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lazygal's review against another edition
3.0
What a great concept: an old estate, decaying garden, orphans and magic. Piper is the only child that actually belongs at Mallory Estate as her grandmother owns it and it's where her mother went when she left Piper and her father years ago. So when she's sent there because her father's cancer has advanced and her aunt is travelling it's no wonder she's apprehensive. The three other children there distrust her and fear she'll disrupt their plans to be adopted; Piper is confused when they tell her how wonderful her mother has been. And that's where the book lost me: the Piper/mother relationship. The magic, the quest, the garden were all great. But when a mother goes out of their way to be deliberately mean to their child for no apparent reason? It just didn't work in this book.
eARC provided by publisher.
eARC provided by publisher.
gen_wolfhailstorm's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
Listened via Audible
The Details:
Narrated by Roisin Rankin
Unabridged
I loved how deep this was, especially with the complex family dynamics, feeling of abandonment and magic used for nefarious purposes.
The characters were great and I think Teddy was a fast favourite.
I loved the riddles and journey to find the elixir.
I feel like the heart of the story was the exceptance of death and the understanding that nothing lasts forever. A very bittersweet story, but it was also so lovely.
The Details:
Narrated by Roisin Rankin
Unabridged
I loved how deep this was, especially with the complex family dynamics, feeling of abandonment and magic used for nefarious purposes.
The characters were great and I think Teddy was a fast favourite.
I loved the riddles and journey to find the elixir.
I feel like the heart of the story was the exceptance of death and the understanding that nothing lasts forever. A very bittersweet story, but it was also so lovely.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, and Cancer
Moderate: Bullying
jkribbit's review against another edition
4.0
With her father stuck in the hospital battling cancer, Piper finds herself spending the summer with her estranged mother and stately grandmother. The Mallory estate is grand and strange and features a garden long dead after a fire ruined it. When Piper arrives, she discovers her grandmother missing, and that her mother who abandoned her is now fostering several other children. This book is filled with heartbreak, magic, and hope.
I enjoyed this book. Just from the title and reading of the grand estate and mysterious garden, I went into this book expecting more of a Secret Garden setting. I was a bit jolted out of the world with talk of cell phones and email! But once I got used to the time and place, I quickly got lost in this story. I loved getting to know the children and I loved the magical history and world. No spoilers, but I was happy the ending had redemption without being neatly wrapped up with a bow. A beautiful story of finding yourself, family, friends, loss, and healing.
I enjoyed this book. Just from the title and reading of the grand estate and mysterious garden, I went into this book expecting more of a Secret Garden setting. I was a bit jolted out of the world with talk of cell phones and email! But once I got used to the time and place, I quickly got lost in this story. I loved getting to know the children and I loved the magical history and world. No spoilers, but I was happy the ending had redemption without being neatly wrapped up with a bow. A beautiful story of finding yourself, family, friends, loss, and healing.
craftyemma's review against another edition
5.0
Piper Peavey is sent to live with her estranged mother at the Mallory Estate, when her father is too I'll with cancer to look after her. She meets several other children, who all have magical powers and they help her to realise her own abilities, before setting off on a quest to find an elixir in the garden that could help her father.
The secret garden meets X-Men.
The secret garden meets X-Men.
kylielovesbooks's review
5.0
4.5 stars
This book was really good. I was immediately drawn in by the cover because it looks like a Studio Ghibli movie and they are some of my favorites.
The story was magical, I loved the fact that there are people with affinities (time bending, molding inanimate objects etc). The mystery of being able to see the garden alive and thriving through Julius' eyepiece, but seeing it as dead in real life kept me so interested. The quest to get the elixir of immortality kept me interested. Literally everything kept me interested and it was so fast paced.
The characters were cute and each had their own personalities. Piper's mom was the opposite of what anyone would want in a mom and it just broke my heart at how she treated Piper. It wasn't bad enough that she abandoned Piper and her father, but after so many years, she treated Piper so horribly. I really liked how the character's pasts were shown in their current personalities, like how Camilla didn't let anyone get too close to her and become her real friends because she had been to so many foster homes and moved so many times, it was easier without making any friends.
This book also dealt heavily with grief. Piper's dad has lung cancer which is taking a turn for the worst. Obviously Piper wants the immortality elixir to save her father, the only parent who loves her.
I really hope this becomes a series, because so many things were left open (even though it did feel like it had an ending) and I would love to read more books about Piper and the other kids.
This book was really good. I was immediately drawn in by the cover because it looks like a Studio Ghibli movie and they are some of my favorites.
The story was magical, I loved the fact that there are people with affinities (time bending, molding inanimate objects etc). The mystery of being able to see the garden alive and thriving through Julius' eyepiece, but seeing it as dead in real life kept me so interested. The quest to get the elixir of immortality kept me interested. Literally everything kept me interested and it was so fast paced.
The characters were cute and each had their own personalities. Piper's mom was the opposite of what anyone would want in a mom and it just broke my heart at how she treated Piper. It wasn't bad enough that she abandoned Piper and her father, but after so many years, she treated Piper so horribly. I really liked how the character's pasts were shown in their current personalities, like how Camilla didn't let anyone get too close to her and become her real friends because she had been to so many foster homes and moved so many times, it was easier without making any friends.
This book also dealt heavily with grief. Piper's dad has lung cancer which is taking a turn for the worst. Obviously Piper wants the immortality elixir to save her father, the only parent who loves her.
I really hope this becomes a series, because so many things were left open (even though it did feel like it had an ending) and I would love to read more books about Piper and the other kids.
booksandpops4000's review
3.0
I thought this was a fun take on the secret garden myth. I thought the characters were super fun and really loved the setting and the house. I also really like the group of kids that we met in this read. It was a fast pace read. I though this book tackle grief and death of a parent super well and really loved that part of the read. I thought the mystery was well ploted. I just wanted more time with these characters and hope we get a book 2 to expand on the world built in this novel.
danyell919's review
4.0
This was a delightful book! I loved the magic garden and the trials. I thought it also did a good job exploring the death of a parent and grief. I enjoyed learning about Piper and all of the other kids’ affinities too.
esseastri's review against another edition
4.0
Erin Bowman has perfectly captured both the magic and loneliness of being a kid. A creepy house, a daring rescue, a magic portal, a secret garden--this book has everything that the best books of my childhood had. The characters are vibrant and real, and their problems take more than magic to solve--though the magic definitely helps!