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night_owl9's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
betwixt_the_pages's review against another edition
4.0
Rating: 4.25/5 Penguins (rounded down)
Quick Reasons: a Secret Garden retelling?! GIMME!; intriguing magic, powerful world-building; WHAT a reveal twist!; could not put this down; pretty purple prose; diverse romance/characters; wit and snark galore
HUGE thanks to Devin Greenlee, Entangled Teen, and Netgalley for the ARC of this title! My review of this book is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
Magic isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's kind of boring, to be honest--working around mystical plants all day. The novelty wears off.
I know the deal--it's a rite of passage. Every dryad's done it--my grandmothers, then my mother, then Laurel, and now it's my turn. If you can take care of it, you prove that you can take care of yourself. Fail, and... I don'[t actually know. No one's ever failed before.
I fell in love with this book based on two small things initially. 1. The cover is spectacularly eye-catching; and 2. This is a Secret Garden retelling. I did not know the journey I was about to embark on when I requested this ARC; I merely knew I NEEDED to read it. I'm so happy my intuition was correct.
The magic system in this read is beautifully crafted, mysterious in a way that makes you want to know more, and only just slightly confusing. Devin Greenlee plays with plant-based powers and dryad mythologies to weave an awe-inspiring journey of self-discovery, self-confidence, and growth. The prose is elegant and just the right amount of purple, flowing and flowering (hahaha...flowers. get it?) in all the right ways. And that twist reveal?! I was left gasping.
"So what happened after that? Did they get away?"
Laurel chuckles. "Oh, absolutely not. The prince hunted them down and publicly executed them before finding a new wife. Lived unhappily ever after until he was captured, tortured, and overthrown. Not the greatest end to the story--probably why it isn't told often. The moral is true love never lies."
I definitely recommend this to lovers of dryad magics, seekers of new and uniquely crafted worlds, and those who love a good retelling to lose themselves in. The door has been left unlocked, Penguins. Are you ready to face what's lurking inside?!
Quick Reasons: a Secret Garden retelling?! GIMME!; intriguing magic, powerful world-building; WHAT a reveal twist!; could not put this down; pretty purple prose; diverse romance/characters; wit and snark galore
HUGE thanks to Devin Greenlee, Entangled Teen, and Netgalley for the ARC of this title! My review of this book is voluntarily written and in no way altered or impacted by this gesture.
Magic isn't all it's cracked up to be. It's kind of boring, to be honest--working around mystical plants all day. The novelty wears off.
I know the deal--it's a rite of passage. Every dryad's done it--my grandmothers, then my mother, then Laurel, and now it's my turn. If you can take care of it, you prove that you can take care of yourself. Fail, and... I don'[t actually know. No one's ever failed before.
I fell in love with this book based on two small things initially. 1. The cover is spectacularly eye-catching; and 2. This is a Secret Garden retelling. I did not know the journey I was about to embark on when I requested this ARC; I merely knew I NEEDED to read it. I'm so happy my intuition was correct.
The magic system in this read is beautifully crafted, mysterious in a way that makes you want to know more, and only just slightly confusing. Devin Greenlee plays with plant-based powers and dryad mythologies to weave an awe-inspiring journey of self-discovery, self-confidence, and growth. The prose is elegant and just the right amount of purple, flowing and flowering (hahaha...flowers. get it?) in all the right ways. And that twist reveal?! I was left gasping.
"So what happened after that? Did they get away?"
Laurel chuckles. "Oh, absolutely not. The prince hunted them down and publicly executed them before finding a new wife. Lived unhappily ever after until he was captured, tortured, and overthrown. Not the greatest end to the story--probably why it isn't told often. The moral is true love never lies."
I definitely recommend this to lovers of dryad magics, seekers of new and uniquely crafted worlds, and those who love a good retelling to lose themselves in. The door has been left unlocked, Penguins. Are you ready to face what's lurking inside?!
latestbookcrush's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-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? It's complicated
3.75
sagec_13's review against another edition
4.0
**Thank you to the publisher for providing an electronic ARC through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**
In Devin Greenlee’s queer young adult fantasy debut, we follow Quill, a young half-dryad who has been hidden away from the outside world as he grows into his magic.
The problem is, his magic hasn’t come yet (much to Quill’s frustration). He longs to explore the world, go to school, maybe even make a friend… but for now he’s restricted to his family’s garden and flower shop.
Then their new neighbor Liam comes crashing in (literally) onto Quill’s fire escape. A potential new friend combined with a mystery involving a thief that has broken into the (magical, fragile, nothing-in-it-should-be-in-the-hands-of-anyone-outside-Quill’s-family) garden… Quill has a lot to juggle after a life of complete secrecy.
This coming-of-age book pulled me in and didn’t let me go for a good while— just as the original Secret Garden story did the first time I read it! It was fascinating to see how Quill navigated learning about himself, about his magic, and the outside world, I adored the character interactions (Liam and Quill’s budding romance is so sweet!), and it was so refreshing to see that Quill has a loving and supportive family.
While I was very excited to read a queer fantasy retelling of The Secret Garden (one of my favorites as a kid), this felt more like a reimagining than a beat-for-beat retelling. Which isn’t a bad thing, just wasn’t quite what I was expecting from the marketing.
All in all this was a wonderfully heartwarming queer urban fairytale, and I look forward to reading it again and again!
In Devin Greenlee’s queer young adult fantasy debut, we follow Quill, a young half-dryad who has been hidden away from the outside world as he grows into his magic.
The problem is, his magic hasn’t come yet (much to Quill’s frustration). He longs to explore the world, go to school, maybe even make a friend… but for now he’s restricted to his family’s garden and flower shop.
Then their new neighbor Liam comes crashing in (literally) onto Quill’s fire escape. A potential new friend combined with a mystery involving a thief that has broken into the (magical, fragile, nothing-in-it-should-be-in-the-hands-of-anyone-outside-Quill’s-family) garden… Quill has a lot to juggle after a life of complete secrecy.
This coming-of-age book pulled me in and didn’t let me go for a good while— just as the original Secret Garden story did the first time I read it! It was fascinating to see how Quill navigated learning about himself, about his magic, and the outside world, I adored the character interactions (Liam and Quill’s budding romance is so sweet!), and it was so refreshing to see that Quill has a loving and supportive family.
While I was very excited to read a queer fantasy retelling of The Secret Garden (one of my favorites as a kid), this felt more like a reimagining than a beat-for-beat retelling. Which isn’t a bad thing, just wasn’t quite what I was expecting from the marketing.
All in all this was a wonderfully heartwarming queer urban fairytale, and I look forward to reading it again and again!
ninamoskowitz's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
cas_reads_anything's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.75
A very cute YA love story with a whole magic plot going on in the background. The MC does annoying silly YA decision making type stuff but there were still some surprising twists & turns and an exciting finish
ibetmacias's review against another edition
funny
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
4.0
scusastavoleggendo's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.0
utopiastateofmind's review
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
This queer Secret Garden retelling takes this framework of isolation and gives it a fantasy twist. At the heart of Evergreen is wanting to protect someone so dearly that we think the only we can is if we keep them where we can see them. We don't let them stray too far into a world of dangers, unknown elements, and risks. But that never works, despite our best attempts. Evergreen is an awakening. It's not only a queer awakening, but also of figuring out Quill's likes, dislikes, and voice.
This queer Secret Garden retelling takes this framework of isolation and gives it a fantasy twist. At the heart of Evergreen is wanting to protect someone so dearly that we think the only we can is if we keep them where we can see them. We don't let them stray too far into a world of dangers, unknown elements, and risks. But that never works, despite our best attempts. Evergreen is an awakening. It's not only a queer awakening, but also of figuring out Quill's likes, dislikes, and voice.
staceybigner's review against another edition
2.0
I wanted to enjoy this book. There were so many great concepts that were either left unexplored, rushed through, or abandoned completely. The romance took the front seat of a story that needed world-building and magic-building. I found myself not even caring about the characters because their development was so lacking. It had the potential to be so good and the beginning of something great. If there is a second book, I would be very wary to give it another chance.
I just reviewed Evergreen by Devin Greenlee. #Evergreen #NetGalley
I just reviewed Evergreen by Devin Greenlee. #Evergreen #NetGalley