Scan barcode
alzena28's review against another edition
adventurous
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
clockworkbook's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 Overall Story - End on a monstrous cliffhanger without a next book in sight.
livpot47's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
tessacmickeyd's review against another edition
3.0
I was getting frustrated, talk to your granddaughter.
taylornicolereads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
micahhenson's review against another edition
1.0
The ending pissed me off. I’m so mad that I read this book. Don’t bother.
azdesert_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve had this one sitting on my audible TBR shelf for a few months and finally decided to give it a go. I’ve seen that there is a book 2 in progress, and all I have to say is that there better be! She legit cannot just end it the way she did without there being a book 2.
A little synopsis: Ever since Amethyst was “almost stolen” when she was six, things haven’t been easy for her. Her mother went missing, presumed dead, at the same time as Amethyst’s “almost” disappearance and for the last ten years has been raised by a father who doesn’t know what to do with her perceived instability. So, she has a choice this summer - go to a residential treatment center or spend the summer with her estranged grandmother in the small rural town of Morgan Springs, Pennsylvania. She picks granny. Well, things continue to get stranger for Amethyst as she physically begins to have signs that she is not quite right.
Amethyst just wants to understand what is happening without people thinking she’s crazier than they already do. Her father already wants to send her to a treatment center. The heart of this story is a tale of acceptance, belonging, self-discovery, the pain of secrets and ultimately family. These thematic ideals are woven together from page one.
However, when Absynth comes into her life, Amethyst is so desperate for these things, that it’s not hard to understand why she believes what she’s told. Absynth is the first person to tell her anything, to help her with what she is going through! There is a predictability there that as a reader you can see right through all of it, so even though Amethyst was at times annoying, her behavior makes sense.
Will I read the sequel when it eventually comes out? Probably, I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, but they are successful as I do want to figure out what is happening with everything that went down. It’s a great little dark fantasy with fae that are more made from nightmares than Disney. If you have Audible, this is a free download. Go ahead and add it to your TBR.
Full Review: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebookshelf/p/book-review-garden-of-thorns-and?r=612jb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
A little synopsis: Ever since Amethyst was “almost stolen” when she was six, things haven’t been easy for her. Her mother went missing, presumed dead, at the same time as Amethyst’s “almost” disappearance and for the last ten years has been raised by a father who doesn’t know what to do with her perceived instability. So, she has a choice this summer - go to a residential treatment center or spend the summer with her estranged grandmother in the small rural town of Morgan Springs, Pennsylvania. She picks granny. Well, things continue to get stranger for Amethyst as she physically begins to have signs that she is not quite right.
Amethyst just wants to understand what is happening without people thinking she’s crazier than they already do. Her father already wants to send her to a treatment center. The heart of this story is a tale of acceptance, belonging, self-discovery, the pain of secrets and ultimately family. These thematic ideals are woven together from page one.
However, when Absynth comes into her life, Amethyst is so desperate for these things, that it’s not hard to understand why she believes what she’s told. Absynth is the first person to tell her anything, to help her with what she is going through! There is a predictability there that as a reader you can see right through all of it, so even though Amethyst was at times annoying, her behavior makes sense.
Will I read the sequel when it eventually comes out? Probably, I’m not a fan of cliffhangers, but they are successful as I do want to figure out what is happening with everything that went down. It’s a great little dark fantasy with fae that are more made from nightmares than Disney. If you have Audible, this is a free download. Go ahead and add it to your TBR.
Full Review: https://open.substack.com/pub/thebookshelf/p/book-review-garden-of-thorns-and?r=612jb&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
kylie111's review against another edition
4.0
slow at the beginning. i wish there was a way i could describe how heartfelt this was, especially at the end.
the love connection, slowly building between amethyst and ben was actually adorable. she was so naive. why was she so clumsy in the beginning and then nothing more on it throughout the rest of the book? i get character development but i mean there were like 3 pages on how clumsy she was? and then no more after. okayyyy????
the back and forth and back and forth between ben and amethysts growing connection was driving me crazy. it was almost like there was no real desire to think about making an actual relationship plot for the book so just the bare minimum was done.
meeting gramps…. that was so rushed. way too quick, came out of the freaking blue. hey, let me just take you on a trip, not tell you where we are going or why, just “we are going to see your grandfather” LOL okay??
there should have been more to it than THAT but whatever i didn’t write it.
thennnnn we rush through how to magically grow things, out of nowhere with new found fairy magic and on her second try she gets a whole ass belladonna plant? okay yea go for it. sure thing.
now that i can grow a plant that kills, let’s go murder my aunt in the woods!!!! yayyyy here we go. then with no hesitation or suspicion from the other fairies and here we go! quick gotta fly and drown the lights! oh she’s not dead? how? gasp! fight fight fight!!!! oh no? my mom? she’s there! gotta free her before i’m a fairy light!
basically, the ending was so rushed. i mean, i rushed to read it, i was sobbing because of ben still, and more now that i finished it. tragic. ben and amethyst really just never got their shining moment. we could have at least had the movie date now.
i liked it all in all. it was a good book. i gave it 5 stars, it kept me interested, but ending? too rushed.
the love connection, slowly building between amethyst and ben was actually adorable. she was so naive. why was she so clumsy in the beginning and then nothing more on it throughout the rest of the book? i get character development but i mean there were like 3 pages on how clumsy she was? and then no more after. okayyyy????
the back and forth and back and forth between ben and amethysts growing connection was driving me crazy. it was almost like there was no real desire to think about making an actual relationship plot for the book so just the bare minimum was done.
meeting gramps…. that was so rushed. way too quick, came out of the freaking blue. hey, let me just take you on a trip, not tell you where we are going or why, just “we are going to see your grandfather” LOL okay??
there should have been more to it than THAT but whatever i didn’t write it.
thennnnn we rush through how to magically grow things, out of nowhere with new found fairy magic and on her second try she gets a whole ass belladonna plant? okay yea go for it. sure thing.
now that i can grow a plant that kills, let’s go murder my aunt in the woods!!!! yayyyy here we go. then with no hesitation or suspicion from the other fairies and here we go! quick gotta fly and drown the lights! oh she’s not dead? how? gasp! fight fight fight!!!! oh no? my mom? she’s there! gotta free her before i’m a fairy light!
basically, the ending was so rushed. i mean, i rushed to read it, i was sobbing because of ben still, and more now that i finished it. tragic. ben and amethyst really just never got their shining moment. we could have at least had the movie date now.
i liked it all in all. it was a good book. i gave it 5 stars, it kept me interested, but ending? too rushed.