a braid, and our wizard love interest's black hair kept me wondering... If this started life as a HMC's fanfic I would not be surprised.
Overall, this is a book that comfortably fits in the YA section and would probably be a delight in most middle school or high school libraries. (This book also needs an LGBT+ tag on here, it's a queernormative setting.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Mental illness
I want to list a brief content warning for an emotionally abusive relationship betweenjinjaritia's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment, Body horror, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Gaslighting
blewballoon's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
5.0
I picked this book based on the cover. I was hoping for a cozy book with cottages, flowers, magic, and wholesome vibes. That's exactly what I got. I was happy and interested every time I picked up the book to read more, and I teared up at the ending. It didn't feel too YA for me, besides that there is a romance and the main character is a teenage girl.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Abandonment and Body horror
Minor: Mental illness and Emotional abuse
a_ab's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Well, I didn't read it in full, actually. I read the first 4 chapters and the last 5 (out of 24 total). And I do not feel like I lost much in skipping the other 15, because at the time I resumed the book, things were going mostly how I imagined they would be going based on the beginning.
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Blood, Abandonment, Drug use, and Drug abuse
briely's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- 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
2.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Body horror