Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari

13 reviews

fallenstarr's review against another edition

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

A fun, fast read with enjoyable characters. This book takes place in the 1920's so sexism and misogyny is a part of that world, but there are so many characters that push back against that on a way that felt realistic for that time.

The mystery was well written but not overly surprising. The romance was cute with plenty of tropes. So if tropes annoy you, this probably isn't for you. But if you're in the mood for something fun and fast, enjoy!

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_kaylinconn's review

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

3.25

3.25/5 stars!

A charming debut! While I have some critiques I’ll mention, I do think this a fun book. The pace is constant, there are real threats, a mystery to solve, and some lovable characters with intriguing histories. There is a true love for botany that shines through the novel, and it’s always amazing to see someone’s passion!

That being said, I think most of the critiques I have can be summed up with the simple knowledge that this is a debut novel. Things like lack of tension or some predictable twists will probably become less of an issue for this author as she hones in her craft.

I do appreciate the representation for both women in these fields and soldiers suffering from PTSD in a time where it wasn’t acknowledged at such. I think these elements would have hit harder had we felt more developed in the time era. Saffron and Alexander felt a bit like modern characters dropped in the past, rather than living members of the 1920s.

My biggest issue is the lack of tension. Even when we are in scenes that should be stressful, there’s this underlying mellowness to the writing that seems to steal all that away from us. And the characters are so overtly lucky that there really isn’t a fear of them not succeeding.

As with the plot itself… it felt rather disappointing. The killers were fairly obvious, and were brought up far too early. Dr Berking is established as a bad man within the first page when we get Saffron’s fear of his presence, so to have him be such a large part of the crime felt cheap. And how the crime actually happened didn’t get explained, given it happened in a crowded room where multiple sets of eyes were on him yet he remained unseen while he put the poison in? And allllll of this for embezzlement? The crime they were hiding didn’t feel like a worthy cause for a character to consider homicide. I also feel as though lots of the side characters weren’t used to their true potential, and I don’t think their endings make much sense - even if they got them. Both Eris and Snyder could have made intriguing red herrings or actual villains, yet only worked for their one scene of fame.

While a charming book, I just felt like it needed life. It felt like words on a page and not a story. But again, it was easy to read and I enjoyed Saffron and Alexander’s dynamic.

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chelseylb1988's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

4.0

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snickahz's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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rowdymeowdy's review

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emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

4.25

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astoryofpages's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing fast-paced

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

4.0

i stumbled upon this book completely by chance, having never heard of it on bookstagram. and it felt good! being able to appreciate a book without any preconception due to social media, it even made me a little nostalgic. but what about this reading?

we follow the story of Saffron, a young botanist and assistant researcher, who finds herself having to lead an investigation following an assassination attempt. Kate Khavari drew her inspiration from the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Hercules Poirot, and it shows! i absolutely adored this cosy little investigation, with its endearing characters. it's fairly quick but well-executed plot. it's not a great masterpiece, but it's the perfect book for hassle-free reading.

it's a debut novel, which means it's not perfect. the rhythm is not always well maintained (sometimes too fast, sometimes a little slower), but the book being short, it's not a big problem. the characters can occasionally lack a bit of background, leading to actions that don't sit well with their personalities (e.g. Saffron jumping to conclusions when she's supposed to be a scientist). nevertheless, she remains a very interesting character who understands her mistakes and doesn't hesitate to accept criticism in order to grow and improve (which many heroines lack).

the author also catches up with the character of Alexander, whom i adored (and who becomes a new bookboyfriend haha). with him, she deals in particular with the traumas of the First World War among the surviving soldiers. it was quite interesting to see this character evolve with his PTSD, without being ashamed of it. his traumatic past is also what makes his strength and his empathy for Saffron!

the character of Saffron also allows the author to report significant facts of the time, and which still remain today: sexism and sexual harassment in the university environment. i find it important to denounce this sexism and this misogyny, especially in an environment such as research. but i also really appreciated that the author highlights male characters who were there to support our heroine, without ever crushing her with mansplaining.

we always appreciate, of course, the little author's note in which she explains to us, without any pretension, her world-building choices. not knowing much about botany, i couldn't really judge the author's knowledge, but she seems capable of writing a book on this subject. as for the historical part, it isn't the main aspect; and the author is careful not to go into details she doesn't grasp. this doesn't prevent us from getting an idea of the state of research in 1923 which was, as Khavari explains in the said author's note, a very fruitful period with a lot of progress.

trigger warnings:

bullying, loss of a parent (past), murder (attempt), PTSD (war), sexism, sexual assault (attempt, mentioned and on-page), sexual harassment, sexual predation.

Content Warnings