A review by reading_robyn
This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

When my daughter saw the cover, she said, “Oh! This is pretty. What is it about?” My response? “Black Girl Magic”

Plot: Briseis is a teenage girl living in Brooklyn with her moms. They own a flower shop and Bri loves plants. She can make them grow with just a touch. Every day it is a struggle to keep her powers a secret. Then an aunt, that she didn’t know of, dies and leaves her an estate surrounded by plant life and a garden with every known species of poisonous plants in it. Brie is the only person left who can safely tend to the garden thanks to her gift. Before she can get settled in her new home, she meets some colorful character and uncovers dangerous secrets. Soon Bri is drowning in secrets, questions, and warnings about her birth family. Who can she trust?

Characters: I loved all the characters. Bri’s moms were great. They loved the hell out of Bri and neither of them hesitated to show her that. They were funny and protective and it was refreshing to see a black character with a good home life. They were just happy and dealing with having a magical daughter the best they could. 

Briseis very quickly moved onto my Fave Female MC list. She was a good-natured, down-to-earth (literally 😂) girl. She was a bit lonely since she had to keep her powers secret. Then when she moved to the estate she made a few choices that made me 🤦🏽‍♀️ shake my head but I understood why.

Full review at https://readingrobyn22.wordpress.com/2022/06/27/this-poison-heart/ 

I’m off to read book 2