Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen
Book Title: Garden Spells
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Genre: Fiction
My Grade: B
# of Pages: 290
Summary: In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small house in the smallest of towns, is an apple tree rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extaordinary people who tend it.
The Waverly's have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation. For the Waverly history is in the soil. And so are their futures.
A successful caterer, Claire Waverly prepares dishes made with her mystical plants - from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, distributes unexpected presents whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverlys - except for Claire's rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.
When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire's quiet life is turned upside down. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom... or with each other.
My Thoughts: This book turned ou to be just what I had expected. Interesting storyline, with some cliche plot points, characters not quite fully developed, and writing that was just descriptive enough and just good enough to pull you in... just enough.
Garden Spells is a book you can half read but still get the full jist of. It gets a little dramatic and cheesey at times, but it's still a good place for a first novel to be. It's something that Allen can improve upon, and seeing as she's already at a good spot, her future novels will just go from better to excellent.
The thing the book has going most for it, is that it takes the story of family relationships and history that has been told time and time again and makes it new. It's a unique twist on an old story, but is told with a timeless quality so if you were to pick the book up 20 years from now you're not tackily transported to the past as a lot of popular fiction can do.
If you want a light and entertaining read than I'd advise picking up Garden Spells.
Next Book: The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley • review
Back to the Book List.
Author: Sarah Addison Allen
Genre: Fiction
My Grade: B
# of Pages: 290
Summary: In a garden surrounded by a tall fence, tucked away behind a small house in the smallest of towns, is an apple tree rumored to bear a very special sort of fruit. In this luminous debut novel, Sarah Addison Allen tells the story of that enchanted tree, and the extaordinary people who tend it.
The Waverly's have always been a curious family, endowed with peculiar gifts that make them outsiders even in their hometown of Bascom, North Carolina. Even their garden has a reputation. For the Waverly history is in the soil. And so are their futures.
A successful caterer, Claire Waverly prepares dishes made with her mystical plants - from the nasturtiums that aid in keeping secrets to the snapdragons intended to discourage the attentions of her amorous neighbor. Meanwhile, her elderly cousin, Evanelle, distributes unexpected presents whose uses become uncannily clear. They are the last of the Waverlys - except for Claire's rebellious sister, Sydney, who fled Bascom the moment she could, abandoning Claire, as their own mother had years before.
When Sydney suddenly returns home with a young daughter of her own, Claire's quiet life is turned upside down. Together again in the house they grew up in, Sydney takes stock of all she left behind, as Claire struggles to heal the wounds of the past. And soon the sisters realize they must deal with their common legacy - if they are ever to feel at home in Bascom... or with each other.
My Thoughts: This book turned ou to be just what I had expected. Interesting storyline, with some cliche plot points, characters not quite fully developed, and writing that was just descriptive enough and just good enough to pull you in... just enough.
Garden Spells is a book you can half read but still get the full jist of. It gets a little dramatic and cheesey at times, but it's still a good place for a first novel to be. It's something that Allen can improve upon, and seeing as she's already at a good spot, her future novels will just go from better to excellent.
The thing the book has going most for it, is that it takes the story of family relationships and history that has been told time and time again and makes it new. It's a unique twist on an old story, but is told with a timeless quality so if you were to pick the book up 20 years from now you're not tackily transported to the past as a lot of popular fiction can do.
If you want a light and entertaining read than I'd advise picking up Garden Spells.
Next Book: The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley • review
Back to the Book List.