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kerasalwaysreading's review
4.0
What a beautiful story. This is about a boy Quill, whose magical family hides him away for his own protection. When his mother allows a new neighbor to move into their building, Quill and newcomer Liam meet and sparks fly.
Now, experiencing things he has never experienced before, finding adventure with Liam, he finds a comfort in the other boy. He has never had any magic of his own, though his mother and sister tell him it will come in time.
But, fearing an intruder inside of the garden that holds their family’s magic upends everything his family has worked so hard for for so long.
Quill trusts Liam, but what is really going on? Is it all just too coincidental or is Liam someone who Quill can’t trust?
This was so beautiful. I loved Quill and Liam’s story. I loved the incredible nature magical element to this story and it was such a fun and modern take on The Secret Garden.
Now, experiencing things he has never experienced before, finding adventure with Liam, he finds a comfort in the other boy. He has never had any magic of his own, though his mother and sister tell him it will come in time.
But, fearing an intruder inside of the garden that holds their family’s magic upends everything his family has worked so hard for for so long.
Quill trusts Liam, but what is really going on? Is it all just too coincidental or is Liam someone who Quill can’t trust?
This was so beautiful. I loved Quill and Liam’s story. I loved the incredible nature magical element to this story and it was such a fun and modern take on The Secret Garden.
melabanana's review
lighthearted
relaxing
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
3.5
Evergreen follows Quinn a half-dryad, half-human who is the first of his kind. For this reason he is not allowed to leave the family garden. However one day Liam’s and his dad move in next door, and suddenly he is everywhere Quinn can look. The two form an hidden friendship, but things turn sour when the more Quinn is out of the house, the more things go out of control in the garden.
Quinn and Liam were such lovely characters to read about. Their friendship was so lovely and it felt super natural when it turned into a love story. I loved the fact that the villain was not who I expected to be, and the overall magical garden setting. The books was super easy to get through and the magic system was very cool as well.
If you’re looking for a magical, LGBTQIA+ young adult urban fantasy with a side plot of romance, this is a great pick!
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me an arc of this book.
Quinn and Liam were such lovely characters to read about. Their friendship was so lovely and it felt super natural when it turned into a love story. I loved the fact that the villain was not who I expected to be, and the overall magical garden setting. The books was super easy to get through and the magic system was very cool as well.
If you’re looking for a magical, LGBTQIA+ young adult urban fantasy with a side plot of romance, this is a great pick!
Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for giving me an arc of this book.
kayceeisbookish's review
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.75
Little Shop of Horrors meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers. This tale blossomed with an exciting plot that had me on the edge of my seat. The ending, I definitely did not see coming. Highly recommend.
Content Warnings
Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
adrihean's review
5.0
Quill yearns for a respite from the family's gardening legacy, and the fact that, as the sole male dryad among a lineage of females, he possesses only the physical attributes of his kind but lacks their magical abilities. For years, he's been confined indoors, unable to experience the outside world. When the new neighbor Liam finds him, he’s introduced to the outside world. Yet, an escalating danger arises as mysterious intruders infiltrate the family garden, leading to disturbances among the once-docile plants.
“Evergreen” by Devin Greenlee is a fantastic coming-of-age fantasy book. I absolutely love the characters, all of them. Quill was my favorite, especially since he was awkward but also outspoken and defensive at times. I liked how shelter and innocent he was, and the experiences that he’s new to in the book. Quill and Liam romance was so adorable, I was fighting for them the whole time. The lore was unique and perfectly explained. The cover is absolutely perfect. 5 out of 5 stars.
heathers_books's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
grace_astudentreading's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.0
Advanced reader's copy review
This was a strong debut novel, but still clearly a debut. To start with the things that impressed me: the magic system and characters. I was blown away by the development of the dryad magic and world. It was layered and nuanced, and information was well delivered over the course of the story. Alongside the magic, I also loved the characters. Quill was a great narrator and main character. He felt his age, and had great complexity. He also had amazing relationships with his mother, sister, and Liam, packed with love but also tension that made them very real. Of course, I found the romance adorable. I did not want to leave Quill and the magic when this book ended. However, there were things that I struggled with while reading the book. I felt plot wise that the entire thing was a bit rushed, and could have been slowed down to allow for more character development and a deeper dive into Quill’s family’s past. It also felt like there were some loose threads left unresolved at the end. But I would still recommend this book as a fun, quick, magical read.
Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a strong debut novel, but still clearly a debut. To start with the things that impressed me: the magic system and characters. I was blown away by the development of the dryad magic and world. It was layered and nuanced, and information was well delivered over the course of the story. Alongside the magic, I also loved the characters. Quill was a great narrator and main character. He felt his age, and had great complexity. He also had amazing relationships with his mother, sister, and Liam, packed with love but also tension that made them very real. Of course, I found the romance adorable. I did not want to leave Quill and the magic when this book ended. However, there were things that I struggled with while reading the book. I felt plot wise that the entire thing was a bit rushed, and could have been slowed down to allow for more character development and a deeper dive into Quill’s family’s past. It also felt like there were some loose threads left unresolved at the end. But I would still recommend this book as a fun, quick, magical read.
Thank you Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for the free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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