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icameheretoread's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This might be a case of not getting what you think you paid for. This shows up on horror lists. Someone compared it to Practical Magic. If you are about to read this know it is more of a family saga, over many generations, with historical chapters. Normally when I am not enjoying a book, I DNF it. But I got tricked into the halfway mark on this by incorrect reviews and the idea that Sorrow finds "treasures" in the grounds that I thought were going to be magical objects. So I suffered through the rest. And goodness is it slow. Also the author can string some pretty sentences together, and really create an atmosphere but man, oh man, did she forget a plot. Sorrow comes back to her family's orchard to get to the bottom of what really happened to her sister, I guess, but instead she just kind of bumbles along and we read about other horrible things that have happened to her family. This needed an editor and to be about 100 pages shorter. It also needed tension. I would have liked more character development on the grandmother and Verity and less trips to town to meet characters that have nothing to do with anything.
dreximgirl's review
4.0
Despite a slow start and to begin with a slightly irritating main character I actually ended up really enjoying the book. The revelations were interesting and I didn't guess them at all. I ended up really liking the story and the development of Sorrow. I'd be interested in reading more from this author.
marydrover's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, this was so lovely. I read Wallace’s other novel, Shallow Graves, at the beginning of 2017 when I was just beginning my journey back into the world of reading and YA. It was one of the first books I picked up in a book haul, and I absolutely adored it. When I saw that she was writing a new one, I was all over that. And this was, hands down, a truly beautiful second novel. Wallace’s language was just–wow. It was so gorgeous. I felt like I was reading a Stiefvater novel. I was so drawn in by the way she handled words that sometimes I forgot what the story was and just felt myself floating, absolutely content and reading at an absolute snail’s pace so I could linger in the words a little longer.
That is about 75% of the reason this got 5 stars. The other 25% is the story. I kept thinking there was going to be witchcraft in here somewhere, and while there wasn’t directly, I feel like there was a little something going on in the background. The Memory Trees follows the story of Sorrow Lovegood (WHAT A NAME) as she journeys back to her childhood home in Vermont following an eight-year absence after her older sister died. Sorrow is missing pieces of her memory surrounding her sister’s death, and is hopeful that returning to VT will help her remember. What unfolds is much more than I think Sorrow, and definitely me, ever expected.
That is about 75% of the reason this got 5 stars. The other 25% is the story. I kept thinking there was going to be witchcraft in here somewhere, and while there wasn’t directly, I feel like there was a little something going on in the background. The Memory Trees follows the story of Sorrow Lovegood (WHAT A NAME) as she journeys back to her childhood home in Vermont following an eight-year absence after her older sister died. Sorrow is missing pieces of her memory surrounding her sister’s death, and is hopeful that returning to VT will help her remember. What unfolds is much more than I think Sorrow, and definitely me, ever expected.
taylordmccabe's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- 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
faerieontheshelf's review against another edition
4.0
> 3.5/4 stars
A really interesting standalone about family feuds, grief and an orchard full of magical trees that also doubles as a graveyard. Gorgeous writing, though the pacing was on the slower side.
A really interesting standalone about family feuds, grief and an orchard full of magical trees that also doubles as a graveyard. Gorgeous writing, though the pacing was on the slower side.
sparksinwords's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Goodreads print book giveaway win - thank you Goodreads & Harper!
The Memory Trees is so beautifully written. The descriptions of the land and orchards are vivid and lush and I not only saw it in my mind, but I felt it, smelled it. There were so much more depth to this book than I would have expected. It's about family, grudges, grief - this is a heartbreaking story but also a hopeful one. Sorrow was a very strong character and when she finally started expressing how upset she was, I was really rooting for her.
Although this seems to be magical realism, there isn't actually magic in this book. Rather, the strong bond the Lovegoods have with the land gives the story a magical feeling. I was glad that this was the case, because I feel like it would have taken away from the authenticity of the story if there had been magic involved.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it! Just don't expect an action-packed book. Also, of note, there is no romance in this book, and although I loooove romance, I'm glad there was no romance here.
The Memory Trees is so beautifully written. The descriptions of the land and orchards are vivid and lush and I not only saw it in my mind, but I felt it, smelled it. There were so much more depth to this book than I would have expected. It's about family, grudges, grief - this is a heartbreaking story but also a hopeful one. Sorrow was a very strong character and when she finally started expressing how upset she was, I was really rooting for her.
Although this seems to be magical realism, there isn't actually magic in this book. Rather, the strong bond the Lovegoods have with the land gives the story a magical feeling. I was glad that this was the case, because I feel like it would have taken away from the authenticity of the story if there had been magic involved.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it! Just don't expect an action-packed book. Also, of note, there is no romance in this book, and although I loooove romance, I'm glad there was no romance here.
sistermagpie's review against another edition
4.0
This book had some really lovely writing and a premise that I completely loved. 17 year old Sorrow returns home to her mother and grandmother in Vermont. She lived with them until she was 8 and her 16-year-old sister died, at which point she went to live with her father and stepmother and stepsister. Sorrow's now determined to return because she can't remember the details of her sister Patience's death.
So this creates a situation where a girl returns to a place that should be home and people who should be family, but she doesn't feel as if she fits there anymore, especially given the many misunderstandings that have had time to grow in that time. Her mother was institutionalized after her sister's death and Sorrow was never sure how much she was allowed to talk about her sister, therefore they never did. (Her mother seems to have always struggled with depression so that growing up both sister's spent all their time trying to keep their mother in a good mood.)
Sorrow's family is also engaged in centuries-long feud with the rich family in town, though often both sides appear to be stabbing themselves in the heart more than hurting the others. The final revelations about exactly what happened to Sorrow's sister was really satisfying emotionally, I'm happy to say.
So this creates a situation where a girl returns to a place that should be home and people who should be family, but she doesn't feel as if she fits there anymore, especially given the many misunderstandings that have had time to grow in that time. Her mother was institutionalized after her sister's death and Sorrow was never sure how much she was allowed to talk about her sister, therefore they never did. (Her mother seems to have always struggled with depression so that growing up both sister's spent all their time trying to keep their mother in a good mood.)
Sorrow's family is also engaged in centuries-long feud with the rich family in town, though often both sides appear to be stabbing themselves in the heart more than hurting the others. The final revelations about exactly what happened to Sorrow's sister was really satisfying emotionally, I'm happy to say.
samwlabb's review against another edition
4.0
It was quite interesting getting to know Sorrow and the 12 generations of women in her family, as she tries to piece together her sister's final days. This trip through her tangled family tree unfolded through beautiful prose, family vignettes, and flash backs to that ill fated day. My heart ached and broke along with Sorrow's, and although the ending fell a little short for me, I enjoyed this coming of age tale.
•Pro: The writing was so beautiful. Wallace's prose had this magical quality, that fit the story so well.
•Pro: I really liked the format. Flashbacks and vignettes of Sorrow's ancestors were intertwined with Sorrow trying to gain clarity about her sister's death. It was interesting the way the pieces fit together, and it added to the tension and mystery of the story.
•Pro: I really cared about Sorrow. I wanted her to get the answers she desired in order to get that closure she had been needing for so long. Her pain and frustration just made my heart ache.
•Pro: This is a grief story and I love grief stories. This one definitely put the grief and loss center stage, but there were so many other things, such as the way the town isolated Sorrow and her family, the way she lost a little bit of her childhood due to her mother's illness, and the way she had to shoulder so much guilt, because she could not remember the events leading to her sister's death. Let's just say, I felt a lot of feels.
•Pro: So many different ideas of family are explored. I was especially fond of the relationship between Sorrow and her step mother. It made me happy to know that Sorrow got to experience that type of relationship, because she had lost her whole world when she left the farm, and I was needed something positive came from that loss.
•Con: I could have used more closure with the ending. It was hopeful, but there were some things left open ended, that I would have liked tied up.
•Pro: I loved the whole concept of the trees. "Their only ceremony was giving the dead back to the earth and planting a new life to mark its passage." It was a lovely concept and combine with the idea that the trees held their memories, just worked so well in the overall story and enhanced the effect of the magical elements present.
Overall: A magical journey towards healing after a great loss, filled with a rich family history and a little magic.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
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•Pro: The writing was so beautiful. Wallace's prose had this magical quality, that fit the story so well.
•Pro: I really liked the format. Flashbacks and vignettes of Sorrow's ancestors were intertwined with Sorrow trying to gain clarity about her sister's death. It was interesting the way the pieces fit together, and it added to the tension and mystery of the story.
•Pro: I really cared about Sorrow. I wanted her to get the answers she desired in order to get that closure she had been needing for so long. Her pain and frustration just made my heart ache.
•Pro: This is a grief story and I love grief stories. This one definitely put the grief and loss center stage, but there were so many other things, such as the way the town isolated Sorrow and her family, the way she lost a little bit of her childhood due to her mother's illness, and the way she had to shoulder so much guilt, because she could not remember the events leading to her sister's death. Let's just say, I felt a lot of feels.
•Pro: So many different ideas of family are explored. I was especially fond of the relationship between Sorrow and her step mother. It made me happy to know that Sorrow got to experience that type of relationship, because she had lost her whole world when she left the farm, and I was needed something positive came from that loss.
•Con: I could have used more closure with the ending. It was hopeful, but there were some things left open ended, that I would have liked tied up.
•Pro: I loved the whole concept of the trees. "Their only ceremony was giving the dead back to the earth and planting a new life to mark its passage." It was a lovely concept and combine with the idea that the trees held their memories, just worked so well in the overall story and enhanced the effect of the magical elements present.
Overall: A magical journey towards healing after a great loss, filled with a rich family history and a little magic.
**I would like to thank the publisher for the advanced copy of this book.
BLOG | INSTAGRAM | BLOGLOVIN | FRIEND ME ON GOODREADS
mary_the_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
This was a very slow-paced book and was more family saga than magical realism (but it was certainly magical realism). It was well-written and the big reveal was worth the (very) slow build-up.
hauntedbybooks's review against another edition
5.0
I was so happy to read this book. As soon as I read the synopsis I was like that sounds like my kind of book. Spoiler alert, it was definitely my kind of book. This book is so beautifully written. I was hooked from the very first page. Kali Wallace knows how to tell a story! This book is mysterious, magical and will haunt me for a long time.