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A review by uhgood
Tree Magic by Harriet Springbett
4.0
This was a wonderful and strange book about a girl with a magical connection to trees and a complex relationship with herself. Rainbow's character is deeply nuanced, and the author did an incredible job of honoring that. Without getting into spoilers, we see so many phases of her life: each one adds to Rainbow's intricacy, rather than diluting her believability. The magic in this book is subtle, used more as a tool to explore these characters' complicated relationships and see this young woman coming of age.
While the book's structure neatly resonates with the tree motif, I did find it posed a barrier to letting me be swept away. This is a slow building story. Perhaps it was just my own misplaced expectations, but I did struggle with the pacing--especially in the beginning. The early section of Rainbow's younger years builds an important foundation for the story, but its length and younger tone (it reads as very middle-gradey) made it more difficult for me to get invested. As Rainbow grew up, I found the pacing picked up--though it is by no means an action-packed page turner. The strength of this book lies in its complex and vivid portrayal of characters, relationships, and the gritty wonders of reckoning with the self.
3.5/5 stars
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Impress Books!
While the book's structure neatly resonates with the tree motif, I did find it posed a barrier to letting me be swept away. This is a slow building story. Perhaps it was just my own misplaced expectations, but I did struggle with the pacing--especially in the beginning. The early section of Rainbow's younger years builds an important foundation for the story, but its length and younger tone (it reads as very middle-gradey) made it more difficult for me to get invested. As Rainbow grew up, I found the pacing picked up--though it is by no means an action-packed page turner. The strength of this book lies in its complex and vivid portrayal of characters, relationships, and the gritty wonders of reckoning with the self.
3.5/5 stars
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Impress Books!