A review by courtnee_
Seeder Shadow Wars by J. Houser

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

 

Mel Walters is ready for the bloom of life and dating, when a physical bloom causes her focus to shift from trigonometry class and dating to hiding her true identity and running from her enemies, the Ivies. She discovers that she has been planted away from her home, a small, protected pocket called the Green Lands. Her people, the Seeders, send their female seedlings to human parents. Upon maturation, or blooming, the female seeder is considered an adult among her people, and she is faced with a decision: Will she stay in the human world and lose her herbal powers, or will she fly back home? Mel is surrounded by close friends, caring parents, and a budding relationship. Will she sacrifice it all to go back to the Green Lands and protect their borders?

SEEDER SHADOW WARS thrusts the reader into a duplicitous setting in our world, where anyone may be a friend, foe, or family member. I found myself wanting to make Mel’s decision for her but nodding along with her final heart-breaking choices. J. Houser provides the reader with a world within our own, complete with botanical beings in an age-old war.

I received an advanced reader copy of the book, and I enjoyed it. This story would be a good fit for middle adolescents and more experienced readers, as it builds on a detailed plot but has some make-out scenes.

It is the first book in the series, and I can’t wait to read more novels by J. Houser.