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3.02 AVERAGE
3.02 AVERAGE
dark
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
No
In a future Paris irrevocably altered by terrorism and climate change, writer Clarissa Katsef moves into new, modern high tech housing for artists. Weekly health checks and constant video surveillance are a small concession for a place of refugee away from her second husband after she learns after she discovers an appalling secret. Within weeks, she begins feeling lethargic and exhausted, with old grief surfacing amidst her current suffering, and she begins to think C.A.S.A., the organization responsible for the artists’ housing, does more than simply monitor. Her teenage granddaughter resolves to help her investigate, but Clarissa questions whether her symptoms are the result of nefarious deeds, depression, or aging.
Flowers of Darkness is incredibly fascinating, with its depiction of a near future, post-Brexit world without bees and with even more extreme climate change, as well as the impact of living in a “smart” house—a parallel of the themes in Clarissa’s writing that position writers, namely Virginia Woolf, , in their intimate spaces. It also considers themes of grief, aging, secrets, and betrayal as well as the power of names and language (multilingualism, in particular). As much as I enjoyed these As much as I enjoyed these motifs, it was almost overwhelming in the relatively brief novel, and I wish the mystery of C.A.S.A. had been more clearly resolved.
The writing is lovely and full of literary allusions, and the slow burn creates a simmering tension, plus the work off Clarissa’s daughter is an interesting nod to de Rosnay’s last novel. And, once again, there is a feline companion, here named Chablis.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Flowers of Darkness is incredibly fascinating, with its depiction of a near future, post-Brexit world without bees and with even more extreme climate change, as well as the impact of living in a “smart” house—a parallel of the themes in Clarissa’s writing that position writers, namely Virginia Woolf, , in their intimate spaces. It also considers themes of grief, aging, secrets, and betrayal as well as the power of names and language (multilingualism, in particular). As much as I enjoyed these As much as I enjoyed these motifs, it was almost overwhelming in the relatively brief novel, and I wish the mystery of C.A.S.A. had been more clearly resolved.
The writing is lovely and full of literary allusions, and the slow burn creates a simmering tension, plus the work off Clarissa’s daughter is an interesting nod to de Rosnay’s last novel. And, once again, there is a feline companion, here named Chablis.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.
Flowers of Darkness seems to be two stories rolled into one, with both centering around grief and devastating life changes.
Clarissa, a writer and grandmother, has left her second husband rather abruptly and goes in search of a safe haven in which to live and do her writing. One of Clarissa’s fascinations is places and their influence on people, so when she discovers CASA, a new apartment building exclusively for creative types, such as writers, artists and the like, she feels as if she may have found the perfect place.
Against her better judgment, she rushes to sign up and ignores some red flags along the way. The apartment furnishes her with vitamins and does a weekly health scan. They also film the residents. It’s a bit futuristic, but this is set in the future after Paris was hit with some drone strikes. After a few weeks of this, Clarissa is feeling creeped out about the place. That feeling is exacerbated when one of her new resident friends suddenly disappears.
While all this is going on, readers are let into the personal background of Clarissa, which centers on the loss of a child and her recent marital separation. The loss of the child was a situation that we’ve know through the ages, but the details centering around her recent separation was definitely one that belongs to the futuristic world.
I really liked the story, but would have liked to have seen some things resolved prior to the ending. I also felt as if the apartment community atmosphere would have made a great story on it’s own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I’m happy to give my honest review.
Clarissa, a writer and grandmother, has left her second husband rather abruptly and goes in search of a safe haven in which to live and do her writing. One of Clarissa’s fascinations is places and their influence on people, so when she discovers CASA, a new apartment building exclusively for creative types, such as writers, artists and the like, she feels as if she may have found the perfect place.
Against her better judgment, she rushes to sign up and ignores some red flags along the way. The apartment furnishes her with vitamins and does a weekly health scan. They also film the residents. It’s a bit futuristic, but this is set in the future after Paris was hit with some drone strikes. After a few weeks of this, Clarissa is feeling creeped out about the place. That feeling is exacerbated when one of her new resident friends suddenly disappears.
While all this is going on, readers are let into the personal background of Clarissa, which centers on the loss of a child and her recent marital separation. The loss of the child was a situation that we’ve know through the ages, but the details centering around her recent separation was definitely one that belongs to the futuristic world.
I really liked the story, but would have liked to have seen some things resolved prior to the ending. I also felt as if the apartment community atmosphere would have made a great story on it’s own.
Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I’m happy to give my honest review.
A super unique concept with excellent world-building. Unfortunately, I couldn't connect with the main character and lost interest. DNF.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley for review.
An ARC was provided by NetGalley for review.
This book kind of fizzled out at the end which is sad because I really enjoyed the anxious build up of paranoia at the beginning. Maybe I didn't fully grasp the literary elements at play in that last section but it just felt rather lackluster compared to the rest of the novel.
Pros:
Eerie Modern Haunted House
AI ethics
Likeable protag
Flowers of Darkness begins Clarissa, and older writer that has a fascination with authors who killed themselves at home, moves into the ultra-modern artist residency C.A.S.A. While she is initially okay with being heavily monitored, after some weird incidents with her and her granddaughter and meetings with perfectly compelling student and paranoid neighbors has her questioning a 24/7 monitoring system. Add in a fuckboi ex-husband, the ethics of AI use, and an exploration of grief and you have Flowers of Darkness.
I really did think the set up was nice. The antiseptic nature of the apartment was weirdly creepy in a way you wouldn't expect from modern buildings. No spoilers but there is talk of a pre-book terrorist attack and this building is very close to that so it carries this idea that bad and unhappy spirits can stay near a place. I thought the tension between what was happening and what Clarissa could realistically do about it was great and the inclusion of the Notebook sections that were first-person accounts of the events leading up to her leaving her husband was one of the more compelling parts.
Cons:
Ending
Like I said, the ending reaches this big climax of her trying to leave C.A.S.A but after that it is very mundane and calm. It makes me wonder if I missed something in what was being told. I think I would still recommend the book despite this was I do think it is an interesting haunted house novel.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy.
Pros:
Eerie Modern Haunted House
AI ethics
Likeable protag
Flowers of Darkness begins Clarissa, and older writer that has a fascination with authors who killed themselves at home, moves into the ultra-modern artist residency C.A.S.A. While she is initially okay with being heavily monitored, after some weird incidents with her and her granddaughter and meetings with perfectly compelling student and paranoid neighbors has her questioning a 24/7 monitoring system. Add in a fuckboi ex-husband, the ethics of AI use, and an exploration of grief and you have Flowers of Darkness.
I really did think the set up was nice. The antiseptic nature of the apartment was weirdly creepy in a way you wouldn't expect from modern buildings. No spoilers but there is talk of a pre-book terrorist attack and this building is very close to that so it carries this idea that bad and unhappy spirits can stay near a place. I thought the tension between what was happening and what Clarissa could realistically do about it was great and the inclusion of the Notebook sections that were first-person accounts of the events leading up to her leaving her husband was one of the more compelling parts.
Cons:
Ending
Like I said, the ending reaches this big climax of her trying to leave C.A.S.A but after that it is very mundane and calm. It makes me wonder if I missed something in what was being told. I think I would still recommend the book despite this was I do think it is an interesting haunted house novel.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy.
I received this from Netgalley.com.
"Clarissa Katsef has had ominous discomfort, the feeling of being watched. Who is behind CASA? Clarissa is still haunted by the betrayal that led her to divorce."
Set in the near future Paris, the first half of the story was interesting enough but then started to lag. There were so many different topics introduced into this story that each topic could have been a whole story on its own, it was all over the place. Bilingualism, terrorism, global warming, family, divorce, loneliness, suicide and a rogue AI (Artificial Intelligence) building. Just to name a few.
2.75☆
"Clarissa Katsef has had ominous discomfort, the feeling of being watched. Who is behind CASA? Clarissa is still haunted by the betrayal that led her to divorce."
Set in the near future Paris, the first half of the story was interesting enough but then started to lag. There were so many different topics introduced into this story that each topic could have been a whole story on its own, it was all over the place. Bilingualism, terrorism, global warming, family, divorce, loneliness, suicide and a rogue AI (Artificial Intelligence) building. Just to name a few.
2.75☆
The blurb made this book sound interesting, but unfortunately that is where it ended. The book itself is told in the POV of a whiny, middle-aged woman and extremely dull. Also full of telling rather than showing which doesn’t help when it’s already so dull.
Do not recommend.
2 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️
Note:
I listened to the audiobook. Narrator is okay, but not one I’d purposely seek out or get excited to listen to.
3-star performance.
Do not recommend.
2 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️
Note:
I listened to the audiobook. Narrator is okay, but not one I’d purposely seek out or get excited to listen to.
3-star performance.
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Slow paced, weird ending. Nothing felt finished. Just didn't work for me