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A review by wisecraic
Evergreen by Devin Greenlee
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
**I was provided an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**
Devin Greenlee debuts with his queer young adult fantasy, Evergreen. Readers follow Quill, a young half-dryad who has been secreted away from the human world his whole life as he comes into his magic. The problem is that his magic hasn't happened yet. Where Quill wants to explore the world and meet new people and maybe make a friend, he is restricted to his family's garden and flower shop. Enter new neighbor, Liam, who can't help but shake things up as he crashes about on Quill's fire escape. Add in one mystery about a thief that has broken into the garden and Quill has a lot to maneuver after a life of secrecy.
Marketed as a retelling of The Secret Garden, I find it better to consider Evergreen an "inspired by" rather than a true retelling. Some of the plot beats do hit and the general vibe is there, but this is not the strictest retelling or reimagining out there. This is not a good or bad thing, simply a managing of expectations.
Evergreen is undeniably a coming-of-age tale for Quill as he learns about himself, his magic, the outside world, and his place in his family. I do think that this book read quickly and it was easy to look up and find another 50 pages had passed without you realizing it. The character interactions were cute and sweet. Quill had a very loving and supportive family, which seems uncommon in modern YA but was welcome.
Overall, this story was simply nice. Just fun and lighthearted with stakes that never really felt too threatening, despite having really neat imagery. This book was enjoyable and fun, but not anything that will stick with me, personally, long term. I would definitely recommend this one for the younger end of the YA audience as I feel that it might have a much stronger impact on readers with a shorter "already read" catalog than my own.
Devin Greenlee debuts with his queer young adult fantasy, Evergreen. Readers follow Quill, a young half-dryad who has been secreted away from the human world his whole life as he comes into his magic. The problem is that his magic hasn't happened yet. Where Quill wants to explore the world and meet new people and maybe make a friend, he is restricted to his family's garden and flower shop. Enter new neighbor, Liam, who can't help but shake things up as he crashes about on Quill's fire escape. Add in one mystery about a thief that has broken into the garden and Quill has a lot to maneuver after a life of secrecy.
Marketed as a retelling of The Secret Garden, I find it better to consider Evergreen an "inspired by" rather than a true retelling. Some of the plot beats do hit and the general vibe is there, but this is not the strictest retelling or reimagining out there. This is not a good or bad thing, simply a managing of expectations.
Evergreen is undeniably a coming-of-age tale for Quill as he learns about himself, his magic, the outside world, and his place in his family. I do think that this book read quickly and it was easy to look up and find another 50 pages had passed without you realizing it. The character interactions were cute and sweet. Quill had a very loving and supportive family, which seems uncommon in modern YA but was welcome.
Overall, this story was simply nice. Just fun and lighthearted with stakes that never really felt too threatening, despite having really neat imagery. This book was enjoyable and fun, but not anything that will stick with me, personally, long term. I would definitely recommend this one for the younger end of the YA audience as I feel that it might have a much stronger impact on readers with a shorter "already read" catalog than my own.