A review by sol_journal
Where Shadows Bloom by Catherine Bakewell

emotional hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

**Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this ARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.** 
Posted to: NetGalley and The StoryGraph 
Posted on: 3 February 2025 
 
4.3 (rounded down to 4) out of 5 stars. 
 
I first read ‘Flowerheart’ by Catherine Bakewell sometime in 2023. I really enjoyed it from the whimsy to the deeper themes embedded inside the story. I loved Bakewell’s work then, but part of me knew that her future works would be better with the prose and the flow. ‘Flowerheart’ was a lovely read, don’t get me wrong, but the writing was mildly lacking. It was simple, if I can say that without sounding rude or offensive. I did enjoy the story, but I knew that Bakewell had more potential to unlock in her writing with more practice. 
 
And ‘Where Shadows Bloom’ is how she delivered it! 
 
I know not where to begin with this review because I literally just recently put it down this morning. I’ve gone to my reader friends’ group chat to rave about this read (I actually took it to them before I’d even finished it, but now that I can fully say that it’s a good read from page one til the end, I returned to them with the update.) I’ve finished my playlist for it and have already pre-ordered it. These are like the key things I do if I really love a book, and I really love ‘Where Shadows Bloom’, but let me get started on the actual review part. 
 
I normally start with things that I didn’t really like in the book/about the book, but everything kind of settled out in the end? Everything made sense, I should say instead. I do think it resolved mildly anti-climatically, if I can be honest. I also think that I say that because I have a bone to pick with HEA books where the ending has potential to be soul-crushingly intense and sad- but I am nothing if not a sad girl at heart. So the thought that books can end on a sad note is just personal preference. The ending here is fine and makes sense, and still managed to make me cry on my commute to work, so it’s still a win all around. 
While it’s not something that I hate, so to say, there is something that annoyed me. Do you know when characters do or say something that has you screaming at the book/tv/screen, “No! Why would you do that!?”… There were a few instances here in this book like that. Now, I won’t say that I entirely hate this, however. It was irritating, sure, but it also just fit so well with the characters’ motives that had been written out up to this point. I think staying true to a character’s voice is a very good thing because for one, it means that you have fleshed out a character well enough that they even have a distinct voice to make note of. Secondly, it means that it just added another layer to the story. Where a reader would want something to happen to avoid conflict, the bump in the road just makes arriving at the finish line all the more joyous. So while it was a pretty rough bit to get over, it just made sense (and I fear that I’ve said that enough that the phrase is losing its meaning.) 
 
The book isn’t terribly predictable either?? I also was bouncing in and out of a reading slump though, so take that with a grain of salt. It did have really lovely writing though and that I can vouch for. I’m pretty sure in my review notes, I wrote “Lyrical, lyrical, lyrical, ly-“ quite a few times if that counts for anything. There’s also keyboard smashes, general notes of silent screaming, and the occasional “my hearts!!” If that also can say anything about my general thoughts towards this. It feels like a love letter to the way Studio Ghibli movies make people feel. ‘Where Shadows Bloom’ is a letter to love, to yearning, to whimsy, and to a beautiful ballroom setting (but not enough dancing, I’d say). I genuinely loved it. The pacing felt right with the tale, the prose was absolutely beautiful, the POVs added layers of desire and want that bubbled over to the ending we received. Honestly, there’s not much more to say about this book besides the fact that it was a lush read filled with heart. It feels like Hadestown’s own Orpheus wrote this. I need ten more like- yesterday. 
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