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A review by jmmcarter
Evergreen by Devin Greenlee
3.0
I was provided with an eARC for this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
First off, while this book is sold as being a reimagining of The Secret Garden, this isn't the case. Is there a garden? Yes. Is it secret? Yes. That's where the similarity ends, so don't go into this expecting an urban fantasy version of the classic story as it's not the case.
While I did enjoy the book once things got going (the pacing is a bit slow at the start), it is very YA. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just got a lot of teenage angst, which means the fantasy aspect doesn't get built upon. You're only given a vague idea of the magic system, history and world as more of the focus is on the teenager side of things and young love.
Most of the fantasy side of things happens towards the end of the book and while it's enjoyable, it feels a bit rushed. This results in the stakes feeling relatively low, even with something big to deal with.
While I enjoyed this book, it's not one I'll reach for again. However, the romance side of things was sweet and it was an easy read to start my year off. I definitely think a younger audience will enjoy it much more.
First off, while this book is sold as being a reimagining of The Secret Garden, this isn't the case. Is there a garden? Yes. Is it secret? Yes. That's where the similarity ends, so don't go into this expecting an urban fantasy version of the classic story as it's not the case.
While I did enjoy the book once things got going (the pacing is a bit slow at the start), it is very YA. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it's just got a lot of teenage angst, which means the fantasy aspect doesn't get built upon. You're only given a vague idea of the magic system, history and world as more of the focus is on the teenager side of things and young love.
Most of the fantasy side of things happens towards the end of the book and while it's enjoyable, it feels a bit rushed. This results in the stakes feeling relatively low, even with something big to deal with.
While I enjoyed this book, it's not one I'll reach for again. However, the romance side of things was sweet and it was an easy read to start my year off. I definitely think a younger audience will enjoy it much more.