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A review by betwixt_the_pages
Evergreen by Devin Greenlee
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?!